A Photographer Asked Strangers to Smile to Show the Power of a Grin

Adults smile around 20 times a day, whereas children smile up to 400 times a day. A smile can be powerful, it can boost your mood, you may live longer, and you can have better relationships. Jay Weinstein is an Australian-born wanderer, and in 2015, he began traveling full-time. Over the course of his adventures, he witnessed a man transform right in front of his eyes as he said, “Smile!” just before taking a photograph, and it marked the beginning of his project, soiaskedthemtosmile.

We at Bright Side are smiling right now, and Jay’s project is the reason why — it’s an ode to people everywhere who all speak the same language: smiling.

1.

“He was playing with his family one morning, as the warm sun rose in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India...so I asked him to smile.”

2.

“She was walking around the massive Brahma Sarovar Lake with a friend, the perfect end to a hot summer’s day in Kurukshetra, Haryana, India...so I asked her to smile.”

3.

“He was waiting for the traffic light to turn green one evening, as I walked across a busy traffic intersection in Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka...so I asked him to smile.”

4.

“He was watching as I photographed a group of kids one morning, while nearby villagers watched and laughed in Kakhsar, Gujarat, India...so I asked him to smile.”

5.

“He was leaving the quiet square outside the Sri Krishna Matha temple in Udupi, as I wandered amongst peaceful pilgrims one morning in Karnataka, India...so I asked him to smile.”

6.

“He was painting a house as I wandered narrow lanes in the friendly and ancient village of Yavat one evening in rural Uttar Pradesh, India...so I asked him to smile.”

7.

“He was standing one morning, outside the open door to a home in an old Hutong neighborhood near The Forbidden City in Beijing, China...so I asked him to smile.”

8.

“He was offering his respects with hundreds of other locals, as the vibrant Jagannath Ratha Yatra procession passed by on the humid streets of Mayapur, West Bengal, India...so I asked him to smile.”

9.

“He was walking down a colonnade of covered shops, restaurants, and cafes one afternoon, as I felt right at home wandering the streets around ’Little India’ in Singapore...so I asked him to smile.”

Which one of these humans tugged at your heart strings? How many times a day do you smile? Name one person that can bring a smile to your face anywhere, anytime!