I loath having my photo taken. Forget water-boarding, bamboo splinters under my fingernails, heavy metal blasted at 11, or even sleep deprivation (been there, doing that), the worst form of torture is posing for a portrait. I’ve been brought to tears before because I couldn’t escape a camera aimed at me.
Want to piss me off, try to take my photo without telling me. I have no problem yanking the camera out of your hands and beating you with it. Just kidding… no, I’m not.
The small avatars I have in my sidebar, and use on various social media sites, are as rare as Bigfoot. I rejected literally hundreds of selfies before accepting defeat and using the least offensive. Even that word, “selfie,” makes me cringe.
When I saw the WordPress Photo prompt for this week, again I cringed, but took up the challenge. Perusing my photo library, I turned up more photos of myself than I expected. Fortunately, very few featured a clear view of my face.
What I do like about them, is that they depict me doing what I love the best… camera in hand, snapping away.
That is me. That is my identity, my self-portrait. I view the world through my lens, stealing moments and capturing them in the blink of an eye. Hopefully, sharing a little piece of myself in each of my photos.
I wish more people felt that photography was an adventure the same as life itself and felt that their individual feelings were worth expressing. To me, that makes photography more exciting.”
~ Harry Callahan
Thin spiral notebook 
I loathe the term selfie, it seems so selfish. Which I suppose is the idea that it needs to conjure.
I don’t hate having my picture taken, but I want to be happy when it happens. Like every self aware person, I know when I look at a picture, even decades later, if I was happy, sad, faking the smile and I feel that emotion come rushing over me. Your eyes always give you away.
But Jessie (as always) is right, I want Gio and Jacob to be able to show me off to their children, spouses , etc. I know how much I love showing them pictures of my dad and now, Ben.
besides, YOU’RE GORGEOUS!
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I agree. Everyone else should accept having their photo taken by me. Cameras taking my photo neglect to record my George Clooney good looks :-). I would have been happy to submit selfies like yours…..which gives me an idea…..
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I actually take very few photos that include other people. I’m much more comfortable snapping pic of seagulls than friends or family, and I don’t particularly like seagulls.
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me too…hate it
I’ve noticed a lot of photogs like yourself feel this way. I wonder if it’s a psych thing about being in control behind the camera but not, in front of it?
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It could very well be that. I am much more comfortable being the one taking a photo. I think I’m also more aware that other people may feel like I do, and am much more sympathetic.
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