This entry was posted on Thursday, January 31st, 2013 at 5:30 pm. It is filed under .
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
I just want to thank you ,I won’t get out in front of camera I make sure I take them don’t like mine taken .and we are going threw old pic and we keep saying where is so and so well never wanted pic taken ,I will be using your words to all that don’t want to get in pic very strongly and with love . Thank you ,and good luck in all you do.
From this point onward I am going to throw less of a fit whenever my mom wants to take family pictures on the rare occasion that I go home. Yours is absolutely lovely, by the way!
The tears are welling up in my eyes. This could be my story,except it wasn’t a car that almost took my life it was lupus. I fought hard for years, many years of steroids, chemo and nasty drugs. They gave me an ugly moonface and made me hate, HATE photos of myself. Thank you for making me feel better about being in front of the camera. I love being behind the lens, but it might be time to update my picture and let the real me shine through, all the extra pounds, the red complection, and my round face and extra chins (yes steroids do horrilbe things to ones face and body). Thank you for these words of encouragement.
Thank you for sharing so openly & honestly. I find that I never liked myself when I was young and thin and now I am always wishing I was young and thin again. We need to enjoy our lives whatever stage we are in.
Amen to what you have said, Sheila!
I am definitely taking this blog post, and what you have stated as well to heart!!
“We need to enjoy our lives WHATEVER stage we are in”
Thanks Teresa and Sheila!!
What a beautiful story. I can totally identify with how you feel . I am an amateur photographer who loves to take pics and hate to have my own taken. Always thought I looked too fat. Years ago when I was much thinner I didn’t like my pics either but now when I look back at them I think oh I didn’t look too bad then. I had WLS 3 months ago and am progressing well waiting for ‘that perfect weight’ so I can take new pics of myself. I am already down by 80 lbs. My other half carries a pic of me at my heaviest weight in his wallet and on his cell phone. He knows I hate the pic but he loves it because I look happy. He also told me it doesn’t matter what size I am…he loves who I am and that’s all that matters. I have decided that I will stop being so vain and let myself be photographed. Thanks for sharing this eye opener. Good luck and God bless you!
Bless your heart! I was trying to take a picture of myself this morning with the most adorable hat and sunglasses I won at a party last night and had that “sick to my stomach” feeling every time I looked at the results! But this put it all in perspective for me. We are beautiful. Let’s get over it and give our children/parents/friends/sisters and brothers a permanent memory, in case one day (God forbid!), we are not there to love them in person!
for whatever reasons we get heavy are our own…but it is what is inside, we don’t like how we look but weight or not we are still beautiful inside. This is what matters the most. It is a socialeconomic problem though..people assume we are not as smart, lazy, ect..some even resent us because they don’t think we take care of ourselves. The truth is we have our own reasons and some have different matbolisms than others. Some look down on us because we raise their insurance rates..lol. For whatever reasons we are heavy it is our buisness and as long as you are beautiful person inside it doesn’t matter. If you are happy the way you are that is what matters.
All of you who shy away from the camera, I can offer hope! My sisters and I invented ( at least WE think we invented) what we like to call the SCA. It stands for Secret Camera Angle. It just so happens that 1 day while the 3 of us were riding together in an elevator that had a mirror on the ceiling, I happened to look up and realized how great I looked. I told my sisters to look up and they looked great too! We realized that while looking directly above at our faces in the mirror it appeared we had all gotten face lifts, So of course we had to take a picture, and it was a really GREAT picture! Try it for yourself, Just make sure that your face is parallel to the ceiling. Of course this only works for headshots. If any of you figure out how to make a secret camera angle work for a whole body shot let me know!
You all have such lovely heart-opening smiles! And yes, I’m another person for whom your words are so true. I’ve hated having my picture taken for pretty much most of my life. But I will try very hard to keep your wise thinking in mind the next time a camera confronts me Thank you!
Thank you for this!!
Your story brought tears to my eyes remembering how hard it was to find pictures of my mom – she would always put her hand up to block her face. I too avoid the business end of a camera. That stops now.
