Photo Reality Check

I spent last weekend touching up my wedding photos, mostly removing armpit fat that my photographer had left it. Besides feeling at bit annoyed at having to do this task, and a bit frustrated with Photoshop and GIMP, the two photo editing programs I was using, I was also feeling a bit sad with how my photos turned out.

More specifically, I was feeling sad with how I looked in the photos. I do want to make it clear that I did end up with some amazing photos, it’s just that unfortunately, I don’t have an amazing one of me.

I look OK in the photos that are taken at a bit of distance, but it the closer-up ones I just look awkward. I had just assumed that I would have at least one “breathtaking” photo of myself but nope, nothing. At best, there are some shots were at least my dress looks stunning.

Other people in the pictures look great and the background in some of our shots, like the one included in this entry, are beautiful. While maybe more direction from my photographer would have resulted in some better shots, I do have to admit that the reason for my less-than-amazing photos is more me than my photographer.

Shawn and I actually had another photo shoot done in Alberta. A cousin of mine who’s a full-time, professional photographer did the photos and again, the results were the same: Some beautiful pictures where the other people in them look better than me, the bride.

The one positive thing about all of these is that it makes me glad that Shawn and I didn’t go out and spend $4,000 on a photographer. I feel like even if we had, we would have ended up with similar results and then I would have been angry, really angry (even though, again, the main reason for the poor photos would have been the fact that I’m simply not photogenic).

I guess my bit of advice for brides-to-be is to realize that photographers aren’t magicians and can only work with what they have. If you take a poor photo, well, then you take a poor photo. Yes, there are tricks of the trade and there’s always Photoshop but those things can only help to a certain point.

I think maybe I would have gotten better photos if we’d had a bit more time for just-me shots (though we did have plenty of time in Alberta and I still ended up with the same results) and if I had practiced posing. I’ve read that some celebrities spend hours standing in front of mirror, seeing how the look from different angles, in different positions. I know it sounds silly but maybe they’re onto something.