Reasons to show your face in pics!

[RebeccaLynne]

Thanks Lolita, this is a really thought-provoking thread.

No one should ever feel obligated to post pictures of themselves on the internet, as there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy. Circumstances may require some degree of caution on the part of individuals in order to assure their anonymity.

OK, enough of the disclaimer.

My list of reasons for posting a picture is as follows:

1. Sharing the joy. I'm not the prettiest here, by any means. But I'm happy with who I am, and wish to share that happiness with others who come here.

2. Encouragement. If posting my picture makes anyone else more comfortable with posting their own, we all benefit.

3. Friendliness. This is the only forum to which I belong. I absolutely love the ambiance and support I've found here. I'm real and approachable, and feel a visible image "puts a face with the name".

4. Solidarity. We each enjoy CD'ing in our own way. I'm almost always dressed en femme when reading or posting, and imagine many others are, too. Even if they're not, that's my mental impression. I think of myself as a girl, and believe I'm interacting with other girls. That's why I come here! And I want others to see me as one, as well.

Now if only I had a decent camera, I'd update my profile/avatar pic. You can only do so much with a cellphone!

[Sweet Jane]

Its scary posting a photo for the first time.....all of those "what if" thoughts tumble about your brain!!!! I remember the feeling of "what the hell did I do that for?" wash over me, after putting a photo on here the first time, but then there was the feeling of genuine relief too. I suppose, by doing so, I'd made a statement saying "this is me", and I kinda feel good about myself......seeing me looking back from the page was very liberating and very satisfying in a narcissist kinda way! (laughing).......I also accept that people have differing motivations for being here as well as varying comfort levels with being seen feminised, and if you don't wish to post a photo, then thats cool by me too.

[linnea]

I have posted pictures before, but I decided to change for awhile. Perhaps someday when I have some new pictures that look pretty good, I'll use one of them again. I do have a picture available to friends.

[boy2girl31]

I recently changed my avatar to include my face partly because my old one had a great tan but winter ended that so it wasn't accurate but I changed it mostly because the support of you all gave me the courage to. I think that is what this thread was meant to do as well.

[KateSpade83]

I love showing off my face and full body in pics, just to get positive feedback.

And I guess I'm one of the few lucky passable ones that go shopping in drag!

[Jessie J]

I would love to get dressed more than I do now and post pictures. However, my family discovered my interests and freaked out and ruined that. So I'm very closeted now and I grew my beard back to appease them.

Just doesn't look as cute anymore with the fuzz on my chin.

[veronica]

[SIZE="3"]Let's also remember that one of the primary purposes of this site is to give ALL of us a place we can be comfortable , and the comfort mlevel is different to everyone.

I am very thankful to this site and everyone here, so thank you.

[/SIZE]








[
QUOTE=Rita cd12fr;1305041]And a good reason not to (yet):

I don't want to look ridiculous. I have a wig on order but I have absolutely no make-up, so at the moment the very best I could do would be to paste an extremely drab male face.

That, in itself, is not ridiculous (I hope) but it is when set atop any female outfit.

Good for you if you started work from the head down but my work in progress started at the other end.

Maybe my next step, depending what the wig actually looks like will be a full length pic but with blanked-out face.

How long then until the full face? I don't know but my experiments with TAAZ suggest that it's likely to be quite a while - my best effort so far looks marginally more feminine than Bela Lugosi in his screen make-up. :-(([/QUOTE]

[trannie T]

It took me a long time to get a photo posted as my avatar. I am somewhat challenged when it comes to computers. I will post more photos as I become more computer literate.

[Tomara]

I am sure that everyone myself included who has chosen to not post there pictures here has a valid reason for doing so. Please dont judge someone on what they do or dont do. Everyone here is there own person Tomara

[boy2girl31]

speaking of showing your face I was told you can't see mine so look at the thread "first t-party" then say you can't see it

[CD Susan]

Lolita, we all have reasons for not posting pics showing our faces. I have nothing against anyone who does not show thier face on this site. I understand completely and this will never be an issue with me. I joined this site six weeks ago and for the first four of those weeks I chose to not show my face. Two weeks ago I posted an avatar pic of myself and am glad that I did. I want to be as open and sincere with everyone as I can be and this was my way of doing that. We all are different and have different situations so each one of us has to deal with our own situation in the best way that we can.

