I Filter My Photo's

[CopperKnob]

I've darkened, highlighted, blurred the background, I've taken photo's at the best angle when I've felt good about myself, first thing in the morning before eating/drinking etc. That photo with green rope,? It's not actually green. I have no shame in that. Not really.

When I was younger I had an ED. I still have good and bad days both in terms of food and how I feel about my looks. Because seeing is not always believing.

Filtering photo's is like makeup or clothing. It can give me the confidence to feel more me. It can provide me with a small layer of protection between who I am and how the world makes me feel, how it makes me perceive myself. It makes me feel less vulnerable. You don’t get to see all of me until I let you see all of me.

In some ways it can be truly healthy for me. It’s a form of boundary setting.

And, in other ways, it’s toxic as hell as I compare my own reflection to the photo's of others on here. To what I see myself look like on here. Not just here, all social media.

I know others filter. I know others photoshop. I see the curved lines of the door. I see the slight blur when things are pushed out and the almost invisible wrinkle lines when they’re tucked in.

I see it. I say nothing. I said nothing about it. Until now, I suppose.

I’m not confident enough in myself to release that layer - that veil - that makeup - that clothing which makes me confident. But, I really hope to, one day, be able to be vulnerable like that. More of us should be able to be brave enough to feel that vulnerability. Because when we see others that aren’t perfect and the beauty in their imperfection, it should help us feel bolder, stronger in ourselves.

Our bodies are beautiful.

Our bodies are fuckable.

BUT Our images are manipulatable.

And, I guess, I'm writing this because, really, I don’t want the images to manipulate how we see our beautiful selves. Because the fact is, is that you and I are beautiful just as we get out of bed in the morning.THAT is one of only a few facts I know to be true in life.

That, I hope isn't manipulative.

Even if, my photos have been manipulated.

And, maybe, this will make someone feel a little less need for their veil, their layer of protection.
And, maybe, this will help others to understand why we filter, why we photoshop, why we sometimes need that veil.

I'm not going to tolerate any 💩 on this post. Anything rude, demeaning, antagonistic etc etc will be reported

[PJ****]

Most of us are guilty 😬 I try not to use any filters other than the odd grayscale, but I for sure try and pick the best light and angle.. I suppose its because I know what I look like at my worst.. and I'd rather not let anyone see that until they know me a little bit 😂. Dont want to put them off ! 😂

I draw the line at changing my appearance so much that I look like a different person, and I damn well could - to the degree that most if not all wouldn't be able to tell (I'm some what of a photoshop expert dontcha know 😎).. but it doesn't seem right, and I'd rather not see disappointment in someones eyes when they meet me and I'm not who I said I was 🤷🏻‍♂️.
.
Although saying that, to this day my facebook profile picture has an edited version of me without such a big nose 😬 nobody noticed and it didnt change anything in my life having it not a 100% accurate portrayal of my looks 🤔 which begs the question - what was I worrying about in the first place?😂
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Also ice-cream.. cos I know you'll be disappointed if I dont mention food 😜

[ge****]

Beautiful words and ones that I think the vast majority of us can relate to on some level - of course on sites like this we all want to put forward our best side and be appealing, so we find the angles or features that work and focus on them - why else do you think there are so many pictures of my bum on here? 🙄
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Similarly we crop, or we filter to enhance and improve the way we look - again black and white is incredibly kind to me, so I employ it often.
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I think there's a fine line between those actions and a complete distortion through filters and photoshopping though but appreciate this isn't about that.
.
I understand why we do it though, to whatever extent, it's like wearing a mask, and comes with the benefit that if we present ourselves as decent people on sites like this that the mask can hide our own, often self-perceived, flaws.
.
This very topic came up on another site I was on and a spin off from it was to post "honest" pics that were completely unfiltered and uncropped (save to hide any identifiable marks) and the results were both interesting and amazing - people were brave and upfront, and for most it didn't change a thing about how others perceived them, at least publically anyway.
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You know what? I'll take one when I go to bed and post it on my profile - one that shows my most self-reviled feature, my belly, not sucked in, not angled so it doesn't show, but out there for all to see.

