Andie received a photo frame wrapped in felt for Christmas, so she decided to put a picture of me in it. I know, how sweet, right?
Turns out, she couldn’t find one. Not a single one. She came in my office, exasperated, and gave me a mini-lecture about how I don’t have enough pictures of myself and she needs one for her frame and I need to find one for her.
I patiently explained that I am highly un-photogenic, which is a sad understatement. “There just aren’t that many good pictures of me,” I lamented. Andie had to agree when, upon further questioning, she confessed to finding a single picture in her stash with me in it in which my eyes were half closed, giving me the appearance of complete intoxication.
People usually manage to snap me as I’m blinking, about to say something and my mouth is open, in the midst of a weird gesture or some other such socially unacceptable look. I must have many unnatural and strange facial expressions that flit over my face, however briefly, because the camera seems to capture every single one.
I just don’t photograph well. I’m much, much better in person, if I do say so myself. Consequently, I avoid the camera whenever possible, most particularly when people are shooting candids. I’m not in many of the pictures I own because almost all the ones I am in make me look ridiculous, if not scary.
Case in point:
Ah yes, this kind of photographic repelling takes some major innate talent, let me tell you. I thought it was particularly funny that I found 4 alone from one occasion, though I only posted 3. And this is just a teeny, tiny sampling of the many, many bad pictures of me that exist.
Can you blame me for running for cover when a camera appears?
Anyone else as weird, strange and scary on camera as I am? Please, please help me feel less alone with my lack of photogenic qualities…
I have a 16-yr. old who every once in awhile gets in the mood to aggravate Mom and he’ll take fifty shots in a row of me…under the nose, very close up, while I’m talking or grouching at him to stop, etc. The results are horrid, which he loves and shows to everyone within looking distance. One day, I’ll exact my revenge…I have a lot of potty training pictures, you know. ;o)
LOL — I have a lot of less-than-flattering pix of my friends, but I’m rarely in “my” pictures, because I’m usually the one operating the camera. Most of the pictures taken of me are not ones seen by me (for example, at a friend’s baby shower, and *she* has the pictures, not me). And I like that just fine.
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Sarah, you’re beautiful! All the pictures show are a woman with a knack for expression, a woman who’s more interested in what’s going on around her than the camera. That’s a GOOD thing.
Having seen you both in pictures and in person, I think you seriously underestimate youself.
That said…I have the same exact situation over here. Very few pictures of me, which I try to blame on the fact that I’m always the one taking the pictures. And there IS that, but the truth is, I’m really uncomfortable around the camera and generally don’t like the way I look in pictures.
LOL, I am glad I’m not the only one. I always seem to be pulling a face just when someone points a camera at me. My kindly husband tells me it’s not just when someone points a camera at me, but always, so that explains a lot.
Now, if I absolutely have to have my puicture taken I go into 1800s mode – I pose and hold still without blinking for about 10 minutes until it’s over. Not necesarily natural looking but at least my eyes are open…