[Tomara]

Thankyou Susan Tomara

[Nikki K]

Being able to show your face (the door to your soul) is all about your inner emotions, how you feel about yourself, and the image you want to portray to others.
I for one have only just spoken, for the very first time in 40 years, of my TG to my therapist. Plus, I joined this site a little over a week ago and this has been the first time EVER that I have discussed my feelings with anyone.
The result of all this is that I'm now feeling considerably more comfortable with myself, my feelings, and my sexuality. Therefore, expect to see a new photo in the near future; a photo of someone less ashamed and much more at ease with revealing their soul.

Nikki

[Mitch23]

I much prefer to communicate with those who show their pics. Speaking personally, there is no possible way that family, friends or work colleagues would recognise me from my femme pics. I belong to other sites where I get a lot of requests for a meet with 'admirers'. I ignore those who do not have at least an avatar

mitch

[Emily Anderson]

I would gladly post my pic, but I rarely do the whole makeup thing, and don't have any worthy pictures to post yet. On the other hand, joining this group has renewed my interest in exploring further than "just" dressing up, so I expect to be trying out some makeup, and purchasing a new wig soon. Maybe a photo will follow, we'll see.

Anyway, I understand those that do not want to post their picture, for whatever reason, and I feel strongly that we as a group should not "push" people into doing things with which they are not comfortable.

[Michelle S]

Avatar pictures can be viewed by non-members. On Myspace I use the same avatar as I do here, but there I also post pictures that can be seen by friends only.

Although my job is secure, that is not the case for some. In many states in the U.S. you can be legally fired for cross dressing even when way from work. See:

http://www.tgirls.net/news/news56.htm
http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/transgender...s20020123.html
http://www.brgslaw.com/management_me...1/memo.html#06

"The courts have uniformly held that Title VII does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, transvestism, transsexualism or gender identity issues."

[TSchapes]

Absolutely, assuming off course that the picture posted is one of the poster and not of a fantasy wannabe. At least if one posts a pic a face other than your own at least make it the same age. I PMSL every time i see an avitar pic of a 20 yr old beauty only to read that the poster is actually 50+. I'm afraid any credibility of that poster posting outdoor adventures just goes out the window.

Be honest be true, I respect those that don't because they are still "getting" there and they should take as much time as they need.

Kay

I've been posting my pictures here. I even asked my wife to find me here. I did not tell her my ID. She searched and searched and could not find me. I finally told her and sent her a link. Once I did that, then she could see the resemblance.

Now I'm sorry I look younger than my age. 50 is the new 30 these days.

I'm also going to be at the SCC this fall, live and in person. There is no reason for me to post a "bogus" picture of myself. In fact I'm working on my business cards to hand out to gals that I meet down there. This is my first attempt:



Other than the lettering on that picture, it's been cropped and the blue background has been brightened.

We all have our different levels of comfort. They are all valid. If someone is manipulating their photo somehow, they should explain what they are doing. I did this with the "masking" pics I did. Not everyone is out, some so far in that if they do out themselves they could loose their family and livelihood. I think we can get a false sense of security posting here. There are still a lot of mean and vindictive people out there.

Oh, and Kay I know you were not talking about me in your post.