[CopperKnob]

12 minutes ago, PJ3000 said:

Most of us are guilty 😬 I try not to use any filters other than the odd grayscale, but I for sure try and pick the best light and angle.. I suppose its because I know what I look like at my worst.. and I'd rather not let anyone see that until they know me a little bit 😂. Dont want to put them off ! 😂

I draw the line at changing my appearance so much that I look like a different person, and I damn well could - to the degree that most if not all wouldn't be able to tell (I'm some what of a photoshop expert dontcha know 😎).. but it doesn't seem right, and I'd rather not see disappointment in someones eyes when they meet me and I'm not who I said I was 🤷🏻‍♂️.
.
Although saying that, to this day my facebook profile picture has an edited version of me without such a big nose 😬 nobody noticed and it didnt change anything in my life having it not a 100% accurate portrayal of my looks 🤔 which begs the question - what was I worrying about in the first place?😂
.
Also ice-cream.. cos I know you'll be disappointed if I dont mention food 😜

Uhm, I had icecream for tea 🤣
I don't know how to photoshop. I used an app once to change my face simply because work were putting something in the local press and, well it's a hard enough job as it is. It looked nothing like me.
They actually had the audacity to ask for one where i was smiling, i drew the line at that

[CopperKnob]

12 minutes ago, gemini_man said:

Beautiful words and ones that I think the vast majority of us can relate to on some level - of course on sites like this we all want to put forward our best side and be appealing, so we find the angles or features that work and focus on them - why else do you think there are so many pictures of my bum on here? 🙄
.
Similarly we crop, or we filter to enhance and improve the way we look - again black and white is incredibly kind to me, so I employ it often.
.
I think there's a fine line between those actions and a complete distortion through filters and photoshopping though but appreciate this isn't about that.
.
I understand why we do it though, to whatever extent, it's like wearing a mask, and comes with the benefit that if we present ourselves as decent people on sites like this that the mask can hide our own, often self-perceived, flaws.
.
This very topic came up on another site I was on and a spin off from it was to post "honest" pics that were completely unfiltered and uncropped (save to hide any identifiable marks) and the results were both interesting and amazing - people were brave and upfront, and for most it didn't change a thing about how others perceived them, at least publically anyway.
.
You know what? I'll take one when I go to bed and post it on my profile - one that shows my most self-reviled feature, my belly, not sucked in, not angled so it doesn't show, but out there for all to see.

You brave bugger you. I can't say ill be following suit. But you, you go right ahead

[ge****]

There you go, in all it's gory glory I've posted it - I loathe it but at the same time it's part of me, and yeah with the right gym work or whatever I probably could do something about it if I really wanted to, but at 57 years of age, will it really make that much of a difference if I do? I'm neither proud of it nor so down about it that I'm motivated enough to do anything about it, like I said it's part of me....so why do I feel the need to suck it in when taking pics, or find an angle that hides it?

[PJ****]

7 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

Uhm, I had icecream for tea 🤣
I don't know how to photoshop. I used an app once to change my face simply because work were putting something in the local press and, well it's a hard enough job as it is. It looked nothing like me.
They actually had the audacity to ask for one where i was smiling, i drew the line at that

😂 I had soup because I'm currently full of snot 🤒🎻but I also had an entire battenberg.. which is exactly the kind of behaviour that makes me feel the need to angle certain shots 😂😂
Smiling!!? The nerve!!.. they'd be lucky for a fucking smirk if it was me!

[ge****]

7 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

You brave bugger you. I can't say ill be following suit. But you, you go right ahead

It's not brave, it's me, the unfiltered me..and I don't expect you, or anyone, to follow suit - I'm probably committing hypocrisy by posting it after posting so many "filtered" ones in the past, but bugger it, if that makes me a hypocrite or somehow "false" in the eyes of some, then so be it.

[PJ****]

9 minutes ago, gemini_man said:

There you go, in all it's gory glory I've posted it - I loathe it but at the same time it's part of me, and yeah with the right gym work or whatever I probably could do something about it if I really wanted to, but at 57 years of age, will it really make that much of a difference if I do? I'm neither proud of it nor so down about it that I'm motivated enough to do anything about it, like I said it's part of me....so why do I feel the need to suck it in when taking pics, or find an angle that hides it?

Bravo sir! Tis a mighty fine specimen.. crafted to perfection over many years of hard work I can see 😁

[CopperKnob]

2 minutes ago, gemini_man said:

It's not brave, it's me, the unfiltered me..and I don't expect you, or anyone, to follow suit - I'm probably committing hypocrisy by posting it after posting so many "filtered" ones in the past, but bugger it, if that makes me a hypocrite or somehow "false" in the eyes of some, then so be it.

No, not a hypocrite at all. You were right earlier, we all want to be seen in our best light

[CopperKnob]

4 minutes ago, PJ3000 said:

😂 I had soup because I'm currently full of snot 🤒🎻but I also had an entire battenberg.. which is exactly the kind of behaviour that makes me feel the need to angle certain shots 😂😂
Smiling!!? The nerve!!.. they'd be lucky for a fucking smirk if it was me!

