09/29/2026
One thing I really noticed at the James Dean Festival this year was how many people talked themselves out of having their picture taken because they were worried about their weight. Iโll be honest, this one really got to me and I found myself getting emotional about it.
I heard so many variations of things like, โIโm too fat to have my picture taken,โ โI need to lose weight first,โ โI donโt like pictures of myself,โ โIโll do it when Iโm smaller,โ or โIโm not photogenic.โ
And I get it. I really do. As a photographer, I hear these things all the time. And as a human being who also has a body that doesnโt always look the way I wish it did, I understand the hesitation, but hereโs the thing... ***You shouldnโt have to change your body before you allow yourself to be part of the memories!***
You do not have to lose 10 pounds before youโre allowed to have fun.
You donโt have to fit into a certain size before you deserve pictures.
You donโt have to have a flat stomach, perfect arms, perfect skin, or a perfectly defined jawline to be worthy of being in the frame.
And you definitely donโt need to have the โperfectโ body before you document the fact that you were here.
Thereโs a saying that really stuck with me: โThe best weight youโll ever lose is the weight of other peopleโs opinions of you.โ And honestly, I think thereโs a lot of truth in that.
We spend so much time worrying about how other people see us, how our bodies look, whether we look bigger than we did last year, whether our arms look a certain way, or whether weโre going to like the way we look in a picture, but at the end of the day, those opinions and insecurities are temporary.
The memories we make are what stay with us.
One day, that picture isnโt going to be about your weight. Youโre going to look at it and remember the outfit you wore, the person standing beside you, the stupid joke someone made right before the picture was taken, the way you laughed, the day you had, the people you loved, and the version of yourself that existed at that exact moment.
We spend so much time worrying about how we are going to look in a photograph that we forget to think about what that photograph might mean to us years from now. I think we need to stop treating photographs like they are proof that we looked perfect. They are proof that we were there. And that matters so much more.
One of the biggest reasons I feel this way is because my mom has passed away.
I have pictures of my mom that I can look at now, and I donโt look at them and think about her weight. I donโt wish she looked thinner. I donโt wish she had a different outfit on. I donโt wish she had fixed her hair. I donโt wish the picture had been taken from a better angle. Iโm just happy she was in the picture. Iโm grateful I have it. Because now, those pictures are pieces of her that I get to keep. And one day, pictures may be all we have. Thatโs why Iโm going to say this as loudly as I possibly can.
***GET IN THE PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!***
Get in the picture when you feel fat.
Get in the picture when your hair isnโt cooperating.
Get in the picture when you donโt have makeup on.
Get in the picture when you are 20 pounds heavier than you want to be.
Get in the picture when you are 20 pounds lighter.
Get in the picture with your kids.
Get in the picture with your spouse.
Get in the picture with your parents.
Get in the picture with your friends.
Get in the picture when youโre laughing so hard you can barely stand up straight.
GET IN THE PICTURE!!! Your scale can stay home. It wasnโt invited anyway!
Your kids arenโt going to look at a picture of you someday and think, โWow, Mom really should have lost 15 pounds.โ Theyโre going to think, โThatโs my Mom!โ
Your spouse isnโt going to look back at a picture and wish you had a smaller waist. Theyโre going to wish they had more pictures of the person they love.
Your family isnโt going to remember the number on the scale. Theyโre going to remember that you were there.
Your body is going to change.
Your weight is going to change.
Your hair is going to change.
Your face is going to change.
Life is going to change.
But that photograph gets to stay....
So please stop waiting until you feel โpicture worthy.โ You already are.
Stop waiting for the smaller version of yourself to start documenting your life. Stop assuming that because you donโt love your body today, you shouldnโt have pictures of yourself today. You deserve to remember this version of you too!
And as a photographer, I promise you that my job isnโt to make you look like someone youโre not. My job is to capture you.
The real you.
The laughing you.
The goofy you.
The emotional you.
The you who showed up.
Because one day, you may look back at that picture and realize you werenโt looking at a โfatโ picture at all. You were looking at a memory.
And I would much rather you have the picture and someday laugh about how worried you were about your weight than not have the picture at all.
So the next time someone asks, โDo you want a picture?โ Say yes. Fix your shirt if you need to. Adjust your hair. Stand however you want. Laugh. Have fun.
Now get in the frame. I promise the camera isnโt going to call the scale and report you.
Because you are here. You are living. You are making memories. And you are absolutely worth photographing. โค๏ธ
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