14 Aug 2020

Having been on the operating end of the camera more often than not, I’ve often been resigned but inwardly critical of women who rush up to the camera the second the photo is taken, saying “I need to look at it” – usually quickly followed up by “Oh god that’s awful – delete it”. It usually takes a few goes before either the person is happy, or I tell them it’s lovely and quickly put the camera away.

But to be fair, I don’t like photos of myself, as a rule. Generally speaking I don’t WANT to see a photo after it’s taken. I’m always pleasantly surprised if I find a photo of myself that I don’t cringe about and look away.

Last night I was in a meeting where the suggestion was made that to personalise a document we were sending out, it would be good to include photos of the committee involved. And because it was a zoom meeting it meant sending a photo in.

Sure, not a problem. Bound to have a halfway reasonable one somewhere. And although I joked at the meeting that I was a dab hand at photoshop, I wouldn’t go that path. I would end up sending them a picture of someone totally different but with my name badge photoshopped onto their shirt.

And rather than trawl through all the photos that have included me over the past year or so, I thought I’d just take a selfie.

Oh my goodness. Who knew I was so critical?

There was not a single photo I could take that did not feature a picture of an upper middle age grey haired lady with double chins, wrinkly neck, thin lips and baggy eye lids! I don’t know why she keeps photo bombing my selfie attempts but it’s getting annoying!

I never do an open mouthed smile in photos because I don’t like my teeth. And I try to look upwards so the chin(s) aren’t so prominent.

I have realised, after about ten attempted selfies that got deleted, there’s no way I can get around the fact that a photo of me is going to look like…..me.

Which bit of you do you not like to see in photos? Or are you a selfie professional?