A smile is a simple yet powerful way to communicate one’s sentiments. We may smile to say hello, thank you, or express love, compassion, or even adoration. When we smile, we invite others to smile as well, and this incredible act is passed on to others, resulting in a cascade of happiness. After all, there’s a phrase that goes something like this: “Smiling is infectious more than the virus!”
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jay Weinstein, an Australian photographer, and traveler. He started traveling full-time in 2013 to observe the globe and its people. During his travels, he saw a guy change right before his eyes as he shouted a single word—”Smile!” immediately before snapping a shot, and it was the start of his project. “So I asked them to smile,” he stated.
#1
“I encouraged him to grin as he walked through Uhuru Park one afternoon, while employees on their lunch break rushed by others seated on the thick green grass lawns around the tiny boating lake in Nairobi, Kenya…
#2
“As I shot the residential areas of Port Melbourne one afternoon in Melbourne, Australia, he was strolling with friends…so I asked him to grin.”
#3
“As the bright Jagannath Ratha Yatra procession went by on the steamy streets of Mayapur, West Bengal, India, he was paying his respects with hundreds of other locals…so I requested him to smile.”
#4
“She was strolling down a busy street in Fitzroy, a vibrant neighborhood of Melbourne, Australia, as darkness approached…so I asked her to smile.”
#5
“I begged him to grin as he walked toward me one evening while I visited the outskirts of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India.”
#6
“One day, when I visited the old alleyways of Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India, he was sitting outside his modest shop…so I asked him to grin.”
#7
“One day, when I shot people at the crossroad market in Kiritiri, Eastern Province, Kenya, under clouds of dust and severe winds, he was at the small wayside store with his friends…so I asked him to smile.”
#8
“One morning, when the bright sun rose in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India, he was playing with his family…so I asked him to smile.”
#9
“She was touring the alleys of Fort Kochi, Kerala, India, with pals one cloudy afternoon…so I asked her to grin.”
#10
“She was wandering around the gigantic Brahma Sarovar Lake in Kurukshetra, Haryana, India, with a friend, the ideal finish to a scorching summer’s day…so I asked her to grin.”