Which BEST explains why people in photographs from the 1800s tended to look so serious? (1 point) Responses Smiling was not part of the culture. Smiling was not part of the culture. They had to sit very still for a few minutes. They had to sit very still for a few minutes. Photography was used to replace the art of painting. Photography was used to replace the art of painting. Only the wealthy had access to cameras.
They had to sit very still for a few minutes.
The most plausible explanation for why people in photographs from the 1800s tended to look serious is that they had to sit very still for a few minutes.
The best explanation for why people in photographs from the 1800s tended to look serious can be found in the options: "They had to sit very still for a few minutes" and "Photography was used to replace the art of painting."
To understand why people in photographs from the 1800s looked serious, we need to explore the historical context. In the early days of photography, cameras relied on long exposure times, often several minutes, to capture an image. Sitting still for such a duration without any movement or smiling was necessary to prevent blurring or distortion in the resulting photograph. Therefore, people had to adopt a serious or stoic expression throughout the process.
Additionally, during the early years of photography, it was seen as a replacement for the art of painting. Paintings often depicted serious and formal poses, reflecting the societal norms and aesthetic sensibilities of the time. As photography emerged as a medium to capture reality, it naturally carried forward the traditions and conventions of painting, including more serious and formal expressions.
While the other options, such as "Smiling was not part of the culture" and "Only the wealthy had access to cameras," may also have been contributing factors, they are not as directly linked to why people in 1800s photographs tend to look serious.