Anyone else seem to have excessive fear of photos of themselves?

[Milicentbystander72]

I think this is getting worse. I'm 47 so fortunately have not done most of my growing up in the selfie age.

I'm currently on holiday and yesterday I was talked into having a family photo shoot on the beach. I hated it and am having to send my husband and dd to look at them later as I don't want to see them.

Even when I was a young teen I used to get excessively stressed about people taking photos of me. I never used to want to see them. I used to always think I looked awful.

When I got married 16 years ago we engaged a 'reportage' style photographer and had no posed photos. This worked for me as I barely knew the man was there. He got some great photos, which I like. However even then it took me 3 days to open the photo package as I was so afraid of them.

When I had children I just transferred all my photo opportunities to the kids. I took loads of them.

When I go out with certain friends (who are excessive selfie and group shot takers) I have to literally plead not to be in the photos. Sometimes they listen, sometimes not. I try just to not ever look at them.

I am currently overweight and over-worked so hate how I look, but to be honest I've felt this way when I was young and slim. I've always felt I look terrible.

Is anyone else like this? If so, did you ever overcome it? I would like my children to be able to look back at photographs with me in some of them when they're adults otherwise it's just dull.

Do I have massive self esteem issues or is it just a 'don't like photos' thing?

Yes. I could have written your post.

I hate my face, my body and it makes not a blind bit of difference what my size is.

I really dislike having my photo taken, I understand. Our reportage wedding photos were great, for the same reasons as you!

These days though for family photos I just try to relax and think how much I love my kids and what we're doing that day, and smile, and it seems to work. They still, to my eye, look blooming awful, but- as you said they'll be there for the kids when I'm gone.

Would seriously never choose to have a photo shoot though!!! I won one in the recent school summer fair, and laughed heartily- as did my dh- as he knew it was my worst nightmare!!! You're not alone.

Should add though that I don't dislike my body or face, I just don't feel that photos look like me, they look silly/I look silly, if that makes sense?

This is me too. I look utterly horrendous in photos and it really upsets me. One eye always seems to be half shut too, plus rolls of fat round my neck, red cheeks..... It's godawful.😔

I feel your pain. I am so not photogenic and it can be mortifying

I always thought I looked awful in photos. Just not really me. Even our wedding photos. One day my fil took a photo of me and I pulled a big silly grin and when he showed me the photo I just looked normal. So thats what I always do now, big cheesy grin. And it usually works.

I could have written your post.

We had a photographer as part of our wedding package. We didn't know who it was until he turned up on the day so no discussions about what we wanted. I hate hate hate pictures of myself and get quite upset about them and avoid the camera. I was hoping he wouldn't turn up, but he did.
I went along with it but hated the experience as I didn't want to cause a fuss.

The photos were awful, I hate everything about myself in them and I've not ordered any of them or even had the 16 free pics. My wedding photos consist of one selfie of me and DH and a couple of snaps my SIL took of the kids.

Me also. My children will have no photos of me when I’m gone, which makes me sad but I just look disgusting in photos.

Me! I'm trying really hard though as I've seen posts on here from people who just wish that they had a photo of their mother. Nothing goes on social media and the photo has to be on my phone. But there are now photos for the children to remember me by.

Me too - absolutely hate it!!!

It's good to know I'm not alone but I'm sorry so many others feel the same as me.

I really need to get over it somehow but I'm not sure how. Maybe literally just grinning and baring it?

I'm afraid my dd has caught it from me. She's 15 now. She's really confident in most areas of her life but either pulls a stupid face or avoids the camera. She must be the only teenager with no selfies online! I really don't want her to feel the fear.

I do struggle with photos, as I’m autistic and can’t do the fake smile thing. So I always look like I’m grimacing, bored, mad or cross. Or have my eyes shut - I always blink at the wrong moment!
Luckily, as a widow, it was always me wielding the camera, so I have lots of pics of the DC instead of any of me.

I honestly used to hate it. Still avoid group photos etc. Now the irony - I started working PT as a model 😂😂😂
I didn't even do headshots for ages because I hated them but a photographer made me cry with one he took as I loved it so much. Now it's become more normal to be in front of a camera

I hate it due to vanity. The person in the photo does not match up to my image I see in my mind or mirror. I look awful in photos.

I recently took a selfie, which is something I never do. I thought it was halfway flattering and sent it to my DH. He said I looked like the comedian Jimmy Cricket, and he deleting! He is not a cruel or spiteful man, very complimentary normally, so not being a dick, just honest.

I know people who are plain in RL but in their photos they look very attractive.

I choose to believe that the camera does lie, and I always avoid liars.

Me too. I have no photographs of myself over the age of 12 that aren't for official ID.

When I was younger my parents tried to make me 'get over it' by taking surprise photos of me or refusing to respect my wish not to be photographed. It backfired because I started to get an anxiety response at the mere sight of a camera - I couldn't trust that it would be kept away from me because I wanted it to be. This was before digital cameras so even the terrible photos were developed. In my late teens I went through the albums and burnt the post-childhood pictures of myself - I thought I looked dreadful in them, but they were also a symbol of lack of control over my image, because I hadn't wanted any of them to be taken. I don't regret doing this.

I recently joined a library and didn't realise that they took a photo of you there and then to put on the card. I looked absolutely fine in the mirror that morning. In the photo I have a completely ridiculous expression and appear to have gained an extra chin and sunburn because of the lighting. It's awful and makes me feel miserable. And of course panicking about having a photo taken doesn't exactly make one more photogenic.

It doesn't bother me that there won't be photos of me when I'm gone. I'd much prefer to be remembered for what I did or said or wrote, or even people's memories of what I looked like. I don't hate my everyday appearance. Photographs of me just don't look like me. They're too reductive.

I'm like this and generally avoid photos. I can be feeing fine then see myself in a pic and feel totally dreadful. I'm told I look alright irl. Would never do selfies and hate being in situations with people who want to take them. I think the fear of it makes the photo look even worse!

I could have written you post.

I cannot stand my photo being taken, I hate to see myself. I look deformed and am the least photogenic person ever. DH is an utter bastard he looks fabulous for his age and never takes a bad photo.

I worry about my Dds not having photos of me when I'm gone so when I'm alone it take snapchat photos with stupid filters and I send them to the girls. I don't mind having a photo with stupid hear ears where I'm supposed to look stupid.

The DD2 did say this week that the photo at my funeral will have a filter on as this is all they have!

Better than nothing though.

Yep.

Yes I detest photos of myself, I always have. I would run through hot coals to get away from a camera!
My kids will have no photos of me but I just cannot get passed it.