A Smile Is Important!
A few months ago, a little three-year-old girl approached me with crocodile tears that rimmed her big, brown eyes and whimpered: “I don’t know how to smile”. Her comment broke my heart and made me realize how important a smile is …at any age.
Before the summer break, my daughter came to me upset about the dance pictures of her little three-old girl. It was her final jazz/ballet recital of the year and professional photos were being taken of the class.
When she saw the proofs of her daughter, Kalisi, she was very upset. The collection did not portray, at all, that beautiful, brown-eyed little girl in her bright, sparkly, hot pink tutu.
It was the dance company’s year-end finale with a complete dress rehearsal. The little ballerina was painted with bold eye makeup and thick, sticky lipstick that she had never worn before. When she talked her lips stuck together. Kalisi wasn’t at all sure what was happening to those lips of hers.
To top it all off, Kalisi was told to “smile” with all that goo on her lips. As she pried her lips apart – like the obedient little 3-year-old that she is – she bared her teeth into what she thought would resemble a “smile”. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with words that made the light in her eyes grow dim. “Smile nicely,” they said. “No, no, don’t stick out your teeth.” “Put your lips together…no, no, open them up a little bit…no, no, too much!” I can just image the overwhelm she felt.
The photographer having to photograph a class of 10-15 three to four year olds, in at least 3 different poses, was limited to time and the patience of three year olds, so she quickly snapped the pictures the best she could.
However, when the proofs appeared for review and purchase, my daughter was crushed. Her beautiful baby girl looked like the horse Maximus from the movie Frozen. Her lips stuck out in the air and her pearly white teeth bared like the horse. Her eyes showed fear and sadness all at the same time.
A Smile Was The Prettiest Thing She Could Wear!
We were all in a little bit of shock! And then, the worst of it came when little Kalisi with those huge crocodile tears looked up at me and said; “I don’t know how to smile”.
It broke my heart and as a photographer I realized, that a smile can make all the difference in the world. Despite all the makeup, frills, lace, and sparkle on that little girl … a smile was the prettiest thing she could wear!
A Smile Is All You Need To Complete Your Beauty!
A smile might seem like a simple act that we often take for granted but as a photographer, a smile is a lot more than just a line that appears across our faces. I look for it to come from within and show in your eyes. We all stress about our hair, or our clothes, or our weight when in reality a smile is all you need to complete your beauty!
There’s Magic in Your Smile!
Well, needless to say, and as you can see from the images, this little beauty does know how to smile. I learned a lot from that sweet, little three-year-old. It was the smile I wore that she mirrored back to me. There’s Magic In Your Smile!
I loved this little story. I felt for little Kalisi the entire time I was reading. Little does she know she has a smile that could light up a room. These photos are amazing!
Thank you Natalie! So glad you enjoyed the story. Kalisi indeed has a smile that lights up a room! Thanks for visiting and commenting! Stay tuned for more stories!