SAY CHEESE!!!

[Fizzgog]

Where does the saying “say cheese” come from when taking a photo?

[evilhanz]

It’s not true, but it’s a great story:

Long ago, in the camera’s infancy, people never smiled in photographs. Subjects posed without expression, with blank, empty faces reminiscent of early Greek statues. Indeed, for centuries artists painted portraits in this stoic style—was not Leonardo’s depiction of the half-smiling Mona Lisa shocking in its time? This custom continued for many years, as young and old alike projected their austere visages for posterity.
One somber day in 1912, however, the wealthy undergarment tycoon Henry D. Brassier of New York posed for a formal portrait with his family for prominent local photographer Entfield Flimsham, ignorant as to the future significance of this event in the history of photography. Just as the rather portly Flimsham was about to snap the picture, he emitted such an enormous fart that Henry’s wife, Anna-Magdelena Katrina Claire-Marie, giggled, as did the Brassier children. Even the stodgy Henry could hardly hold his solemn poker face throughout the exposure. Thinking the shot was ruined, Flimsham almost failed to develop it, yet did so nevertheless. Once developed, he was astonished at how wonderful it looked—the family (with the notable exception of Mr. Brassier) looked happy! He rushed to his colleagues with the photograph, and all were astounded by the technique.
Soon, photographers across the country attempted to induce a laugh from their subjects. Many methods were tried, but none found as much success as the original approach. Sadly, even eating refried beans by the gallon cannot induce flatulence on demand, so photographers resorted to mentioning the original story. For several years, camera subjects would be told “did you hear the one about the photographer that cut the cheese?” just prior to the snapping of a shot, which almost never failed to get a laugh.
Over the years, photographers began to shorten the reference, saying only “the one about cutting the cheese,” and still later merely “cut the cheese.” Eventually, they arrived at the short “cheese” of today, which conveniently causes the aforementioned smile-like mouth position, a remarkable serendipity of function following form. Ever since, photographers have implored their subjects to say the word “cheese,” in a now-forgotten reference to wind broken nearly a century ago. And so, the fermented dairy product we know as cheese became inexorably linked to the taking of photographs, as it remains to this day.

[ShibbOleth]

Well, that’s a pretty incredible story, Evilhanz, I even want it to be true. Anyway, I am not sure on the origins but “cheese” is probably said because it causes you to form a smile with your mouth even if it is not a true smile. Some other words like “pepsi” and “strawberry” have the same effect, it’s the long “e” sound at work.

[Mangetout]

I usually ask my kids to say ‘smelly socks’, because they find it mildly funny and will smile (‘smelly socks’ takes just long enough to say that I can anticipate the moment to fire the shutter too).

I think ShibbOleth’s answer is a good one. (I suspect that, if a single person is responsible for starting it, their name probably isn’t recorded anywhaere, but I may be wrong).

What do they say in other languages?
‘Fromage’ as a word doesn’t leave me smiling, much as I enjoy eating the stuff.

[Floater]

*Originally posted by Mangetout *
**What do they say in other languages?
**

In Swedish it’s omelet (with the stress on the last syllable).