Perception of Appearance {Hammond La Portrait Photographer}

Perception is a tough road. I find it so sad when I hear my customers telling me they think they look horrible in an image I took of them. Why, you ask? Because where they see a little extra fluff around the middle they have struggled to loose their whole life, I see perfection and beauty. I honestly don’t even notice the “fluff” they see, and thats even with magnifying and editing each image.

A fellow photographer once told me that he tells customers before he shows them their images, that they may not say anything negative about themselves. If they want to know how they look in an image, they need to ask their partner. It’s true. You see a double chin, your husband sees his beautiful wife, and I see gorgeous image of two people who love each other.  I loved what he said so much, I have adapted it into my own practices.

Lets take a look at my family pictures. I have this image hanging as a 40×30 canvas on my bedroom wall. I look at it every day. My kids and husband see it every day. I look at myself and see my stringy, curly hair. You know what? I asked both my girls what they saw when they looked at our family in the picture. My youngest daughter said she sees me, and her and her sister and her father. I asked her if there was anything else. That was it. She saw us as a family. My older daughter, I asked the same question. Her answer, her family together. They don’t see my hair, they didn’t mention ANYTHING about anybodies looks. They saw their family because their family is what is important to them.

Every one has insecurities about themselves, but in the end we have to do our best to remember how we view ourselves is not how others view us. That putting aside your insecurities and stepping in front of the camera, documenting ourselves and our family is what’s most important. One we are gone, it’s pictures our loved ones hold dear.

So next time you are putting off family pictures, or look at your self in your families pictures, remember, how you look is not important to your loved ones, it’s the togetherness that is!