17 May 2010

The Gallery: Self-Portrait


It's time for the Sticky Fingers Gallery. The theme this week is self-portrait.

I was particularly moved by Tara's explanation as to why she chose this theme:

The theme is actually inspired by Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy who wrote something that really touched me a few weeks ago and I want to 'celebrate' it through The Gallery.

On tenterhooks yet?

She wrote about photographs of her mum, who died when Laura was just 9.
For someone who has been voted in the Funnest Blog category of The MADS, she sure made me catch my breath with that post!
She wrote: "Luckily I have photos, quite a few in fact. I don’t just look at the photos, I pore over them I wonder what she was thinking, doing, wearing … just any glimpse of anything that makes me feel a bit closer to her.
Now that I am a mother they mean even more to me . . . "

And then on the same post, Mrs W commented: "This is the post that every one of us who has spent years avoiding having our photo taken should read. I’m striving to redress that little phobia – we all should."

Well, I'm going someway to help redress that balance today.
Imagine in years to come, your children looking back over photographs of their childhood. Are you in it? Are you always behind the camera?
Our photographs are the story of our lives, and even if you aren't a parent you need to be in it.
I know many many people hate pictures of themselves - myself included - so if you don't want to post one to your blog just think about what I've said and start making that change.

I am always behind the camera. ALWAYS. I think there are only a handful of photographs of me with my children. In most of them I'm leaning out of shot. Where you can see me I hate to look at my face. It's too big and my skin is not good. Most of the time I'm having a bad hair day. None of these photographs have made it into the family albums.

BUT

My boys love their mummy. I'm sure they only see the Mummy they love and none of the imperfections that I see. From now on I will smile proudly in all photographs and even put some of them in the family album. After all I was there.

Thank you Tara and Laura and MrsW for making me realise how shallow and selfish I was being.

***

I hope you will forgive me for using a photograph that was taken by a professional photographer earlier this week and published in the Lancashire Evening Post today. It's better than any self-portrait I could have taken with the camera at arm's length!

This is me and I hope my boys are proud of their Mummy.



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39 comments:

  1. You have a gorgeous, smiley face, that's what I see.
    The fact that you've listened and thought about it is just brilliant and I'm pretty sure Laura will say the same.
    Good for you Sandy, good for you x

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  2. Great photo! Love you and the blog in the same place!

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  3. That's a lovely photo of you.

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  4. What a super smile! Very welcoming!

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  5. Great picture, you are lovely! It is true that our kids see that we are beautiful. We should see ourselves through their eyes more often.

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  6. What a super phot, of such a beautiful woman!

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  7. Yay, Sandy, great post and a lovely photo.

    Well done you!

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  8. *wolf wistles" that smiles should be in front of the camera more often missus! You look great! Cx

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  9. I've always felt you were a welcoming presence in the blogging world, and this photo just proves it.

    Lovely photo, lovely post. Lovely all round in fact!

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  10. See once you've started? It's really rather liberating - I've even posted one of me without make-up on!

    You have a lovely smile - when I smile I still look like I'm growling :)

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  11. What a cheery face to see this morning (it's 5:35 am)and such a great post.Well done for getting onto the local paper.Good luck with the MADS.

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  12. What a great photo Sandy, a great smile that tells us all how friendly and approachable you are, I'm sure your boys are very proud of you.

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  13. It's a lovely shot of a lovely lady Sandy. Smiley and open and warm. What lucky boys you have.

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  14. Gorgeous shot and you look so happy! What you've said is so true, I'm always avoiding the camera and had never thought of it that way, but I will now.

    XxxX

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  15. definitely food for thought.
    and congrats to you for getting in your local press!

    http://marketingtomilk.wordpress.com

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  16. You have the biggest smile in the gallery. Fact!

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  17. You are delightful and that photo is LOVELY! Well done you. I keep resolving to be in more photos but then I keep taking the pictures. I have to hand the camera over to hubby more!

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  18. You look genuinely happy in that photo, fab!

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  19. Great photo Sandy - but you know that by now ;)

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  20. Great photo Sandy, mu husband spotted it in the LEP and told me you'd been in!

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  21. I love this photo, instant warmth was brought onto my screen :) congrats on the paper too x

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  22. Brilliant photo Sandy. And well done for the article in your local paper. You should definitely let yourself be in front of the camera more often.

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  23. Lovely. You look so happy. x

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  24. Your happy, smiling face is warm, welcoming and lovely xx

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  25. Sandy, it's lovely to 'see' you. Published in the LEP, get you! Do they have the article online?

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  26. Well, hello there. Lovely to meet you!!

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  27. LOVE this photo of you, you are just beaming :)

    Very proud of you lovely x

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  28. That's a lovely photo, you have a fab smile, x

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  29. Tara, thank you and thank you for this week's theme. It totally struck a chord with me. From now on there will be more photos of me! x

    Muddling Along, thank you. The photographer didn't want me sat at the laptop as it was a cliche. I'm pleased with this one!

    Not Supermum, thank you :-)

    jfb, thank you, what a lovely thing to say :-)

    Geekymummy, you're so right, we should see ourselves through our children's eyes. x

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  30. The Mad House, thank you *blushes* x

    Laura, thank you and thanks for the inspiration x

    Cheshire Mum, thank you. I will be in front of the camera more. Will have to learn to like what I see! x

    Bumbling Along, and you are lovely too. Thank you :-) x

    Mrs W, I loved your photo, growl and all! It is liberating. As I've looked at all the photos in the Gallery this week I've been moved to tears. There are so many beautiful women who hate having their photograph taken. Hopefully hey'll have a bit more confidence now. I know I have. x

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  31. Aly, aww, thank you very much :-) x

    Lorraine, thank you. I hope so! :-) x

    Deer Baby, thank you, what a lovely thing to say :-) x

    Slim Lens, thank you :-) x

    Kate, thank you. I guess I am happy! Let's all get out from behind the camera! x

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  32. Marketing to Milk, thank you :-) x

    Sian, thank you and you have the biggest eyes :-) x

    Karin, thank you, I'm really pleased with it. I loved your photos, especially the one sitting cross-legged. You have really skinny legs and I couldn't see a mummy tummy :-) x

    Littlemummy, I think I was pretty happy! Thank you :-) x

    Nickie, thank you. I'm quite overwhelmed, but it seems to be the case! :-) x

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  33. Kath, thank you. Aha, fame at last! :-)

    Carly, thnak you, what a lovely thing to say :-) x

    Heather, thank you. I will try! :-) x

    Nova, thank you, I guess I am! :-) x

    Rosie, thank you, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by all these lovely comments! :-) x

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  34. Whimsical Wife, aww, thank you :-) x

    Cara, thank you. Sadly they didn't publish the interview. Here is the link anyway: http://www.lep.co.uk:80/news/features_2_1844/mum_of_two_shortlisted_for_blogging_awards_1_769076 x

    If I could escape, hello, it was lovely to meet you too! :-) x

    Josie, thank you. I'm an all or nothing girl. I'm either beaming or snarling! ;-) x

    Amy, thank you, that's very kind of you to say so :-) x

    Iota, awww, thank you :-) x

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  35. A really lovely post - and a really lovely picture :)


    I’m only just now getting round to visiting everyone! It was my first Gallery this week – sure picked a great one to start with!

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  36. Bubbleboo, thank you and congratulations on joining in with the gallery, it's one of the highlights of my week x

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