You look beautiful. You obviously are, inside also. Thank you for your post. I’m so glad one of my friends on FB posted it. I always feel like that. I’m going to try and ignore it going forward!
When I was young up until my twenties I had the measurements of Miss America at the time. I didn’t want to be photographed because I had such low self esteem that I actually thought I was fat and ugly (at 115 lbs). Later in life I gained weight by stuffing feelings and still disliked photographs. Now my self image is healthier and I am more willing to be photographed.
I am so thankful to you and to the others who have responded to your story! It is a healthy reminder to me to live and enjoy my life without worrying about how others see me.
I never met my mother in law and we have no photos of her because she didn’t like to be in pictures. My son has no reference for a grandmother he never got to meet. Everyone tells me that she was a beautiful person. Too bad she didn’t feel worthy of a photograph.
As I read this my eyes filled with tears. I saw myself so clearly in this. Thank you so much for putting things into perspective. It was just what I needed. Again, thank you!
I agree and I understand.
I shared this on facebook….
My mom put off photos for a very long time. Finally she had them with us and my sister April 2009, in May 2009 she was diagnosed with cancer and never got better and passed July 2011. The family photos from that April were our last and mean more to me than anything!
I’m so thankful you got your picture and a second chance.
Cheers~
Ivy
Hi Teresa,
My first reaction to say something. You have such a beautiful family that all smile purrfectly Thank you for sharing and I know the feeling. I have been a photographer since the age of 15 yrs old. I have never liken to have myself some good photos but I just recently started to let someone go ahead and have the picture taken of me and me doing the self portrait with my husband. Plus I am deaf as well but I lost my hearing at the age of 3 to some unknown illness.
Thank you again for sharing this amazing story. It really inspired to the back of my spine.
I just want to thank you ,I won’t get out in front of camera I make sure I take them don’t like mine taken .and we are going threw old pic and we keep saying where is so and so well never wanted pic taken ,I will be using your words to all that don’t want to get in pic very strongly and with love . Thank you ,and good luck in all you do.
Thanks Brenda!
From this point onward I am going to throw less of a fit whenever my mom wants to take family pictures on the rare occasion that I go home. Yours is absolutely lovely, by the way!
The tears are welling up in my eyes. This could be my story,except it wasn’t a car that almost took my life it was lupus. I fought hard for years, many years of steroids, chemo and nasty drugs. They gave me an ugly moonface and made me hate, HATE photos of myself. Thank you for making me feel better about being in front of the camera. I love being behind the lens, but it might be time to update my picture and let the real me shine through, all the extra pounds, the red complection, and my round face and extra chins (yes steroids do horrilbe things to ones face and body). Thank you for these words of encouragement.
Yes! Please let your beautiful face be in some updated headshots! Are you anywhere near Raleigh NC? Email me if you are. You ROCK!!!!!
Thank you for sharing so openly & honestly. I find that I never liked myself when I was young and thin and now I am always wishing I was young and thin again. We need to enjoy our lives whatever stage we are in.
Amen to what you have said, Sheila!
I am definitely taking this blog post, and what you have stated as well to heart!!
“We need to enjoy our lives WHATEVER stage we are in”
Thanks Teresa and Sheila!!
What a beautiful story. I can totally identify with how you feel . I am an amateur photographer who loves to take pics and hate to have my own taken. Always thought I looked too fat. Years ago when I was much thinner I didn’t like my pics either but now when I look back at them I think oh I didn’t look too bad then. I had WLS 3 months ago and am progressing well waiting for ‘that perfect weight’ so I can take new pics of myself. I am already down by 80 lbs. My other half carries a pic of me at my heaviest weight in his wallet and on his cell phone. He knows I hate the pic but he loves it because I look happy. He also told me it doesn’t matter what size I am…he loves who I am and that’s all that matters. I have decided that I will stop being so vain and let myself be photographed. Thanks for sharing this eye opener. Good luck and God bless you!
First thing I noticed was your lovely smile. Thank you for the reminder and I think it is time I scheduled another family shoot.
