Some hardcore photographers refrain from uttering the dreaded ‘S-word’ altogether. The fear is that by getting your subject to smile, you will eliminate the all-important, on-the-spot authenticity that photojournalists ultimately crave. But such is the way, that some photographers spend so much effort conditioning their subjects not to smile, they then lose out on the authenticity they desire.
With this is mind, an upcoming exhibition in Dubai’s Gulf Photo Plus studio this month will be showcasing some of the world’s finest photographers who don’t mind the occasional shine of pearly white. In fact, they encourage it.
Entitled ‘Smile’, the exhibition from the highly respected photojournalists at VII Photo will feature some striking images of people smiling despite the difficult situations surrounding them. VII Photo, has previous received recognition for its work on hard-hitting, humanitarian projects including ‘Fatal Neglect’ and ‘Starved For Attention’. However, the inspiration behind the concept came when the agency was digging through its archives, only to note that there were far too many gloomy faces.
The Smile exhibition brings together images of people smiling – most often a taboo expression in photojournalism – into a collection of powerful images gathered during the most important historical events that have shaped the past thirty years. Compiled as a group, they reveal the astonishing range of human behavior that smiles represent.
While far from your run-of-the-mill family pictures, the images in the exhibition instead relate to hard-hitting narratives from historic events dating back at over the last 30 years. Needless to say, expect these images to range from violent and dysfunctional to cosy and warmer settings.
The Smile exhibition opens on February 4 at 7pm and runs until March 4. For more visit Gulf Photo Plus