It seems that every time someone takes a photo of me, I go into a quandary of how my face should appear. Since I am an optimist and am generally happy, I find myself wanting to pose smiling. Yet, in the same instant, I greatly want to avoid a silly grin--or as Daniel Pink illustrates in A Whole New Mind (page 161)--the phony smile in which the eyes do not participate. This can be quite a challenge during moments when I'm experiencing some serious anxiety over my appearance in the first place. Generally, I find the best thing to do is think on the phrase as if speaking to a dear friend "I love you friend" in a quiet, sincere, and cheerful way. If it's not just a head shot, the question is--in this most unnatural of situations and posing before a camera--how to best appear relaxed and informal and not awkward, stilted, and posed. All of this together in one instant is often too much for me, and I'm very grateful for digital cameras that can snap away until caught off-guard I appear half-way natural.
As for a photo caption, I think the less said the better--"Wayne at Saw Grass Lake Summer 2014". Consider a dubious alternative--"Wayne a very nice guy visits Saw Grass Lake with his wife's closest friend."
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