Teresa in the UK.
Yay another Teresa! No ‘H’!
. Hello from across the pond.
The correct way!
Bless your heart! I was trying to take a picture of myself this morning with the most adorable hat and sunglasses I won at a party last night and had that “sick to my stomach” feeling every time I looked at the results! But this put it all in perspective for me. We are beautiful. Let’s get over it and give our children/parents/friends/sisters and brothers a permanent memory, in case one day (God forbid!), we are not there to love them in person!
Thank you for posting this. And you are quite beautiful – although that’s not the point!
for whatever reasons we get heavy are our own…but it is what is inside, we don’t like how we look but weight or not we are still beautiful inside. This is what matters the most. It is a socialeconomic problem though..people assume we are not as smart, lazy, ect..some even resent us because they don’t think we take care of ourselves. The truth is we have our own reasons and some have different matbolisms than others. Some look down on us because we raise their insurance rates..lol. For whatever reasons we are heavy it is our buisness and as long as you are beautiful person inside it doesn’t matter. If you are happy the way you are that is what matters.
All of you who shy away from the camera, I can offer hope! My sisters and I invented ( at least WE think we invented) what we like to call the SCA. It stands for Secret Camera Angle. It just so happens that 1 day while the 3 of us were riding together in an elevator that had a mirror on the ceiling, I happened to look up and realized how great I looked. I told my sisters to look up and they looked great too! We realized that while looking directly above at our faces in the mirror it appeared we had all gotten face lifts, So of course we had to take a picture, and it was a really GREAT picture! Try it for yourself, Just make sure that your face is parallel to the ceiling. Of course this only works for headshots. If any of you figure out how to make a secret camera angle work for a whole body shot let me know!
And by the way, one of my sisters is also named Teresa!
You all have such lovely heart-opening smiles! And yes, I’m another person for whom your words are so true. I’ve hated having my picture taken for pretty much most of my life. But I will try very hard to keep your wise thinking in mind the next time a camera confronts me
Thank you!
Oh my gosh, thank you. I am overweight and hate looking at pics of myself. Now I’ll think differently. You are beautiful, inside and out.
Thank you for this!!
Your story brought tears to my eyes remembering how hard it was to find pictures of my mom – she would always put her hand up to block her face. I too avoid the business end of a camera. That stops now.
You look beautiful. You obviously are, inside also. Thank you for your post. I’m so glad one of my friends on FB posted it. I always feel like that. I’m going to try and ignore it going forward!
When I was young up until my twenties I had the measurements of Miss America at the time. I didn’t want to be photographed because I had such low self esteem that I actually thought I was fat and ugly (at 115 lbs). Later in life I gained weight by stuffing feelings and still disliked photographs. Now my self image is healthier and I am more willing to be photographed.
I am so thankful to you and to the others who have responded to your story! It is a healthy reminder to me to live and enjoy my life without worrying about how others see me.
Sherry
I never met my mother in law and we have no photos of her because she didn’t like to be in pictures. My son has no reference for a grandmother he never got to meet. Everyone tells me that she was a beautiful person. Too bad she didn’t feel worthy of a photograph.
As I read this my eyes filled with tears. I saw myself so clearly in this. Thank you so much for putting things into perspective. It was just what I needed. Again, thank you!
I agree and I understand.
I shared this on facebook….
My mom put off photos for a very long time. Finally she had them with us and my sister April 2009, in May 2009 she was diagnosed with cancer and never got better and passed July 2011. The family photos from that April were our last and mean more to me than anything!
I’m so thankful you got your picture and a second chance.
Cheers~
Ivy
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for sharing and I know the feeling. I have been a photographer since the age of 15 yrs old. I have never liken to have myself some good photos but I just recently started to let someone go ahead and have the picture taken of me and me doing the self portrait with my husband. Plus I am deaf as well but I lost my hearing at the age of 3 to some unknown illness.
My first reaction to say something. You have such a beautiful family that all smile purrfectly
Thank you again for sharing this amazing story. It really inspired to the back of my spine.