Tis the season for cherishing past memories, relishing present joys, and anticipating the good tidings to come. Memories loved and missed keep reinforcing one thing on my mind – photos and their profound significance.
Existing in photos should be less about self-preservation and more about conquering the fear of photos that don’t meet your expectations.
We humans have a habit of picking ourselves apart – let’s drop that harmful habit.
Every photo is just a photo. Nothing more.
Today, believe in your heart that photography doesn’t care about beauty standards. It’s about using light to create a mathematically well-balanced image in a fraction of time. That’s it.
Imperfect photos that do not adhere to “beauty standards” say nothing about your own worth, value, or confidence. The camera’s job is simply to capture the truth of a moment – the wonderful imperfections that make you exactly who you are. In a split second, a camera captures an in-between or animated moment… those are the moments you’ll want to freeze in a love-filled snapshot.
Remember that scene in Good Will Hunting with Robin Williams? “People call these imperfections, but they’re not, aw that’s the good stuff…” If you remember, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Robin’s character hits you in the heart with his words.
As Robin reminisces on the happiness of an imperfect and seemingly insignificant moment, we are reminded that such moments create perfect invaluable memories.
You too are priceless, all because you are imperfectly perfect.
If you’re hesitant about being photographed, get curious about what holds you back. What you worry about seeing is often what you pick on yourself for in the mirror. But I encourage you to stop this habit, because the insecurities you fret over are completely overlooked by others.
If you struggle seeing yourself in photos, my recommendation is to do it more. Use your phone to take images from every possible angle, especially the ones that scare you the most. Get used to the fact that that’s just what you look like in a single brief moment. We all look bad on camera some moments, and flawless in other moments. Don’t let that stop you from being part of an important memory.
As you spend time with friends and family, especially during this time of year, please do not step out of the photos. Rather, embrace the opportunity to be photographed. Conquer the self-doubt that has held you back, and unleash your joy for the camera. We only live these moments once.
