Tell this women she is gorgeous!

My friend Marilisa wanted us to participate in the Swarvoski photo contest where we had to showcase a bag she received in a promotion.  But she was reluctant to be in the photo because, she said, “she was not photogenic”!

I started to reflect on what is being photogenic…

Why do I often get the comment “I really like your work and I would love be photographed by you but I am not photogenic”?  By the way, I never heard of a men saying that….  What is wrong with us?  Is that we compare being photogenic with being a fashion top model?  Is that we think because we have goofy face on snapshots we automatically think we are not?

I have to admit I was not better; I did thought that I was not photogenic until I learned how to pose people in my photography training and I experimented it myself.  I am no longer afraid to have my photograph taken; however, I do it on my own terms.  I still hate seeing photographs of me with silly face and that ugly double chin….  Of course there is the odd person who gets a picture perfect every time they are in front of a camera.  Maybe they just know how to move in front of the camera or maybe they are more comfortable with their body?  Maybe they are less self-conscious and don’t mind looking goofy, hence don’t mind giving control of the result of how they will look to someone else?  Hey, I am a control freak so I totally relate to that one.

I truly believe that anyone has the potential to be photogenic.  It really doesn’t matter if you are younger or older, fit or have couple kilos that you would like to see gone…  Or worst (!!!), a small indefinite amount of grey hair!!!  ;)  If you genuinely love what a photographer does and sincerely want to be photographed, there is no excuse.

Next time, before you say “I’m not photogenic”, think of what would it really cost you to let it go.  You might be surprised…

Now, if you think that this girl is awesomely gorgeous, leave a comment on this post!

Unfortunately, the Swarvoski website was down for two days and we couldn’t upload the photo for the contest…  We will never know if we would have won but we had a lot of fun during that really quick photo shoot and I might have convinced her that, after all, she is photogenic.

Finally, this is my last post of the year 2012.  I am going to Thailand for two weeks and then, it will be the Holidays.  I though I would be able to post the pictures from our trip to Greece, Turkey and Croatia but I was just too busy that it will have to wait in 2013.  Therefore I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and Jolly Happy New Year! 

Enjoy!

Z…

(Our Favourite Shot)