Comments on: Rules For Taking Pics Of Fat Chicks

By: Miriam Nadel

Miriam Nadel — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:00:06 +0000

Most pictures of myself involve me wearing something absurd or doing something absurd. Animals tend to figure into this. In my previous job, I was nicknamed “python girl” for a while.

My most recent vacation shot involves riding in a zebu (oxen) cart. I figured that if I had to do something that ridiculous, it was damn well going to be documented. I also have a picture of myself next to a huge baobab. Just this morning I was joking that one way to look thinner is to stand next to a fat tree.

By: CordyQ

CordyQ — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:22:33 +0000

Such beautiful fun photos. I hope that someday I have this kind of confidence with myself and my body.

By: Clare

Clare — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:51:24 +0000

Definitely the double chin out of the shot!

I’m slowly breaking that one though as I accept that it’s part of me (as it is my gran, mum, aunts, cousins…) but every so often I get twitchy because it’s visible. My boyfriend just took a picture of me with it visible. He said it was ‘cutes’ and I should use that picture for everything and he wants to take it into work. It’s even on my blog now. I think it’s cute too but I don’t know how long for.

By: spacedcowgirl

spacedcowgirl — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:07:46 +0000

I’m embarrassed… I was going to say that I didn’t have any rules. And in fact, lately, inspired by Dietgirl, I’ve been trying to get both my husband and myself in a lot more of our vacation photos rather than just taking photos of scenery–because sadly, someone else is always going to have taken a better one of the exact same thing and these days it’s probably on the internet and I could just download it; and also we’re going to want to remember how much fun we had, not a catalog of the stuff we saw.

The other thing that my friend pointed out is that it’s so much fun to find pictures of, say, your grandparents when they were young, having fun, out doing stuff, etc. I especially love those vintage photos where my grandpa is posing looking all pleased with himself with his shirt off, or someone’s grandma is wearing a bikini, etc. So last time we went to the beach we decided to just take some pictures of ourselves goofing around, “imperfect” bodies and all (inspired by Diary of a Fat Teenager–I guess I’m being inspired by lots of folks today–I was even wearing a two-piece, so there :). The logic was that our grandkids would just think it was awesome to find photos of us being “young and vibrant” and wouldn’t be noticing the stupid “problem spots” we all waste time worrying about.

But, all that being said, I just realized I still do exactly what Patia described when someone takes a picture of me–stand up straight, one leg in front of the other, chin down, stand at a slight angle to the camera. I’m not sure how much of this is me not wanting to look fat and how much is me not wanting to look like a dork, but I’ll have to think about that.

By: lilbet

lilbet — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:56:05 +0000

This is so great. I love how honest this is. Me? I avoid the camera. None of us should, but maybe sharing this with the ones that take our pictures, will help us to get back in the frames!

Love it!

By: tvor

tvor — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:02:00 +0000

Have recently found this blog. This strikes a chord with me. I prefer photos from the chest up and *always* smile. I just find that what i see when i look in the mirror never seems to be as large as how my body looks in a 2 dimensional photo.

By: Liza

Liza — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:46:32 +0000

Whoops. I broke the rules.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=43451908&id=4904246&op=1&view=user&subj=4904246

*hangs head sarcastically*

By: Rhonwyyn

Rhonwyyn — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:18:15 +0000

I LOVE the wink shot and the “hitch a ride” shot, although I’m scared to know how Steph set up the photo while she was DRIVING!! 0_0

The funny thing with the driving shot is that while her upper arm is prominent, because it’s out of focus, attention is drawn to Steph’s face (which is absolutely fabulous) and the arm becomes an afterthought. Very fun! :-D

By: Terri Weitze

Terri Weitze — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:04:02 +0000

Whenever I get a headshot done, the photographer is anxious to do his “magic” so my double chin won’t show, and I always have to tell him that it’s okay – I want my headshot to look like me – a fat woman! Otherwise, people will see the headshot, and wonder where the pic of the great fat woman is!

By: Cindy

Cindy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:23:44 +0000

I have a photographing fat chicks story.

More than 10 years ago, I was working for a tiny rural daily paper. One day, a point-and-shoot camera was thrust into my hands and I was assigned to do a short story about the youth mounted drill team’s recent success. When I got to the barn, about 20 young riders were there. I’m not a photographer, so I lined the kids up, shot the picture and went back to the office. That week, we had hired a freelance photographer to shoot the main art for the paper, because the photo editor was on vacation.

The photos were developed, and from there, the scene goes like this:

FREELANCE PHOTOG ( a woman in her 60s): Well, looks like I should have given you a clinic before you went to this assignment.

ME: Well, I’m not a photographer, so I made do.

FP: The photo turned out fine, but do you see anything wrong with this? (puts photo in front of me)

ME: (Scanning the photo, which amazingly manages to show all the children’s faces.) I guess not.

FP: Well, you managed to get Bovina here right in the front row. You always, always put heavy girls in the back rows.

I kid you not. She actually referred to a child as “Bovina.”

I said nothing.