Reply To: Why would anyone photograph a fat person?

[Mrs Woo]

I am overweight.  I have a chronic illness that limits physical activities I can do and includes medication that slows metabolism to nearly a crawl while causing sweets cravings (documented side effects).  Seriously double-whammied.  Add getting older to the picture and I’m definitely hitting that “matronly appearance” type of thing.  My husband has put on weight over the years too (in his 60s)… neither of us are willing to have family photos done because we are so embarrassed to not be perfect.

Do you really think we should feel that way?  That we should not document anything since our wedding (second marriages for both)?   At our wedding he had dieted and I was so sick then (hadn’t been diagnosed yet) we didn’t know if I was going to live or die.  I weighed about 30 pounds less than I do now for those pictures.

Your attitude, of course, is ours, at least about ourselves.  We adore our overweight friends and wouldn’t think for a moment that they weren’t attractive enough to be photographed.  We know that with age often comes a bit more weight.  Their chunkiness in their 60s and 70s seems pretty average.  It is just who they are.

I guess I’m kind of backwards from the OP – will photograph anyone.  It’s just who they are, “warts and all,” so to speak.  Why not celebrate it?

Won’t let anyone take my picture fat though… OH no!