If I were to ever go missing, my family would be hard pressed to find a recent picture of me to display on a metaphorical milk carton. And that’s just how I like it.
I’m just not one of those people who feels natural in front of a camera. When someone tells me to hold still and smile, I immediately get tense and then feel like you can tell how awkward I am when you look at the result.
Add in my general awkwardness at any social event and it’s a recipe for embarrassment.
Seriously, if you invite me to a gathering at your place, include an extra note informing me that you either have a pet of your own for me to befriend while I’m there or that my dogs are welcome.
I am far more likely to show up if I know I can hang out with the animals the whole time.
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It was actually a bit easier for me when taking a photo required thought and careful planning.
When you’re limited to only 20 photos with the cheap disposable camera you brought on vacation, you’re going to make every one of them count.
Now people will just sneak attack you with a dozen “candid” shots and you have to hunt them down and beg for them not to post any of them on Instagram.
We all carry cameras with us now, and while that is awesome for serendipity and activism, it’s bad for the awkward folks.
I live in constant fear of that moment when I pass over my phone so that a friend can get a good look at a specific pic, only for them to start swiping to see what else is in my gallery.
Seriously, people, don’t do that. It’s rude.
It’s just that for most of us, our perception of ourselves never matches up with what the camera captures.
It’s like an uncanny valley of seeing an us that just doesn’t quite match up with our reality.
It’s weird, and while there are tons of tips for how to master looking your best on camera or how to not be awkward when someone is recording video, I’m happy to just avoid it all like the plague.