I think i was actually scowling in the original 🤨
Now's the weather for homemade soup
Before I say feel better soon, how is this back to food??

[PJ****]

2 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

I think i was actually scowling in the original 🤨
Now's the weather for homemade soup
Before I say feel better soon, how is this back to food??

I cant help myself 😂😂😂 you make me hungry? 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[CopperKnob]

Just now, PJ3000 said:

I cant help myself 😂😂😂 you make me hungry? 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

I'm a feeder 🤣

[ge****]

8 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

No, not a hypocrite at all. You were right earlier, we all want to be seen in our best light

We do, but as we often say to others who bemoan their "luck" on sites like this the best thing they can do is be themselves and not try to be something they're not - is that not hypocrisy when we ourselves are showing our beat light in our pictures and not our authentic selves? 🤔
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Appreciate there's a difference, but has just made me ponder a little all the same - is a fine balance as I said between presenting our authentic selves and an enhanced version (whether that be by angles, lighting or anything else).

[ge****]

7 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

I'm a feeder 🤣

Buck Rogers? or Just The Way You're Feeling? 😂🤣

[Ar****]

@CopperKnob, this post... just 💗

@gemini_man, I haven't seen your latest pic yet but have even more love and respect for you tonight

@PJ3000.... it was an Oreo McFlurry for me. Sorry, that's the best I've got 😂

[PJ****]

[Freddieb]

Well where do I start. Ummm. Let’s keep it simple. Humans are fickle and generally wish to impress on first sight. I suppose it’s the survival bit of us all. I’m going to be honest. Your all smashing it. I don’t care how you do it but I like what is see. Xx. Please don’t take this as a letcherous view please take this as a big thumbs up from lil old me that your amazing. I strive myself on positivity as I’m a glass half full person. So please take this as a big thumbs up keep doing what you do. Eat a whole batenburg. Have ice cream for tea. It’s all good. Now to work off the whole bag of gummie bearsI just ate lol. Anyone for a good sesh??? Xxxx

[Deleted Member]

Thanks for sharing this, I found it very enlightening having generally been a critic of filters. 

My bigoted view has always been that you should be proud of who you are and what you look like, and someone will love you for you, warts and all. And while I still believe that, this has for the first time helped me understand and appreciate why people use filters - thank you.

[ge****]

47 minutes ago, NewToThis65 said:

Thanks for sharing this, I found it very enlightening having generally been a critic of filters. 

My bigoted view has always been that you should be proud of who you are and what you look like, and someone will love you for you, warts and all. And while I still believe that, this has for the first time helped me understand and appreciate why people use filters - thank you.

Glad you've taken something from it and that's part of the joy and point of forums and open discussion, it can help broaden your understanding.
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We all use filters to a greater or lesser extent though, and for a variety of reasons, even yourself, having looked at your pics they all project a similar image and are cropped which in itself is a form of filtering. Now the reason behind that may be to protect your identity, and that's absolutely fine of course, as is conveying a specific image - but it's still a form of filtering all the same.

[Deleted Member]

13 minutes ago, gemini_man said:

Glad you've taken something from it and that's part of the joy and point of forums and open discussion, it can help broaden your understanding.
.
We all use filters to a greater or lesser extent though, and for a variety of reasons, even yourself, having looked at your pics they all project a similar image and are cropped which in itself is a form of filtering. Now the reason behind that may be to protect your identity, and that's absolutely fine of course, as is conveying a specific image - but it's still a form of filtering all the same.

I can see your point although I'm not quite sure I agree that cropping a picture to hide your identity is the same as filtering, but of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. 

[CopperKnob]

18 hours ago, gemini_man said:

Buck Rogers? or Just The Way You're Feeling? 😂🤣

I don't understand 🤣

[CopperKnob]

7 hours ago, NewToThis65 said:

I can see your point although I'm not quite sure I agree that cropping a picture to hide your identity is the same as filtering, but of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. 

I think, if tou consider the word 'filtering' as only portraying what you want others to see as opposed to the available filters on various apps, it fits with what Gemini is saying

[ge****]

14 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

I don't understand 🤣

Incoming!! 😂

[Deleted Member]

36 minutes ago, CopperKnob said:

I think, if tou consider the word 'filtering' as only portraying what you want others to see as opposed to the available filters on various apps, it fits with what Gemini is saying

Clearly mis-read your post if you’re talking about cropping photos to conceal your identity.