One thing I love about looking through the internet some days is the hidden gems that you discover, I was browsing Facebook waiting for a client just the other day and found this great article from Solveig Malvik. This is how the article begins…
‘The face in the upper left corner is how I look like when I don’t make a face at all. The face in the upper right corner, is how I look like when I focus. Like when I listen to people. Or when I dance. And actually enjoy myself. Hah.
Any wonder people keep telling me to smile?
Or asking me why I look so serious?
(btw, the face in the lower left corner is when I try to smile, and the lower right corner is when I do what my photographer tells me to do to get me to look happy – open my mouth and say “ahhhh”).
Hm.’
It is such a great blog that resonates with my profession completely and is likely to relate to some of you too. The article talks about how our facial expressions matter because it is the first thing people will notice about us when they see us, it is vital in terms of first impressions and for portraying our character too. It talks about why the face is so hard to control and the number of muscles that each of our faces have, it’s interesting to learn that not everyone has the same number of muscles in the face – some have a lot more which allows them to make different facial expressions.
Solveig Malvik goes on to talk about the concept of ‘Bitchy Resting Face’ with an amusing accompanying video. When you actually consider this concept you realise there is so much truth to it, when people are not expressing any emotion some people do just tend to have an unappreciative look on their face. These people rarely know they look so miserable or angry but I think we can all appreciate how frustrating it must be when people constantly tell them to smile or cheer up – we’ve all been there.
There is actual scientific proof that smiling can reduce stress, so it’s time to start smiling. For no apparent reason or in situations that you do find stressful look for the silver lining or think back to the last thing that really made you laugh. It will help you to de-stress and keep smiling!
A huge thank you to Solveig Malvik for your great article!
If you are worried that you may suffer from “resting bitch face” and that it have come through in your headshot photos don’t worry help is at hand. John Cassidy can put you at ease and bring out the side of you that you want to portray to create your perfect, professional headshot.
