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2:19pm August 21, 2014
Anonymous asked: Re: the Staff and Client photo, I think it may also be that some people are socialized REALLY strongly to smile in a certain way when a camera is pointed at them. My brother is like that. He even has a 'camera' smile. If he doesn't see the camera his expression and his smile is totally different.

madeofpatterns:

chaosphaere:

madeofpatterns:

withasmoothroundstone:

I don’t think so.  This is something really specific to staff/client photos, and it’s not just the smile, it’s the body language towards the client.  It’s hard to explain though.

That’s not at. Not even close. This is not a general “smile at the camera” thing. The pictures capture something that staff do *a lot*, they’re not abberations. 

It looks like the same body language you see in pictures of white, rich volunteers/aid workers in impoverished nonwhite countries, when they pose with one of the local people. “Look at me, I’m a great person!”.

Yes. It’s not ok to use people as props.

But also… the relationships between staff members and clients can go on for *years*.

And sometimes people who take pictures like this emphatically describe the client as their ~friend~.

That’s a really good comparison, and one I hadn’t thought of, but very apt.  There’s a privilege gap going on there that they aren’t noticing or caring about.

Notes:
  1. gingerautie reblogged this from withasmoothroundstone and added:
    Is it the total onesidedness of it? Like, she had her arm around you, was grinning, and you aren’t actively...
  2. quixylvre reblogged this from madeofpatterns
  3. madeofpatterns reblogged this from withasmoothroundstone and added:
    Yes. Herding and ownership is part of it. Part of it is views from above, too. It’s also… so clear that they’re not...
  4. withasmoothroundstone reblogged this from madeofpatterns and added:
    That’s a really good comparison, and one I hadn’t thought of, but very apt. There’s a privilege gap going on there that...
  5. thaxted said: It’s absolutely a thing. I learned to do it. I can’t quite describe it either, but it comes from a specific attitude/expectation of how you’re “supposed to look” as a staff person. I was faking and it was uncomfortable.
  6. flamethrowing-hurdy-gurdy said: I know what you mean about the discomfort of clients, I’ve noticed that, too. But I also think staff are trained to smile and act positive no matter what. They have to represent the place they work for after all. They might be told this is correct.