Victoria Caroline Haltom Victoria Caroline Haltom

IT CAN BE tempting to use filters or Photoshop to eliminate your flaws and blemishes.

But a photographer has explained why it isn’t always the best idea…

Victoria Caroline is a photographer based in San Francisco.

She specialises in taking boudoir portraits of women. A few days ago, she took to Facebook to outline a time when she took photos of a woman.

She was a curvy, beautiful size 18. I thought she looked like a goddess, but as most women do, she had a request….. She came to me, looked me straight in the eyes, and said “I want you to photoshop all of my cellulite, all of my angry red stretch marks, ALL of my fat, and all of my wrinkles….just make it go away. I want to feel gorgeous just ONCE.” So, I did exactly as she asked.

After spending time removing every visible flaw, the woman gave the photos to her husband for Christmas.

Victoria Caroline Haltom clar Victoria Caroline Haltom clar

A few days later, Victoria Caroline says she received an e-mail from the woman’s husband.

I am writing to you because I recently received an album containing images you took of my wife. I don’t want you to think that I am in any way upset with you….but I have some food for thought that I would like to pass on to you. I have been with my wife since we were 18 years old, and we have two beautiful children together. We have had many ups and downs over the years, and I think…well, actually I KNOW that my wife did these pictures for me to “spice things up”.

He went on to explain that he didn’t feel as though the photos represented his wife.

When I opened the album that she gave to me, my heart sank. These pictures…while they are beautiful and you are clearly a very talented photographer….they are not my wife. You made every one of her “flaws” disappear…and while I’m sure this is exactly what she asked you to do, it took away everything that makes up our life.

When you took away her stretch marks, you took away the documentation of my children. When you took away her wrinkles, you took away over two decades of our laughter, and our worries. When you took away her cellulite, you took away her love of baking and all the goodies we have eaten over the years.

And the photos? Well, they served as a bit of a wake-up call.

I am not telling you all of this to make you feel horrible, you’re just doing your job and I get that. I am actually writing you to thank you. Seeing these images made me realize that I honestly do not tell my wife enough how much I LOVE her and adore her just as she is. She hears it so seldom, that she actually thought these photoshopped images are what I wanted and needed her to look like. I have to do better, and for the rest of my days I am going to celebrate her in all her imperfectness. Thanks for the reminder.

Indeed, Victoria Caroline ended her status with a plea reminding women to embrace themselves, flaws and all.

Ladies, I can photoshop just about anything. But I encourage you to think twice about how much “altering” we do. Our loved ones cherish and adore us just as we are.

Sometimes that’s all you need to hear.

<3

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