The rumors are true: beauty is important in Venezuela. And sex sells. Big boobs are applauded. And plastic surgery? Suuuuure that’s an appropriate Quinceañera gift!
It would be unfair to say that everyone buys into the skimpy clothes, lots of makeup, fake body “accessories,” and sky-high heels packaged deal. I’ve met plenty of down-to-earth, au natural girls while living in Merida. But one thing I have found to serve as national proof of the importance of beauty and looking good, is the intensity and frequency of impromptu Venezuelan photo shoots.
It doesn’t matter your age, your profession or your style: when the cameras come out, you strike a pose. Some have a preferred picture face (my host sister, for example, loves the “thumb and pointer finger cradling the chin” look), but most everyone has a range of “looks” to offer. From sassy to innocent to downright raunchy, as an American I sometimes find it hard not to laugh at these intimate moments Venezuelans have publicly with the camera.
"Brrr...I'm so cold, but SO hotttt"
One night during Carnival my sis came home with a few new outfits. She put on the knee high boots and furry jacket, modeled her new sexy tank tops and showed off her new earrings by aggressively flipping her hair from one shoulder to the other. My host mom was loving it. “Whitney! Whitney! Where’s your camera?”
“Really? I have to be an accomplice in this?” I thought. I got my camera and was instructed on where to stand, how close to zoom in and what angles were missing from the portfolio I was starting to compile of my sister scampering around in her new digs. I tried my hardest to keep my jaw from dropping once my sister started incorporating furniture and other living room “props” into the photos. She put on her new furry coat and faux-shivered in front of the paintings of snowy mountains on our living room wall. She put her arm above her head and leaned into the door frame while flaunting her new blinged out jewlery.
When my parents came to visit, they noticed this photography trend pretty quickly. Their first day in town, we took a trip to see the giant telescopes a few hours outside of Merida. This was a school excursion, and one of my teachers brought her two adorable daughters, both well under the age of ten. Halfway through the tour, everyone pulled out their cameras to snap shots of the Austin Powers-esque telescopes. Without missing a beat MaFe and Daniella were popping their hips and giving ‘tude to the cameras. At one point my mom and dad, almost in tears from laughing so hard, jumped in beside the girls and started giving the camera everything they had.
Gringo He-Man with Beer. Hubba Hubba.
This camera-loving national pass time didn’t stop in Los Andes. The beaches of Los Roques were covered with thong-sporting, overweight women rolling in the sand, while their lovers crawled around trying to get the best variety of angles. The waterfalls of Canaima proved to be a great back drop for animal-like poses and the infamous “whipping of the wet hair” action shots. Our family photo album, of course, now consists of many of our own renditions of this surprising, sometimes frightening behavior towards cameras. Having grown up in a household (and generally speaking, a culture) that encourages looking natural for the camera and discourages posing, pulling off a good Venezuelan photo shoot was pretty challenging at first. Standing alone on a beach, wearing a bikini and trying to figure out what to do with all these limbs, not to mention facial expressions was hard to get used to.
The secret, we discovered soon enough, was there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re not considered vain if you come home from vacation with photos of you seducing the camera in a variety of natural backdrops. Sure, our renditions look a bit more comical, but no matter the interpretation of “prrrrr,” if you don’t own the camera, the camera will own you. Whose ready for their sexy close-up?
Suddenly smiling with your hands by your side seems so LAME
You don't have to be neck'ed to conquer the camera
Six Months in Venezuela 