“…the photographer or artist imposes their reality on the picture…” Debra Brehmer, in her article “Every Portrait Tells a Lie,” compared taking a photo to painting a portrait. To serve as an example, she brings up an anecdote of how her father took a picture of her and her brother in front of the large Christmas tree.In his attempt to create an idealized image, which displays the reality that he wants, her father is essentially creating a lie. Her father, in attempt to create an idealized image, which displays the reality that he wants, is essentially creating a lie. Debra Brehmer doesn’t blame her father for it, but she seems to admire the humanistic wants and needs in which she states “Portraiture wants what cannot be had: Life to stop without being dead.” 
The concept is not rare. Many people “pose” in pictures because they want to remember the good times, not the bad. They take pictures for memories, or more specifically, “good” memories.Of course, I can’t speak for those who find the need to take a selfie every hour as if their looks were changing by the hour and they must hold on to the precious moment of each change.
This concept is not only an artistic concept, but also a psychological concept. I say that based off of my own experience. I’ve always wondered why my family members always ask me to smile every time we take a picture. Most of the times, I don’t really feel like smiling. I’ve never been a big fan of smiling at the Camera because that’s just weird. Why would I smile for no reason? It’s just so unnatural. Now, I see why my family members always tell me to smile during pictures: in order to portray the idea of a “happy family.”
The article “How John Singer Sargent made a scene” is a summary of the praise and criticisms he received. It explores in detail of Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose which was painted in the late summer of 1885 and 1886. Sargent stated that the painting was meant to capture, air open air, “the transient quality of ‘fugitive evening light.'” The painting took him 2 years to finish and interestingly, he only painted for 25 minutes each night, according to the article. From the painting, I feel the calmness and tranquility of the night. The two children in white reminds of purity and innocence. The roses and lilies are blooming. Even from the picture, I can smell the fresh scent of forest air, which is lightly enriched by the scent of the flowers.
Citations:
Debra Brehmer, “Every Portrait Tells a Lie”
Sarah Churchwell, “How John Singer Sargent Made a Scene”
It is weird that we are taught to smile in photos. By now I find it is almost an instinct to smile while being photographed. I feel that the reason we smile in photo is not to portray that we are happy at a specific instance. We smile because it makes us look more attractive. We want to look good in the pictures that we take and keep.