Gulp.
I was asked that question twice this week. Once for a new gallery web site and once for an upcoming article in an annual Island Institute publication. I’ll be sending jewelry photos to each, without feeling the least bit of stress. But a picture of myself? Yeesh. It’s quite hard to find a picture of myself that I actually like. The photo I’ve been using as my identity for FaceBook, Blogger, and Pinterest is one from our son’s wedding a year and a half ago. It’s one of the few I don’t mind, but it is time for an update.
That was my project this afternoon. To take a photo of myself that I didn’t hate. One that looks like me to me. So I went to my studio and set the timer on the camera. I took quite a few pictures, each one seemed to emphasize the things I don’t like about myself in photos. It took a few tries to figure out where to put the camera to get the right angle.
Too low and too much light from the window:
A better angle but I sure hate seeing the effects of almost 60 years of gravity on my neck. My least favorite thing about photos of myself.
Maybe a scarf would help…and a prop to hold, like my saw…and some makeup wouldn’t hurt… (Earth to Barb….. I think I look like a dork space cadet in this one.)
Maybe a picture of me actually doing something….
Maybe it would look better without the scarf… Ugh. My neck. My jowels. Gravity.
Maybe if I moved to a different part of the studio without a window behind me. Oops. Guess I still need the flash.
Too far away…
Dazed and confused…
No, no, and no for obvious reasons:
Finally, two that look the closest to how I see myself:
It was a pretty interesting exercise for me. With so many different shots to look at, I got a little desensitized to how I look in a photograph. When I was downloading them onto iPhoto, I could see family resemblances that I had never taken time to notice before. And you know what? All of these photos look like me.
Barbara S Fernald Jewelry 
A beauty inside and out !
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Just like you sweet Lesley!
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OMG, I love you! I love you with your jowls, scarf or no scarf… and I love you for making me laugh until I cried tonight. I sooooo know what you went through. Seeing a picture of myself is ten times worse than looking in the mirror. Those last two pictures are wonderful of my beautiful, talented and funny cousin.
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I love you too. You nailed it: “Seeing a picture of myself is ten times worse than looking in the mirror.” That is exactly it!
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Ditto!
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I love my cousins!
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Ha! I hate looking at myself too. I still don’t recognize myself! I love the last one best….
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I know. My hair is actually much longer than in the pictures….
The last one is my favorite too.
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I laugh at myself when I walk around feeling like I looked 20 years ago and then catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
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I know! I am way younger than I look…..
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Looking great Barbara!
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From one scarf wearer to another!
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every bit of you….beautiful! i actually loved the big open-mouthed smile in the no, no and no section! but the last 2 are great, too!
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We’ll be taking “selfies” together very soon!
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i still like the enclosed picture. h
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You funny.
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Oh yes I agree – viewing myself in pictures is a horrible experience! :) You did a fantastic job and I commend you for posting all of these pics! You are a beautiful lady!!!
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It felt weird to put them all on here, but then I thought, “oh get over it.” I need to find something new to post very soon so I can stop cringing!
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Great job. This reminded me of the time we tried to get a pic of the two of us for the paper!!!
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That was a fun time! We should do that again this summer just for the hell of it. Maybe we could write a syndicated column!
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Your sparkling personality shows through in all the photos!
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I love my sweet artist cousin!
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Oh Barb, you crack me up!! I can totally relate. I’ve been doing the same thing this morning, having to find a photo of me in my studio working, that I like. Ugh. I love your honesty and humah. BTW, the second to last one is my fave :)
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I bet it’s for the same reason too! Want me to come over and take a photo or 30?
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No wait, I change that… the fourth to last one!! Totally you!
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That one is my true personality. If anyone had come in downstairs, they would have heard me laughing all by myself. Nut case.
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Loved this post. So interesting…thanks for sharing!
Hope you’re well,
Best,
Lisa
Lisa Mossel Vietze | Archipelago Manager | Island Institute | 386 Main Street | P.O. Box 648 | Rockland, ME 04841 | 207.596.0701 | http://www.thearchipelago.net| | http://www.islandinstitute.org |
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Thanks Lisa!
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I actually love them all (especially the one of you laughing!) and boy can I EVER understand the neck bit. I adored Nora Ephron’s book “I Feel Bad About My Neck” — hilarious!
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I need to read that book. I have been meaning to since she wrote it a few years back. That neck stuff is something I never notice on other people. But boy, everything I hate about my neck jumps out at me at me when I see photos of myself.
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I will give you the Nora book when you are here. Pretty funny.
I think some of the pics of you are just fine. Too far away, you look pretty.
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xoxo :)
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