Inspiration and Where It Strikes
The Year was 2013
I was trolling the interwebs for something stupid most likely, and I saw this commercial popup and it was someone describing themself. There was a guy sketching the woman as she described herself, and then more people were doing the same thing. He then sketched the same person but described by someone else. The people were amazed when they looked at how someone else saw them vs how they saw themselves. After watching a commercial for six whole minutes and having to wipe my eyes a few times, I realized this was a commercial for a soap company. Dove had did this little social experiment with a forensic artist to show people one thing. You're more beautiful than you think yourself to be.
You are your harshest critic!
It is just a fact of life! When you look in the mirror and see the same person every day, you tend to say things like, "I have chubby cheeks" or "When is too early to start Botox". The thing is though, no one else is thinking that. It's only you thinking that, and shame on you for being so harsh on yourself. The world is hard enough, why you gotta go be like that to yourself.
Why I do what I do.
Years ago people at work would ask me to do a "quick headshot" because they knew I had a good camera and knew(ish) I could use it decently well. In the process I found that they were really critical on themselves, and when I showed them their pictures they were like "I've never seen myself that way before".
A calling found!
That was the moment I decided I was a Portrait Photographer. I look at someone through my eyes and I see a much kinder version of someone than they see of themselves. Also a very good reason I've stuck to film, I feel it just makes for a more honest and accurate portrayal of what someone really looks like in the real world. I feel like Digital Cameras record so much detail that your eye usually is like, "ehh not that interesting" and moves on, but Digital puts it on BLAST. I like someone to look at their images and realize that they're actually an amazing person inside and out. This image is proof, and I haven't retouched them to high hell.
It's just you.
Dove Beauty Sketches
If you've never seen this video, click here to watch!
In closing
The video said "You are more beautiful than you think."
I'd like to amend that to something like this.
You're more than you give yourself credit for!
