Why do people shout ‘cheese’ before a photo is taken?

It might sound random, but saying “cheese” before a photo is clicked is actually a clever trick rooted in both language and photography culture. The word helps create the perfect camera ready smile, and its rise is tied to how photography itself evolved. (unsplash)

It Forces a Smile: The key is the long “ee” sound in “cheese.” It stretches your lips outward, lifts your cheeks, and shows your teeth, basically shaping your face into a smile automatically. (unsplash)

Smiling in Photos Is Actually a Modern Habit: People didn’t always smile in photos. Early photography favoured serious expressions due to long exposure times and formal traditions, so smiling had to be learned later. (wikimedia commons)

Before “Cheese,” People Said “Prunes”: Earlier, photographers encouraged people to say “prunes” to keep their lips small and composed, very different from today’s wide smiles. (unsplash)

“Cheese” Became Popular in the 1940s: The phrase started gaining popularity around the 1940s, when photography became more casual and people wanted cheerful, candid looking pictures. (wikimedia commons)

It’s a Photographer’s Trick: Photographers use “cheese” as a quick cue, everyone says it at once, making it easier to capture a synchronised, smiling shot. (wikimedia commons)

Different Countries, Same Idea: Not everyone says “cheese.” Other cultures use words like “kimchi” or “whiskey”, but the idea is the same: a word that creates a smile shape. (unsplash)