Reflective Essay: A Change In Photography

My thoughts on my photograph being taken in particular have changed drastically over time. When I was younger, I literally gave no thought to my photo being taken, I barely even remember them being taken. When I look at the photographs of my childhood, I remember the moment in which they were taken, but I don't remember the photo actually being taken. Now I always know when someone is taking a picture of me, sort of like a sixth sense. I think the reason behind that is that when I was younger I loved my photo being taken and now I hide from the camera. Mostly because of insecurities and knowing how quickly a photo can travel now through the internet and social media.

How much we think people change and how much actually stays the same.

The first picture I chose is of me eating an ice cream cone when I was about 18 months old. I

don't remember this picture being taken, but you can tell that I didn't care about my picture being taken no matter how I looked. I love food and I always will, this picture is a perfect representation of that because of how much of it is on my face. I was making a silly face because I learned at a young age that I can make people smile and that makes me smile.
The second picture I chose is of my sister, my cousins, and I in the pool. I, the main focus of the picture, am riding a giant inflatable turtle and throwing my fist into the air as I shout my battle cry. The picture was taken when I was about seven and I remember those times clearly. My cousins would come off the bus to my house every afternoon, we would all hang out and have some fun playing unfair games, Eli would probably make Alex cry somehow, just an average day in our lives. This picture is a reminder of those times and I miss how close we all were, but as we get older we see who people really are. It doesn't surprise me to see who they are now judging from how they acted then.
The final, and most important, picture I chose is a photobooth picture of my friends and me, taken about a year ago. This picture is important to me because it reminds me of all the fun times we have had together and how much we have changed since it was taken. It makes me think of the moment in which it was taken, the whole story behind the photo, we were just messing around for a laugh and that's pretty much the basis of our friendship. Laughing together, making jokes together, making fun of each other together, but it isn't all laughs, our friendship is also based on being there for each other no matter what. Not much has changed since that picture was taken, but some of our personality traits have shown more than others. We have stayed the same inside, but outside we have changed how we are perceived.
In each of the pictures it features me just being me, doing anything for a laugh and making people smile, but the story behind them have a much deeper meaning, to me anyway.

Each photo represents how much I have stayed the same, internally, and how much I have changed, externally. I have always felt comfortable around my friends and family, but what doesn't show in the pictures is how I have changed as others perceive me. I used to be very outgoing and I was pretty comfortable in doing whatever. Now I'm always uncomfortable when I am alone in a public situation, be it literally or figuratively, I don't like physically being in public alone, I don't like presenting my personal work for others to judge, and I don't being asked something where I don't know the answer. I can't think on the spot, I need time to think about it or my body breaks down as I feel the judgement pour off of the people around me. What has stayed the same, as you can see through the pictures, is my ability to make someone smile. If I can make someone smile through bad puns, overrated memes, spongebob quotes, and other various references then that's good enough for

me.