Does anyone else feel this way?

[Stevie]

 I've always avoided getting my picture taken, when I was in school I would make a point of not being there on the days they would take student pictures. The only picture of me from high school is my graduation picture, I only had that done to appease my mother. She has it hanging in her hallway its the only picture of me by myself she has and its 40 years old, and I still hate it.
 

[Julia1996]

I've always avoided getting my picture taken, when I was in school I would make a point of not being there on the days they would take student pictures. The only picture of me from high school is my graduation picture, I only had that done to appease my mother. She has it hanging in her hallway its the only picture of me by myself she has and its 40 years old, and I still hate it.

Thankfully my mom didn't like the way I looked so she never hung pictures of me. She did with my brother but not me, which I was extremely grateful for.

[RobynTx]

I've always hated group pictures.  If I'm doing something and not paying attention then not much I can do.  I do hate anything really that shows my face.  My avatar is from November and while I'm not very happy with it there are worse pictures of me.  I didn't think I would ever use a picture of me as an avatar because I was always afraid someone would see it that didn't know I was transgender.  Got brave one day and posted it.  And no I was not drunk at the time.

[Christy Lee]

Totally im 31 now, and after the age of 14 (when i started realizing) i just started hating my photo taken, putting my photo on Facebook or dating sites UGH.. no thanks

There are hardly any photos of me from the ages 15 - now

[Anne Blake]

I have a little different take on this. I used to hate pictures taken of me. I started transitioning at the age of sixty six and in the years previous to that, we probably have less than a dozen pictures recording my life. Since I have been reborn as Tia, I enjoy pictures and want to have pictures around showing that I have been alive in this world. I want to be able to see some sort of proof as well as memories for my kids and grandkids to see and know that there is magic in this life.

Tia Anne

[HappyMoni]

   I totally get why you might hate getting your picture taken after reading what you wrote. I also know as a parent, I want to have some pictures of my kids. Knock on wood, if anything  ever happened to one of them, I would want pictures. Don't be too hard on your Dad as long as he is respectful of your wishes. There  is fairness to you, but there is also fairness  to him.
Moni

[Lady Lisandra]

I'm with Ann here. I hated pictures, now I'm okay with them. I even enjoy taking pictures of myself when I dress nicely.

[Sarahthenerd]

Its an instant party pooper when someone points a camera at me. I don't have a single picture I like of myself, I have made it clear I don't wish to be photographed and the quickest way to erase a photo is to put the whole phone in the microwave. I'm not fond of having my picture taken at all.

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[zirconia]

Hi Julia

Given what you've told of your mother's attitude I think it's rather understandable that you don't like being photographed. It takes much less that what you went through to learn to fear and hate the camera.

As for culling most of the pictures from a shoot—professionals do that as well. The only difference is that a greater percentage may survive. In any case there's no reason to keep photos that you have absolutely no use for.

Your post reminds me of the story of a little boy I knew who liked to be photographed when little. That love affair ended when, at four, he hurriedly tried to excavate a booger from his nose before his father took a posed picture. His father told him to stop but went on to press the shutter anyway, scolded him, and told him that the booger-digging scene was now eternalised. The next picture was of him holding his right hand behind him to hide the booger. After that he became terrified of standing in front of a lens and stayed that way until he grew up. Then he started to work as a model, in part to overcome the fear. And that's when she also finally learnt to not be afraid to wear non-male clothes and makeup.

In the end, the aesthetic worth of a photograph depends on the skill of cameraman. Good photographers don't press the shutter until they see what they want. They certainly don't want the model to feel bad about the pictures. That's why someone skilful can surprise you with something you never expected to see that you still feel happy with. People like that make it much easier to relax because you can feel they're on your side.

Once you do meet someone like that things get easier. When you see a picture showing something you didn't expect but you still like, it helps you look at your other pictures as if they were someone else. Then the photo shoots become more of a cooperative effort. You gradually stop freezing like a deer in the headlights and learn to work together with the photographer to create scenes that tell stories.

Judging from your avatar picture I quite honestly feel you are beautiful—and it's not just the makeup. I've looked at enough pictures of all kinds by now to be certain that every cameraman I know would love to work with you.

