Photographs

I pretty much feel the same way as you. I hate getting my picture taken. I will compromise and allow it during holidays or special events, but usually It's something I don't want to do.

 

If you dont feel comfortable having your photo taken then you shouldn't be forced in to doing so. Its up to you if you wish to pose for a photo or not.

Its a difficult position to take and you cant do anything about it upsetting people or whatever. But its their problem, not yours. Dont feel sorry for them when they choose to make an issue out of it.

 

Although I don't hate (hate is reserved for a select few people - such as Alex Salmond) getting my picture taken, I don't actively look out situations to have my picture taken. I just really don't like how I look, I wouldn't date me, but I suppose it's just insecurities at the end of the day.

 

I dislike having my photo taken. I rationalize it as "if I grow up and transition, I don't want pictures of me as the wrong gender." I also dislike the school photographer, so I go out of my way to annoy him. (Muahahaha.) A lot of students try to photo me as well, which I don't like because they are bad people. Letting them have my photo empowers them and puts my face online on their accounts, like I am a friend of theirs. I hate photos.

 

It's a pain in the butt, but I've surrendered to people who want pics of me. I try not to protest because it's an expression of affection for you that they'd want to remember events where you were with them. Although at the end of the day if you don't want to pose for a picture, people shouldn't force you to.

 

I feel the same way as you. I hate when people take pictures of me. I don't like how I look in the pictures. I have very low self esteem and don't view myself as an attractive individual so that probably plays a huge role in why I don't like having my picture taken. I'm not completely opposed to it though. I will allow my picture to be taken when deemed necessary. I don't like it, but I don't always fight it either.

You have a right to refuse to have your picture taken, even though some people may not understand it, and might feel offended by your reluctance/refusal. I cannot tell you to suck it up and allow people to photograph you because I don't like it either, but I can advise you to loosen up about it a little. Be more open-minded about it, or explain to people WHY you don't want them to photograph you, that way they'd understand the reasoning behind the "No".

 

Before I came out, I had low self esteem. I hated photographs being taken of me as well. Since having come out, gradually over time, as I gained more personal confidence, I become more and more comfortable having photos taken of me.

Today, I know always smile for the camera!

 

Vesalius,

That is not unusual however you do need to allow some photos especially once a year. Photos are what show we have been on this earth and the people we have cared for along the way. Your parents just want the memories.

 

As others have stated and I agree if you don't want to then don't.
But understand others who love you want it not to be mean but to have as memories.

 

I know how you feel. I absolutely despise myself and how I look right now. Looking at myself in the mirror is already torture, and the thought of an image of me now surviving later on after I transition...I can't stand it.

I plan to ask my mother to burn all my old photo after transition too, because those are memories I can't bear.

Painful memories are not something I want to keep, and I want people to stop keeping them, or don't ever show me them again.

Tell that to people - either stop taking those pics, or never reveal their existence in the first place, for the sake of your sanity.

 

My mother outright refuses to have her photo taken, she will even lift a hand to block the view if she sees a camera so much as pointed in her direction. Personally I don't have my photo taken very often as I never look myself in pictures anyway (has been pointed out by several people). But to be honest we lost most of our family photos we did have over the years and now only have a tiny family album and I sometimes wish we had more to look back on now.

If you don't want your photo taken, it's your decision and no one should force you. But if you decide you would compromise just to let your family have the odd picture now and then for the memories, maybe you could try learning to be a bit more comfortable being in front of the camera by practicing taking your own photo when alone? You don't need to keep these photos or show them to anyone else, you can just delete them after. And it doesn't matter if they're not the best because you're only doing it for the practice anyway (but do try your best to focus on the positives of the images, rather than critiquing them. Because putting yourself down will not help you feel any better). It will probably feel uncomfortable at first doing this if you don't like your appearance, but keep at it and eventually you should start to get a bit more 'desensitized' to the experience, then hopefully it won't be quite so nerve-wracking the next time your relatives whip a camera out.

 

I'm not big on pictures being taken of me either. I'd be fine with it, but I've seen what many of those who take pictures of me, do with them. I'm just an additional accessory, for them to show how "cool" and "diverse" they are, and it irritates me. My family, though, only want pictures of me so they can look "whole", and not so much because they actually care about me directly.

But I've since made my point to them. For years, I hated having my picture taken without my permission, so I bought a camera and just went around, snapping pictures. I'd make sure it was when somebody wasn't looking favorable... and you know what happened?

People got pissed, and some even threatened me to hand the camera over. I refused, and told them, that's how I feel when you don't respect my decision.

Nowadays, nobody takes a picture of me, unless I give the okay.

 

I don't know if I'd call it bold. All I did was take pictures. Does getting the newspaper in the morning make me a superhero? LOL.

I'm the kind of person where, if something is bothering me, I want to resolve it. I really dislike feeling uncomfortable, so it was either be a little unorthodox for a day or two vs being uncomfortable for the rest of my life. I'll take temporary discomfort over constant discomfort, any day.

You can talk to your family, and let them know you aren't comfortable. With or without permission. It's one thing to keep a private image for sentimental reasons, but it is another if it's going onto social media, to broadcast how cool you are, no... unless we've taken down an entire battalion of robot ninjas, and snap a picture of us on top of their cybernetic corpses. Then, no.