It's A Camera Not A Magic Wand

I'm very upfront in noting that I am NOT a professional photographer. I like to take pictures, I want to learn how to take better pictures and even have plans on making an in-home studio just to have a bit of fun with. But I state clearly I am NOT a professional photographer when I deal in business with people. I've made this clear from the start when I began a working relationship with the school I do pictures for. But since their picture taking abilities were below Hannah's abilities I decided to help them out and offer to come in and take the pictures myself. So far everything has been fine, I had to redo one girls pictures because she did some crazy eye thing that just wasn't working. But I was just in there yesterday taking two other girls ballet pictures for the second time.

The school owner didn't like the pictures of two sisters I took for a ballet LO. One I understood, a small b/w which didn't turn out the best but it wasn't the main photo on the LO so I didn't stress it too much. The other girl's photos were fine too me, sure she had a smile that was all gum and no teeth but that was her smile in every single photo. Some people smile like that, small teeth, big gums I'm not a dental surgeon so I can't change that. But beyond that I thought they were nice pictures.

"No I don't like this one" she says "The mother will not accept them."

"I think you have an ad version to pink" this is the 4th picture with pink that she has turned her nose up to.

"No it isn't that. Look, they don't look good." She says in a way like she just ate some foul tasting food or something

"What don't you like about these?" I'm curious because I thought this one was better of the two.

"Look here she looks fat." She says in all seriousness

"Well she IS fat" very fat she was a good 120+ pounds and she is about 7 yrs old.

"Yes I know she is but can't you fix it so she doesn't look fat?"

"Well no, I can't perform miracles. She is fat and will look fat I can't make her look skinny."

"Ok" she continues "But maybe you can run it through something and make her look better" she is kind of pleading at this point.

"The only thing that will make her look better is a diet"

I mean what in the world do people expect? If your fat your going to look fat in a picture. It is a camera, it even adds weight to you at certain angles, it isn't a magic wand to make you look other than what you are. And even if it were I wouldn't use it for that. I'm capturing memories, as we all are at this moment in time. I'm not out to create a fantasy for anyone. Love yourself for who you are and let your memories reflect that. I think that is a more healthy way to see things but obviously I'm not in the right country for that.

This is the major reason I would never ever take pictures for other people in Saudi or for women in any country for that matter. They all have this idea that the camera is a magic wand to make them look beautiful. Face it we aren't all beautiful in pictures, I can't stand myself in pictures, but I'm not complaining I love me regardless. A camera will pick up every flaw we have and capture it. It won't ignore all of our flaws and capture only the good things. It isn't like the camera captures our soul or anything, it simply captures the outside and will present it just as it is at that moment. If your fat, you'll be fat you won't suddenly shed 50 lbs and become the worlds next top model.

Now even being very upfront that I'm not a professional and doing a favor to the school since their camera abilities were awful, I'm doing re shoots. And you guessed it, having the same problems. Gum smiles, dark circle under the eyes (a bit easier to fix) fat, bulge, and double chins.

On a positive note I did find an intern!! Wooo Hoo A friend of the family has decided to jump on board and learn how to do LO designs and promote the business. Pay? well none lol. I first have to train her and whatever business we get in from her promotion she will get a % of course. And inshallah if things go well she will be able to take over when we are finally relocated. Which makes me feel better after putting in all of this work.