And yes—I too still hate being photographed by anyone whose skill level or benevolence I'm not familiar with. ∑(ﾟДﾟ)

[Evienne]

Well I used to hate getting my photos taken as well. I still don't like it much, depending. When I was in high school the yearbook staff hated me because I worked very hard in preventing them from getting pictures of me. Like if I was on my iPod and I saw them in them coming from the corner of my eye I would lift my iPod up to where it was right by my face (covering it) or sometimes I'd turn around and pretend someone behind me said something to me that I was responding to. They knew I was messing with them but still, it was fun

There existed no information of me online at all of what I looked like until 2016 when I finally decided to post a picture of myself when I joined a different trans community and decided to bite the bullet. I supposed I used to have pics on this site but they were all deleted before I left 2 years ago.
But since then I haven't been so shy to show myself online. I got used to it. But I still hate people taking pics of me in guy mode. I don't want images of that me.

I can't say you would have the same situation but maybe you could face your fear and maybe post some pics of you on a community like this where I highly doubt you will get negative feedback. Maybe over time you will numb to it and learn to like looking at yourself. I don't think it would hurt much to try.

Ps. I think that's pretty cool if your albino. Idk why, just always thought that was something cool when I met an albino person for the first time.

[Courtney.lane408]

I find that I like pictures much more now as a girl than I ever did when I was presenting as a guy still


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[Maddie86]

I went through a phase in college where I didn't want my picture taken, but other than that I've never had an issue with it. my friends actually get kinda annoyed with me because I always want pics with them lol

[VeronicaLynn]

I wish more pictures existed of me when I was a teenager and had long hair that wasn't thinning and not much facial hair.

My parents always made me get my hair cut before yearbook photos, because they liked to give them to my distant relatives. Most of the time it was still fairly long, but that was usually the shortest it was the whole year. I was a teenager back when photos had to be developed and that cost money so not many of those exist, my parents took a lot more when I was a young child.

I don't usually like the way my facial expression is in pictures, there's only a handful of ones I don't think I look wierd.

[VickyS]

I don't like pictures of me because I always feel awkward. Perhaps not feeling happy in my own skin has a lot to do with that.  I am an amateur photographer and love taking photos, especially portraits of women.  I love to study the bone structure and admire the beauty. 

[Natsuki Kuga]

Hate myself, hate my face, hate the way I look, hate photos.

[big kim]

Never liked having my photo taken. I have pix on my facebook. I look like my avatar

[SueNZ]

Hi Julia,
I have read lots of your posts through lots of threads, I think you are a very beautiful person. Your avatar is a great picture and I think you are extremely attractive. Love yourself for who you are and if you don't like your photo being taken then ask that it's not. If the push gets too strong relent and let it be taken because you are a beautiful individual.
You have been through lots and I think you are stronger than you give yourself credit for.



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[Allison S]

I don't really like taking pictures but my mom always insisted on it growing up and even now. I still do it but I feel overweight and that my nose is crooked. It sucks but it's what I have to deal with until I can afford surgery. As for my weight I think the camera adds a few pounds.

It sounds like your mom really has effected you. That's something to try and work through if you feel you still need to. Being unique is very different than being strange looking and I think your mom was wrong for say that.

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[KathyLauren]

I don't mind having my picture taken, though I am a bit more self-conscious about it now that I feel a need to present well.

My wife, on the other hand, hates having hers taken.  If I take one of her, she makes me promise not to post it anywhere.  Her natural smile is lovely, but she is so self-conscious about it that she does a fake smile when she sees a camera which doesn't look nearly as good.  Kind of a self-fulfilling prophesy.

[Julia1996]

I wish I had a little of my brother's self confidence.  He never met a camera he didn't like and his Facebook is so full of pictures it looks like a photo album. He asked me why there were no pictures of him on my Facebook. I told him because the few people I talk to on there are people I know, so why would they care what he looks like? He said " because I'm hot". I will admit he's handsome and spends a ridiculous amount of time at the gym, but have a little humility! Ugh!  And no I would NEVER tell him he's handsome. If I did his head would get so big the weight if it would suffocate him if he layed flat.

I love my brother but concieted people really get on my nerves. My boyfriend actually did some modeling in Australia but he's not concieted at all. He's actually a little insecure about his looks which is one of the things that attracted me to him.