crazy

the tall perspective

Most of the time, I really loose track of the fact that I’m “tall.” Well, that is until I try on clothes at a store or get asked by someone to help them get something off the shelf at a store. But I realized this weekend that I rarely see myself as tall in pictures either… and I think it’s because I subconsciously choose not to look at those ones or that perhaps I just delete them. I guess my brain hasn’t figured out how to photoshop height yet.

When I was going through photos from this weekend, I kept these two… and it took all of my will not to erase them from all forms of memory. And why? Just a form of self-consciousness that I impose upon myself…

In retrospect, it’s just me. In a photo. And it doesn’t look bad. But it’s hard to admit that my brain has to be censored into thinking that they are fine and ok to keep. I mean, I’m just tall. :) That’s it.

Do you have an evil photo editing demon in your closet? What do you try to edit out of your photos by omission?

17 Comments

  • Maya

    You look so great in these photos — in that first photo, especially, your legs seem to go on forever! As a shorty, I’m self-conscious about looking stumpy in photos and I’m also shy about photos that emphasize how round my cheeks are.

  • Buccinator

    My fiance loves to take pictures, yet when I insist he only take the picture if I don’t look fat he rolls his eyes. Aren’t good photographers supposed to be magic like that?

    I do feel bad for deleting or refusing to pose for pictures though. I always think “When I look back I’ll be upset that I didn’t get a picture doing this or with that person.”

  • HamiHarri

    I think they are great photos…well, the first one is sorta funny, but I think it’s more to do with the perspective. An adult on a child’s slide :) Your legs do look gorgeous and long though :) From where I sit, there isn’t anything to be self conscious about there :)

    I suffer from winky eye…you know when one eye looks smaller/squinty-er in photos than the other? Hubby teases me about it sometimes too – lol – but I know it comes from a loving place if that makes any sense.

    I remember trying to keep both of my eyes wide open in photos…lol…but that only made for bug-eyed photos :p I’m trying just to live with my winky-eyed-ness ;)

  • serena

    Like HamiHarri, I suffer from winky-eye syndrome as well! I would LOVE to have your long legs – we’re our own worst critics, right? :)

  • Megan

    I too sometimes wince at photos where I’m clearly a head taller than everyone else (I recently attended a party where all the other women were 5’5″ or shorter – I look ridiculous in the photos) but the only photos I actively try to delete/avoid are the winky-eye photos like HamiHarri and Serena! I’m glad you kept those two photos though, because I think they’re both adorable.

  • girlLawyer

    I am terribly unphotogenic and about 15 pounds heavier than I’d like to be so I automatically delete photos in which I look fat or just don’t look good in my opinion (I’m terribly vain, I know). Even more horrifying is when a friend posts up an unattractive picture of me and TAGS ME IN IT on Facebook. I will IMMEDIATELY untag it and once (since it was a picture of JUST me) even went so far as to ask the friend to take down that photo of me. *sigh* I hate being so unphotogenic. I really do.

  • Mrs H

    omg look at you and those gorgeous long legs! i’m jealous! i must admit, i do the same thing with every picture that makes me look fat. they are immediately deleted before even uploading to the computer!

  • AmyC83

    Tall like a model!!

    I have an issue with my arms. I usually pose with my hands on my hips in pictures because I hate the flabby arm look when they’re right by my side.

  • Julie

    I LOVE these photos! My legs look really stumpy in photos, and I always feel like I am out of proportion. I don’t see that in these photos at all! :)

  • Lucy

    Hi Kim! Thanks soooo much for being honest about a subject like this. We all have our little things, don’t we! For me it would be a little pooch in the tummy as well as round cheeks… If I look too plump I either crop above the navel or just … forget … the picture exists! So I feel ya. Props for putting your own demons out there :) xoxo

  • tracey

    Add to me to the ‘i completely forget that i’m tall until i see myself in pictures’ club … pictures of Rosie and I put it all into perspective .. just remember TALL GIRLS ROCK !!

  • Cathleya

    Those gams. To die for. I never actually knew you tried to make yourself look shorter! I always cut my butt out of pictures. Haha. :) But I know it must be obnoxious for you to have to scrunch down and get on everyone else’ level for pictures, when the most flattering positions are to stand up tall! I totally understand where you’re coming from!

  • Tamara

    I try to pretend the right side of my face doesn’t exist in pictures–my face is seriously asymmetrical and my jaw is kind of distorted, and I just hate my right side–almost all of my pictures feature my left side which is kind of silly.

    But your height is gorgeous!! I’m tall-ish but jealous, i want to be taller!!