Photographers, listen up: it’s time to retire the phrase "say cheese!" Let’s be real—it’s outdated, overused, and frankly, a little cheesy. There’s something about that command that turns even the most natural smilers into stiff, unnatural grinners, like they've just spotted their least favorite cousin at a family reunion. The word "cheese" forces your mouth into a smile that’s more about showing teeth than showing joy. It’s the photographic equivalent of a forced laugh at a bad joke—everyone knows it’s fake, but no one wants to admit it.
Instead of prompting your subjects to mimic dairy products, why not embrace a little creativity? How about "say champagne," which might actually make them think of something worth smiling about? Or "say victory," which could conjure up images of personal triumphs? Heck, even "say chocolate" might evoke a more genuine grin than "cheese" ever could.
As photographers, your job is to capture authenticity, not manufacture it. And let's be honest, no one’s best memory starts with "that time we all said cheese." So, let’s put "cheese" out to pasture and give our subjects something truly worth smiling about. Because at the end of the day, a picture’s worth a thousand words, but "cheese" should never be one of them.
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