UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

NEW SPECIMENS OLD SPECIMENS THE SCIENTIST MY LOG CONTACT ME
2002-02-01 - 12:23 p.m.

PICTURE PERFECT

My dad has always liked to take a lot of pictures. When I was small, my breathing in became a Kodak moment. So did breathing out. I used to love it. I�d run to pose on the rocking horse, although I no longer understand why that was the place. Perhaps I wanted to be Dale Evans.

My mom, however, would run to get out of the picture. If she couldn�t, and the picture was not a serious one, she�d stick out her tongue. It happened often enough that if she ever went missing and we had to broadcast her picture, people might have to identify her by her tongue. (Luckily for her, her tongue is fairly distinctive because of its length. Like Day-Hay, she can easily touch her nose with her tongue. Aren�t hidden talents amazing?) I didn�t used to understand but I do now.

There are very few pictures of myself that I like but there used to be a few. In recent years, there are very few. It�s odd that I am so critical of my looks in pictures when I�m not generally as critical of my looks in the mirror. But the pictures don�t look to me like the person I see in the mirror. It�s not just perception because I could perceive pictures through the same gloss I use in the bathroom mirror. I really think that as I get older, I just don�t photograph as well.

I noticed years ago that some people photograph better than others. Poor Maxiegirl better not draw her self-image from pictures of herself. She looks much, much better than most of her pictures. She�s just so animated that it seems almost impossible to catch her on film when she doesn�t have some fleeting, odd expression on her face. The expression that seems so natural and lovely when viewed for just a second, changes when frozen forever. Maxiegirl was the sister who had her high school principal check her ID at a school football game and then look at her and say, �Boy! You�re lucky you don�t look like this!� (Despite his doctorate, our principal was not known for his smarts. This man actually once got on the public address system to announce, �We are having some trouble with our PA system. Will anyone who does not hear this announcement please call the office.�)

Kat, on the other hand, occasionally photographs better than she looks, especially if one manages to avoid red eye (although avoiding red eye with her is almost impossible.) When she went for her eighth grade graduation pictures, the photographer loved working with her. He said it was almost impossible to get a bad picture of her and he was right. We spent a long time picking between a lot of good choices.

I�m musing on all of this photographic stuff because, in an hour or so, I have an appointment to have my picture taken. I need a business quality photo, largely for campaign brochures. While sitting for a photo is not as bad as calling people to ask if they will hand out your literature, I think it may come close. (And, of course, my hair stylist canceled the appointment I had set for this morning. That�s Murphy�s Law in full operation.) If I could only figure out what to wear, I�d calm my nerves. A wise supervisor long ago taught me that if you figure out what to wear�to court, to give a lecture, to present at a meeting�the rest will fall into place. I doubt it works that way for most men but it works for me.

So, picture this. Perhaps I�ll just decide to go to the session in the nude. Decision made. Now I can relax and the rest will fall into place. Wasn�t that simple? Well...wait...on second thought...the thought of what might fall into place is scary at my age.

No, I�ll just have to pull myself together, find an outfit, put on some makeup�and become picture perfect.

previous - next

|

Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com
Copyright 2006 by Ellen

join my Notify List and get email when I update my site:
email:
Powered by NotifyList.com

On Display Ring
[ Previous | Next ]
[ Previous 5 | Next 5 ]
[ List Sites ]

about me - read my profile! read other DiaryLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!