Love, Tracy

[FanciJewel]

Taking pictures of your self is quite a skill requiring a camera, the knowledge to use it, and the time to do it. Getting the images from the camera to the computer, especially for the first time, is also a skill set that requires time, and the patience to figure it out. I have accomplished step one, getting the pictures on the camera. No w to get the pictures from the camera to the computer and then to this site. Last week I tried getting the picture from the camera to my avitar, but was told that the file was too large. Now I have to figure out how to get around that problem. I am sure there are many more like me who are in this learning curve. They want to post but haven't figured out how yet.
Fanci

[Violetgray]

1. I'm a closet CD. I'm not TG/TS, and do not plan to go out dressed. Or to come out to friends and family.

2. This is my fantasy, not yours. In my fantasy, I'm an attractive young woman. Not a homely old, bearded, balding 60 year old man in a dress.

3. Most of u wear wigs, makeup and fake figure enhancements. I use those same methods, except I skip the makeup and wear a mask instead. (Because I resemble the Frankenstein Monster in drag.) Is this such a huge difference?

4. I do not enjoy seeing me,(or any man), in my mirror or pics. I need to see what I imagine to be an attractive young woman. Someone who is a entirely different person than I. ( Remember, it's MY fantasy, not yours).

While my CD creations r certainly NOT perfect, let the CDs that R perfect throw the first stones!

Those r just my reasons, I'm sure there r many others!

You make interesting point DocRobby, except for a few things.

1.) I feel as though the examples you provide in points 2 and 4 don't exactly hold up because that is what you want to see when you look at yourself. Of course you're entitled, so have fun! But that's a different matter than what one chooses to show the rest of us. In other words, you can't really say "Who are you to judge my fantasy" when you choose to share them with us in the first place.

2.) I don't think that when she was talking about "Why you should show your face" she was even thinking about maskers. At least you're showing a face, even if it isn't yours. That's different than say, a blank oval where a human face should be. If I were out on the street I would rather see a guy in a latex mask than someone with no face!

When I look at pics of trannies, the face is the best part for me.. that takes the most skill, and when done well, I admire their work. That being said, I will say that alot of the people to block that faces out (and just about all of the maskers here) are WAY better in the body department than I am! I'm jealous! Their pics arent worthless. Its just that for me personally showing a pic with no face is like reading a book with the final chapter ripped out.

[Nadia-Maria]

Please dont judge someone on what they do or dont do.

Of course it is preferable not to "judge" someone else.

However most people would be very pleased to be judged essentially according to their acts (=what they do) instead of according to their skin color or gender or sexual orientation...

Kisses

Nadia

[Chari]

Not that I don't want to post my pic, but I have to agree with FanciJewel, due to technical difficulties beyond my control - not having the knowledge or computer/camera equipment - at this time, I am unable to show my face or anything else!
Enjoy life, Chari

[Sissy_in_pink]

Well I may have this wrong, but don't you have to be a member to be able to view content on this site. If so then anyone who will see you is not in a position to say anything without incriminating themselves.


Well guess what I am wrong, I just logged out and then tried to view content, holly cow content can be viewed

Ok so I was wrong, but I do have a suggestion is it possible to set this site up so that visitors can read posting, but cannot see any pictures unless they are a member and are logged in, then maybe more members would post pictures without fear of being seen by anyone who finds this site.:2c:

[Maria2222]

I probably wouldn't have shown my face before I used makeup, but now it seems natural to show it.

[Nikki K]

There! I've done it!
But you're not going to get a CU until I've had a chance to put some make-up on!

[Sedona]

I am sure that everyone myself included who has chosen to not post there pictures here has a valid reason for doing so. Please dont judge someone on what they do or dont do. Everyone here is there own person Tomara

Yep, agree. I'd posted a couple of face pictures here in the past (because of inquiries), but my SO flipped out about it. I don't live in an area that has just laws against CD discrimination, so it's her worst nightmare that I'd be outed. My relationship with her is more important than mine with folks on this board.

Besides, I don't have any desire (really!) to go out dressed, so see no reason to show my face. If I'm not showing my made-up face on the street, why should I show it here?

Maybe this will all change in the future, but it's what's happening now.

For all you girls who do "show," more power to you! I am fine with whatever choices folks make for their selves, as long as it doesn't infringe on anybody else's rights/happiness.

Cheers!