Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: facial expressions

After closely inspecting this photo (see the full and cropped versions) for quite some time, I was surprised to finally realize that there's someone--or part of someone, to be precise--missing from it. Take another glance at the bride's mother, who was caught with her eyes closed. A man's shoulders are visible directly behind her. The man's head, however, has been imperfectly altered so that it partially blends in with the folds of the curtain behind him. Who was this mysterious wedding guest, and who wanted him out of the picture? We'll never know, but I find it amazing how well hidden--to my eyes, at least--he turned out to be. It's remarkable that this simple method of concealment was so successful in hiding this man's presence in the photo.

As I mentioned (see the full version of this photo), I bought this picture at an antique mall and noticed something strange about it after I got it home. I purchased the photo because I liked the furnishings in the room--take a look at the chandelier, curtains, and flowers in the background, for instance. And there's a flowery border running along the top of the wall just below the ceiling. I also found the wedding party interesting. The wide-eyed groom seems to be stunned, but the bride, who's holding a large bouquet of flowers, looks calm and serene. The groom's father (at far right) is sporting a moustache and so is the bride's father (on the left). The photographer happened to catch the bride's mother (standing to the left of the bride) with her eyes closed. I examined all these details and looked at the photo for quite a while before I spotted something downright strange. Did you find it yet? If not, check out another enlargement from this image.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of putting on the ritz—dressed up for a special occasion . I picked up this wedding photo at a local antique mall a year or two ago. It wasn't in great shape, but it was a larger photo mounted on cardboard, and I liked the interesting room furnishings, the period clothing, and the amusing facial expressions. When I got home and examined the photo more closely, however, I noticed something strange about it. Were you able to spot it? If not, take a look at a cropped version of the photo.

An elementary school photo taken by a professional photographer for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Sign: "Savage Elementary School, Mrs. Rhoads, Grade 3, 1964-65." Studio name on accompanying photo folder: "Mealey - Maryland." Although some students undoubtedly find their school to be a savage and unforgiving place, the name of this Savage Elementary School came from its location in the town of Savage , Maryland. The students have assembled in the library for their class photo. Some of the books on display on the top shelf behind them include Hercules: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Fire Engine (1940), A Fly Went By (1958), The Little Twin (1953), Stagecoach Sam (1940), and Caps for Sale (1940). Many of the students are wearing red-colored clothing, but the boy standing at the end of the fourth row in the upper right-hand corner of the photo is dressed in a grey shirt and pants with a "U.S. Army" patch over one shirt pocket. Similarly, the boy sitting on the floor at the end of the first row in the lower right-hand corner is wearing a blue uniform-like outfit with an "Air Force" patch on his shirt. Finally, notice how the boy at the end of the third row closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as the photographer snapped the picture.

A patterns photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A young man nervously looks for an escape route as he's surrounded by the patterned designs of the wallpaper, wicker rocker, and carpet. This is an unused real photo postcard with a divided back but no stamp box. For similar photos with distinctive wallpaper, see Girl Cornering on a Tricycle, Harrisburg, Pa. and Girl Standing on a Chair in Front of Patterned Wallpaper .

For more information, see the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

A mothers and babies photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A fashionably dressed mother with a gentle smile poses for a picture as she holds her baby, who's staring in wide-eyed astonishment at something off camera. This is an undated real photo postcard from Paris, France (based on a partial address— Ave. de Neuilly —stamped on the other side). See also the full version of this photo.

Hope you have a holiday celebration filled with as much fun and excitement as these kids seem to be having (well, the youngest one, at least, appears to be having a good time)! Best wishes, Alan

See also the full version of this photo:

A photo of children for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . An undated photo by Morrows Studio, Newport, Perry County, Pa., shows schoolchildren posing in front of a blackboard. The expressions on the kids' faces range from angelic sweetness to stoic forbearance to utter impatience. My favorite is the girl sitting third from left in the front row (mouse over the image to see a close-up view of her and some of the other children ). Her dramatically amusing appearance--with puffed-out cheeks, bulging eyes, and a hand over her stomach--either indicates that she's going to be sick or that she's ready for the photo session to be over.