The importance of photos

If you don't like having your photo taken, it's not that hard to avoid it happening, even in these days of camera phones and Instagramming every moment.

It's easy to think that this has no consequences, but it does. Not just for your own self esteem - the less you are in photos, the less you will want to be in photos, and the less you will like yourself in photos - but also for the future.

In 100 years time, when Facebook is a relic of our time, will it look like you even existed? Will the world have seemed like a fun filled place with everyone having a great time, all of the time due to the Facebook filter people apply of mainly posting the good stuff?
Plus, kittens.

If someone's looking at my Facebook in 100 years time, they will glean I have a dog. That I was dog obsessed. Wow, that woman really loved her dog.

More importantly though, if you have a family, will your children and grandchildren have photos to remember you by?  

I didn't grow up in a particularly photo friendly household, however it was the age of 'the family photographer' who would come to the house every few years. Me and my sister would dress up in our C & A best and force smiles, squished uncomfortably close on the sofa.  I'd love to share these with you, but I don't seem to have them to hand <cough>.

When my parents divorced, mum kept the photography habit. Dad, not so much.  Couple this with the fact that we spent considerably less time with him, and also that he hated being photographed, when he died (unexpectedly) in 2013 it was brought sharply home to me how few photos, particularly of him and me together, were in existence (and yes, our studio was a family portrait studio back then - oh, the irony).

I went from not really being one for looking at photos to craving them. Every one, no matter how old, blurry and essentially terrible they were, became instantly precious on 7/7/13.

I didn't care what he looked like in them or what I or anyone else looked like in them. I just needed tangible proof that he had been there. This is the importance of photos. Not for you, but for others.

Compare how many photos you take of your children (or in my case your pets) to how many photos you have of you. Then stick with me - I'm going to be starting a 'How to love yourself in photos' campaign that you may find useful to start upping the 'record of you'.

Much love,
Anna
xx