Fine tuning

[JessHaust]

It occured to be me reciently that there is an unexpected benifit to the girls night out I attend. You see something that seems to be a common trait of most CD/TG girls is we are shutterbugs. Someone brings out a camera, we all pose, it's instintive.
So like many of you, I dressed at home, posing in front of the mirror as we all do. Was this dress right? Hows my makeup? Hair? And I got it to the point where I was very pleased with the results.
Then things changed, I strated doing things with other girls. And the camera's came out. They would send me their pictures, and I would send them mine, we would post on our group site. What changed was that that dress that looked good from the mirror suddenly looked terrible from another angle. That wig from the side view looked stringy. It goes on and on.
But by analysing all the pictures, from all these people, all these angles, have allowed me to refine, tune my look. It's still not great, but getting better. This refinement was something I would never accomplished alone, at home. I see things from others eyes, it's a remarkable experience, and a very enlightening one.

[Alice B]

I totally agree. It forces yourself to see how you look to others and not to your version. It does bring about change, but evolving is a good thing.

[NathalieX66]

We are shutterbugs because we are trying to justify this side of ourselves while we live our normal lives. Some of us have a digital existence that lives online 24/7/365 while we live our normal lives in our birth gender, me included.
it sure is great meeting people who noticef me from a flikr page.


Lately, I feel less inclined to take pictures, because the company I've met fills that gap. I won't give up, though ....you all should know.

Also, when I'm out and about, the people around me have treated me nice, therefore that hole has also been filled.

[AllieSF]

And then you go out a whole lot more and you start forgetting to bring the camera, your glances in the mirror are just long enough to make sure you do not look like a disaster, and you start looking forward to you time out interacting with others, non-TG. We just never seem to stop maturing and then regrowing. I love it.

[Barbara Ella]

Ah, reaffirmation of the continual journey of discovery and development that we all hope is going on in our own life. And Jess is the latest to attest to it. There is magic to our madness. We dont take pictures just to take pictures. Initially we do it because we are solo creatures and need the critical eyes of others on this forum. thank you sisters. Then we begin to go out, and that puts us into a totally different situation. Suddenly the overall look that our friends see (yes, the next step is finding friends to go out with) becomes a concern for us, and that presents many different angles, and works toward a total look, rather than the specific angles we can control at home. then, as Nathalie and Allie point out, the development moves beyond need for visual affirmation, and becomes an internal recognition that you are doing it right and know it. (Still, some pictures for the rest of are nice).

I am only a beginner, but recognize the journeys of others that have progressed, and realize that the only way to do it is to just do it, and keep on doing it. You never know when one little thing you do will resonate with a new dresser and spur them on their journey.

Thanks Jess, and all the others who do new things at all levels,

Barbara

[Cheryl T]

My wife asked me about that when we first started discussing this.
She couldn't understand all the pictures. I told her that it's a way of seeing ourselves objectively. In the mirror we can tell ourselves that we look fabulous, our makeup is perfect, our outfits and figures are incredible. A picture tells a different story and it also documents that moment for comparison with future moments.
Looking at the ones I took years ago and those last month I can see the growth, the maturation, the development of ME.
Sitting with pics I just took I can stand back and analyze from another's viewpoint just how I look.

They not only record our journey, the allow us to see our progression and also to remember our friends along the way.

[April_Ligeia]

It's good to find out that I'm not the only one, I figured I was a complete narcissist. Well, actually i probably am, but at least I'm in good company.

[Tina B.]

Be careful with those camera girls, I was just looking at some of my old pictures, I've got pictures that go back about 36 years, and when I look at them, it doesn't show me how far I've come, it just shows how old and fat I've gotten.
Tina B.

[Beverley Sims]

Photographs I have taken of myself are my view of me.
Photos taken by others are their view of me. They are more revealing and I can do any fine tuning from them.
When others take a photo it is usually unposed and shows the real deportment issues.
All I am doing is reinforcing Jess's view here.