Do you like having your picture taken?

@sharra1 (6340)
Australia
October 20, 2008 11:24pm CST
I have never liked seeing pictures of myself, with the possible exception of professional photographs and I will often try an avoid the camera if I see it. I just do not like the image of me that is captured in the photograph. I suppose I do look like that but to me it is just the outer shell and that is not how I see myself. I think of myself as the inner me that is still a young girl at heart tempered by the wisdom of experience. So what about you? Do you like to pose when you see a camera or do you run away? Do you like seeing pictures of yourself?
8 people like this
30 responses
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I seldom like people to take my pic but I have no problem taking it (like my avatar) I like a few pics of me. But not a lot
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
29 Oct 08
I have never tried to take my own picture. I do not use a webcam and my mobile does not have a camera.
1 person likes this
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
29 Oct 08
Well you will be surprised and have a cell with a camara, I took the pic of my avatar.
• United States
21 Oct 08
I'm not very photogenic so most pics of me don't quite look like me, I think I often look better in person then in a pic, so I don't really like having my picture taken.
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
1 Nov 08
I feel the same way. Sometimes one works and comes out ok but mostly it is bad.
1 person likes this
@KATRINKA (1624)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I don't like having my picture taken for any reason. I don't like the way I look in photos, professional or candid. I am envious of those who always look great in pictures. Lately I have acquiesced and allowed my picture to be taken. Mostly it's to mark an event. My dad Is elderly and ill, so whenever I visit, we have a picture taken together. I don't care how I look. The pictures orient my dad to time, and I'd hate to have him pass away without having any pictures of us. He was a professional photographer, and his favorites were always candids. There are piles of photos he took of me as a child. I didn't like it then, either.
@KATRINKA (1624)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Thanks for the best response! I am so sorry your mother burned your pictures. That was heartless. Something similar happened to me. My mother left us when we were little kids. She kept pics of my sisters and had me cut out of them. I know how you feel.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
1 Nov 08
Yes I am envious of people who always look great no matter what. It would be nice to be photogenic I suppose but I like me as I am. I have no pictures of my youth as my mother burned them all.
2 people like this
@pehpot (4762)
• Philippines
21 Oct 08
I like taking pictures of myself but when people take a picture of me or I have to pose for them, I really got conscious. my kids also loves taking a photo of themselves. they get my camera phone and start taking a picture of themselves and I find it amusing most of the times.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
21 Oct 08
How can you take pictures of yourself? I have never managed that.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
You can take a pic of yourself fairly easily using a webcam that allows you take snapshots. Another way is to stand in front of a mirror and the camera at your reflection. There might be other ways, but those are two that I know of.
1 person likes this
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I like snapshots. I don't like professional pictures. I don't mind being on the camera and I am somewhat photogenic (not conceded) but some people are not natural in front of a camera and it looks just as it is fake. I'm not crazy about posing for a camera but I don't mind people taking snapshots. I think it's fun to look at them and see how off gaurd you really were! LOL
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
21 Oct 08
I hate posing for the camera as it feels so fake to me especially when you have to try and hold a smile. I had one professional picture taken when I graduated University and I like that one but there are not many I like of me.
2 people like this
• China
21 Oct 08
yes i do! but just at the sitution that i can see what im i looks like when taking the picturem, like using a phone, and im just like you , not used to being taken pictures by others , that makes me feel bad , i always worry about waht i looks like in the picture is not that good. so i [refer to take my pictures by myself.
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
20 Nov 08
Ah I have never had a phone with a camera so I have never done that. I wonder if they would be any better than the ones people take. The best one of me was one my partner took when I did not know there was a camera around.
1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
21 Oct 08
I have a whole album of pictures of me taken throughout my life and I am so glad they were taken because I can look back and see how I have changed! Up until I was four I had beautiful blond hair but that is very sad because it turned brown. I have seen how I have lost a lot of weight and seeing pictures of me when I was a lot heavier has given me incentives to lose weight. I am not a poser but I do like to have my photo taken and collected so that when I am old and grey I can look back at how I have changed, its memories.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
22 Oct 08
You are very lucky. There was an album of family photographs once but my mother burnt them all one day when I was not home and had no idea. Now I have only my own pictures, there is nothing of my childhood or when my parents were young or their family just the pictures I have taken since I was an adult. I still feel sad about that.
1 person likes this
@tinam13 (839)
• United States
10 Jun 09
Yea, why is that. It seems like there are a lot of people who hate seeing their pictures. It's just something to do with self esteem.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
11 Jun 09
It might be self esteem. In my case it is more a matter of a difference between my mental picture of myself and the physical image. I tend to feel a certain way about myself and the camera only captures the external person. I suppose a good photographer can capture more than that. The picture I use for my profile was taken without my knowledge and is one of the few that I really like of me. I am hopeless at posing and I hate all the pictures where I posed, they feel stiff and rigid.
@munhozmib (3837)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
21 Oct 08
Hello, sharra1! No, I do not like pictures of myself. I do not think I am handsome, and I do look uglier in pictures. How I don't know, I just do look horrible in them. It seems like they are much better if they are taken naturally (when I am not seeing it). If they tell me: "make a pose", then I'm screwed. I guess I will start trying funny faces on the mirror, so at least people will laugh instead of getting scared, hahaha. I do like to take pictures of others, but not if they are not allowing it. I know how bothered can someone be if you are trying to take their picture and they just don't want to be seem. Respectfully, Munhozmib.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
27 Oct 08
I think some people are photogenic and the camera likes them, other are not. I definitely am not although some pictures come out ok. Sometimes the best ones are when you are not posing but you get caught without seeing the camera.
