The truth about girls and pictures.

A couple weeks ago, I went to Michigan to visit a friend. Naturally, we took pictures—selfies, food shots, car shots, scenery shots, etc. You name it, we took it. We also attempted to have a complete stranger take our picture. Ladies, we all know what that means right? It's a total hit or miss. Need I mention it was a man, by the way. Again, total hit or miss—most times a miss.

Well after giggling about it in the car, I realized that women are really interesting when it comes to pictures, and if you were to do some sort of research study {who has time or money for that}, you would probably figure out that we are all very similar in this "picture" category.

Women take better pictures {unless the man is a photographer}. A girl will understand what girls are really looking for in a picture. Although they would love for you to capture the beautiful background, they really would much prefer to 1. Be in the picture {no heads chopped up} 2. Look as skinny as possible in the picture {angles!} and 3. Have good lighting.  In other words—focus on them not the background.

After nearly 10 years together, my husband still doesn't get it.

Everyone has a good side. Which means that we also all have a bad side. Which means that we are more likely to tell someone to switch us sides, to move, or to completely take the picture all over again until we are on our good side. For me? It's me standing to the right.


Everyone has a pose. Hand on hip, smile with teeth or not, puckered lips, open mouth, right foot in front of the left, left beside the right, and the list goes on. We do it without even knowing we are doing it at times but I tell you what—everyone else notices.

Angles—angles are important to us. When we asked a random stranger man to take a picture of us, he broke the biggest rule in portrait photography. He bent down on one knee, angled up, and said "Smile." I nudged Jody and said under my breath "No he didn't." Oh yes, he did. Needless to say, we said our thank you and the picture was quickly deleted. He had his young pre-teen daughter with him, and I am sure that within the next couple of years he will hear all about angles. She will teach him well.

When we say "Take a picture" what we really mean is "take about ten." It would be a wonderful thing if pictures turned out perfect the first time around, but as we all know, that is not exactly the case. So please always take multiple so that when I am skimming through them, I can decide which one to keep—if any.

A picture is only considered good or "great" if you look good in it. You could have a professional photographer take your family pictures, the lighting may be perfect, the scenery absolutely breathtaking and on point, but if you yourself are not looking good in the picture, then it's "just okay."

We get a little nervous when we get a notification saying that we were "tagged" in a photo. Because let's face it, we have women friends—which means that while they will post a photo only if its a "good" one that means one thing—good of them.

"Progress" photos are only okay or inspiring if you actually lost a lot of weight. It's a funny {but very sad} truth that is evident in a lot of pictures that I have seen others post. If you lose a lot of weight, people are so happy for you, support you, and lift you up. If you show a 10 pound loss and you're already a size two, women will simply roll their eyes.

Which also means that "belly" pictures are only okay when you have a belly. If you want to irritate all the ladies out there, then post bare belly pictures during the first trimester showing off your 6 pack.

"Oh no she didn't!"

Remember, it took about 20 shots before we got the one for the selfie on instagram. Which means that that is the best it is going to get.

Mirror shots=10 pound weight loss. Truth.

And although we hate to admit it, but even the "bad" pictures are in fact what we look like. As well as the good ones. Because let's face it, pictures don't exactly lie. They give you a millisecond of a moment. Your arm might be pressed against your side making it look double in size, your face may be down at that moment showing a double chin you never knew existed, and that outfit on that particular day may just not be flattering you any which way—regardless of what the reason is, that camera happened to capture it right then and there. Some angles we look great, some not so much. Some lighting compliments us, some not so much. Certain clothes are fitting and slimming, some the complete opposite. One picture you look like Pamela Anderson running on the beach, the other you look like a large cow that can barely keep up—both taken just moments apart. But the truth? It's just us at different angles at different times.

What I have learned?

Better to have one bad picture of a really important moment in time, than none at all.

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