Transgender

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Self Photos

Taking Your Picture

By Diane Kaye

How many of us don't have pictures of ourselves dressed en femme? That's a silly question since I've never met a transgendered person who doesn't have a collection of pictures. Myself, I always carry a small camera around, and try to get a picture of myself every time I get dressed. Now some of you may say, "vanity is thy name!" But truthfully, the reason I do it is to help guide me to perfect my look. Not only do I take frontal views, but also side profile views. After all, we are viewed by others from all angles. To look your best, you must look it from all angles, of course. For these pictures, I've changed wigs several times, changed the type of dresses I wear, added accessories, picked certain colors and deleted others, and found the best pose for that great shot. I just don't look at them with a vain eye. I'm very critical of myself. I've given away new cloths just because I looked terrible in them. I had imagined myself looking cute, only to see the picture and go Aghhhhh!

Say CheeseFirst of all, you don't need an expensive camera to take your pictures. The $30 variety work fine as long as you know their limitations. Most of them are fixed focus. That means you point and shoot. It also means, if you are too close, the picture will come out fuzzy. This is because they will only produce a clear picture over a limited distance. And this is typically about 6 to 8 feet on out to infinity ( a very long distance). In daylight you also have to contend with the available lighting. Too little light will trigger the flash. Too much light may wash out the picture. If you use the faster films (ASA 400), too much light may cause this problem. On the other hand too slow a film (ASA 100) will not give you good flash pictures (they will be too dark). My choice is ASA 400 and most of the pictures are either inside, or at night. For daylight pictures, if it is bright out, I try to find some shade. I also avoid having the camera pointed in the direction the sun is coming from. Also, I try not to be looking into the sun either, as I am forced to squint. Watch out for shadows. They can make you look gruesome. When using the flash I've found that slight over exposure gives the best picture. It washes out the irregularities of the makeup, and washes out much of the beard shadow, making your face look smoother. When using the flash, always be sure it is ready for the next picture by looking at the indicator. If someone is taking your picture note if their finger is covering the lens (a common mistake). Of course a 35 mm single lens reflex is the camera of choice, if you know how to really use it. I will usually pick a moderately long focal length lens like a 85 mm, or 105 mm lens for portraits. I prefer to use incandescent lighting (reflectors with 3200 degree lamps) and ASA 160 incandescent film, since I can position the floods for the rightA Tripod shadow effect. I know the better photographers use multiple strobes and reflectors, but I'm cheap. Done properly, the incandescent approach gives fine quality pictures.

Now then, what have all those pictures taught me? Well first of all, I look best in column dresses. Flared skirts make my legs look skinny, unless they are long. Long length wigs make my face look fuller and more balanced. It also makes my neck less prominent. I learned that I look good in blues, reds, pinks, tans, but not greens or dark browns. Too much blush looks bad, as does too much eyeliner. Skirt lengths just below the knee also look good, but not short ones. My side profile looks bad if I have too much neck exposed. The longer hair style hides this feature.

So in a nut shell, pictures make perfect. You never have too many. Also remember, if you are in a situation where they could be used against you, keep them protected. They are both an asset and a liability.
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