Stop forcing fake smiles. Here's how to smile naturally in every photo.
Test Your Smile Free →When someone says "smile!" you force your mouth into a smile shape.
Problem: Real smiles are involuntary. You cannot force them. Your mouth moves but your eyes stay dead. Your brain sees this instantly and thinks "fake, untrustworthy."
The science: Genuine smiles (Duchenne smiles) activate muscles around your eyes that you cannot control voluntarily. Only real happiness triggers them.
Before the photo, think of your dog, your kids, a funny memory, someone you love. Genuine emotion = genuine smile.
Have the photographer tell a joke or do something silly. Laugh genuinely. Take the photo right after you laugh - the genuine smile lingers.
Instead of "cheese" (makes a fake smile), say words that make your mouth form a natural smile. Try: "money", "yeah", "woohoo", or make up a silly word.
Before smiling, relax your entire face. Drop your jaw slightly. Breathe. Then smile naturally from this relaxed state instead of forcing it from tension.
Genuine smiles make your eyes crinkle ("crow's feet"). You can fake this slightly by narrowing your eyes a bit when you smile. Not a full squint - just slight.
Sounds weird but works. Stand in front of mirror. Force a smile - see how fake it looks. Now think of something happy and smile - see the difference. Practice the real one.
First photo always looks forced. By photo 10-20, you relax and smile naturally. Professional photographers take 100+ photos for this reason.
Put yourself in a good mood before taking photos. Watch a funny video, listen to music you love, hang out with people who make you laugh. Happy mood = genuine smiles.
Upload your photos. Our AI detects genuine vs forced smiles. Find your best ones.
Analyze My Smile Free →Genuine smiles (called Duchenne smiles in science) involve two muscle groups:
This is why fake smiles look fake - the eyes do not move. Your mouth is smiling but your eyes are dead. Other people's brains detect this in 33 milliseconds. You cannot fool them.
You are forcing the smile. When someone says "smile!" you tense up and force your mouth into a smile shape without feeling happy. Result: only your mouth moves, eyes stay flat, looks fake. Solution: Be genuinely happy when photo is taken.
You cannot truly smile on command - smiles are involuntary. But you can trigger genuine emotion: think of someone you love, remember a funny moment, have the photographer make you laugh. Real emotion = real smile.
Whatever feels natural for you. Some people look great with teeth showing, others with closed-mouth smile. Test both and see what scores higher. Teeth showing often feels more friendly/approachable.
Look at your eyes. If your eyes crinkle (crow's feet appear), smile is probably genuine. If eyes stay wide and flat, smile is forced. Use our AI tool to test - genuine smiles score 65-90, forced smiles score 20-40.
Stop forcing fake smiles. Use these techniques. Test your results. Look genuine.
Test Your Smile Free →