1 person likes this
@Jezebella (1446)
• United States
11 Jun 09
For the most part I do not lik getting my picture taken. Especially in the summer when I have my hair in a ponytail alot. it makes me look like I have no hair. When I have my make up on, and hair don, thenI don't mind having my picture taken or if I am in the picture with someone else.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
11 Jun 09
I can understand that. My hair is quite thin and cannot be seen that well when in a pony tail but they are so cool in summer. We all like to look our best for photos but that often involves posing and I do not like that much. I think the best shots of me happen when I do not know the camera is there.
@dodo19 (47066)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
2 Nov 08
I never liked having my picture taken by professionals. For some reason, I was never a huge fan of that. If it's my friends who taking a picture of me, I don't mind so much, as it leaves me a lot of room to be crazy, be silly, or whatever.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
3 Nov 08
Good point. I am fine if I do not know there is a camera but if I do know then I try to avoid it.
1 person likes this
@dhisaw (304)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I have never liked having my picture taken. I do my best to try to avoid being in front of the camera. I much prefer being behind a camera taking pictures. I actually like doing that. I do not like seeing myself in photos. I always want to try to get them and tear them up but I dont usually get the opportunity to do so.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
3 Nov 08
I feel a bit like that and yet I was very sad that my mother burned all the pictures of our family and my childhood.
1 person likes this
• United States
26 Oct 08
I like to take pictures but not to have my picture taken. I hated the school pictures. My pictures were always so terrible. When I try to snap my 3 year old grandaughters picture she runs away.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
27 Oct 08
I like to take pictures as well and it is a good way to avoid having your picture taken if you are behind the camera instead of in front.
1 person likes this
• Singapore
28 Oct 08
Hi friend, actually as for me i do not mind taking pictures or letting other people take my pictures with me. Because i think by taking pictures, we can capture the good memories in our life and when we look at the picture in a few years times, it definitely brings back good old memories. I like seeing pictures of myself and i do pose when i see a camera instead of running away. CHEERS
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
29 Oct 08
Good for you. We are all different. Pictures do capture good memories and I wish I had the ones from my childhood but my mother burned them all. She was a very strange woman.
1 person likes this
@JUNGLE (1157)
• South Africa
21 Oct 08
I definitely do not like being photographed because like you, it is never how I see myself.Even though I am constantly being complemented for my looks and being spoken of and told how handsome I am,I dont accept it.No, I certainly dont like seeing pictures of myself.Phooey!!!! "Take 'em away Sam"....
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
22 Oct 08
Yes exactly. I do not see myself as a physical image but as a personality and when I see my picture it just seems wrong to me. I know it is the same face as the mirror but I tend to avoid them a lot as well.
1 person likes this
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
21 Oct 08
No I don't like to see pictures of myself, I run when I see a camera or someone trying to take my picture. Everyone tells me that is the way you look. Well I guess I don't like the way I look then. I hate taking pictures.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
30 Nov 08
I agree with you. The camera takes a bold picture of what it says we look like but we know deep inside that we are more than just a physical image. Our spirits say we look different so we avoid the camera so we can be whole and not just a physical image.
@rainmark (4302)
21 Oct 08
I love taking photos and i like to pose in front of camera when i am not looks so horrible. If i am prepared and ready for picture taking i like posing and doing silly things with my friends. But what i hate is the stolen shots and when my husband took a photos of me while sleeping or just got up from bed coz i looks so horrible and im too ugly at the photo lolz. Happy posting.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
20 Nov 08
I hate posing for the camera as it feels so fake to me especially when you have to try and hold a smile. I don't mind being behind the camera though as that way it is easy to dodge the pictures.
1 person likes this
• United Kingdom
21 Oct 08
I'm not that keen on having my picture taken. I love the Internet though and I love blogging too and so I guess I have had to overcome this small uncomfortable feeling. I have also been thinking how I would like to get something on youtube but I'm quite apprehensive about this. I'm sure that there are many people who are not that keen on saying cheese in front of a camera! I think the more that you do it though, the easier things will become. Don't forget to say cheese or sausages when you are next in front of a camera! Andrew
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
24 Oct 08
I know the cheese one but sausages? I just do not like seeing pictures of myself as they do not show the inner person and I hate to think that people just see the outer image and judge you by it without ever getting to know your personality.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
21 Oct 08
hi sharra. i like my pictures taken by me. hahah. i just use my camera phone or digicam to take a picture of myself :) sometimes, when i'm in the mood and everybody wants to have a picture i just join them or else, i'll be the one to take the picture :) take care. happy posting
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
30 Nov 08
I had a webcam once but I did not like it so I do not use it. I have never had a camera phone, maybe one day, but I doubt I would like to see a picture it took as it would just show me as I am and not as my spirit sees me.
• Australia
21 Oct 08
Even professional pics (like my profile pic) have me asking the question, "Would you buy a used $2 bill from this man?" Unless we are used to seeing ourselves in pictorial form it is very hard to relate to, much as a lot of people cannot enjoy their own voices on tape. Lash
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
21 Oct 08
Yeah as long as you were not charging any more than $2 for it.lol. I actually like your picture, I think it looks distinguished and mature with strong character. Yeah I know I am biased but I thought that when we first met and have not changed my view over the years.
1 person likes this