Fix a forced smile in a photo

A stiff, held-too-long smile can make a good photo look awkward. Soften it into a natural one in the photo you already have, and keep everything else.

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Before: A held, stiff smile, then a relaxed one. The wall, the shirt and the light stay the same. — A held, stiff smile, then a relaxed one. The wall, the shirt and the light stay the same.

After: A held, stiff smile, then a relaxed one. The wall, the shirt and the light stay the same. — A held, stiff smile, then a relaxed one. The wall, the shirt and the light stay the same.

Someone says "say cheese", the camera takes a moment, and by the time the shutter fires your smile has been held for three seconds. The mouth is smiling and the eyes aren't. Everyone can tell, even when they can't say why.

Why a forced smile looks forced

A real smile moves the whole face: the cheeks lift, the eyes narrow a little and crinkle at the corners. A posed one mostly moves the mouth. That is why a forced smile can look tense even with perfect teeth. Fixing it means relaxing the mouth and bringing the eyes into it, not just widening the grin.

How to fix it with Glowly

Open the photo in the web editor or Glowly on iPhone.
Tap Smile. The dial runs from Neutral through Smile to Laugh.
Turn it until the smile looks easy, often less than you think. Watch the eyes as well as the mouth.
Hold the photo to compare with the original, then save.

Only your expression changes. Your teeth stay your teeth, and the rest of the photo is left exactly as it was.

Fixing it at the shutter instead

If you can retake the photo, these help more than any edit:

Laugh, don't smile. Think of something funny, or have the person taking the photo talk to you. Shoot during the laugh.
Breathe out first. Exhaling relaxes the jaw and the shoulders.
Look away, then back. Turn to the camera just before the shot instead of holding a pose.

There's more on this in how to smile naturally in photos.

Can you make a smile look more natural after the photo is taken?

Yes. A good retouch relaxes the mouth and adds the slight lift in the cheeks and eyes that a real smile has. In Glowly that's the Smile dial, which you can stop at any point.

Will it look fake?

Not if you stop early. The most natural results are usually a small turn of the dial. You can compare with the original at any time by holding the photo.

Is it honest to use a retouched smile on a dating profile?

We think so: it's the smile you have, on a day the camera caught the wrong second. Changing your face, body or age is different. Read is it OK to edit your dating photos.

How much does it cost?

Previews are free. Saving uses a credit (10 for $4.99) or Glowly Plus ($29.99 a year or $4.99 a week). On iPhone your first 2 saves are free.

How to smile naturally in photos (and fix a forced smile)Why camera smiles look forced, how to get a real one while the photo is being taken, and how to fix a stiff smile in a photo you already have.
Is it OK to edit your dating profile photos?Where the line is between fixing a photo and misleading people, with simple rules for what's fair to retouch on a dating profile and what isn't.

Fix something else

Fix closed eyes in a photoBlinked in the one good photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the room and your expression stay as they were.
Add a smile to a photoLooked serious in a photo you otherwise love? Add a natural, closed or open smile to your own face, and leave the rest of the photo untouched.
Make your dating profile photo betterYour best dating photo is often one you already have, minus a blink or a stiff smile. Fix the moment, keep the person, and put your best real photo first.