Selfie Sparingly

While I love documenting life's moments through photography, I almost can't stand being in front of the camera lens.  Blame it on 12 years of Catholic school with the token "mean girls" or the fact that I was always a very physically awkward child until about age 23 -- I mean the whole gamut: braces, glasses, brakes and sprains of my spindly limbs and the complete inability to style my own hair.  Needless to say I'm not used to being comfortable with the way I look.  Reaching that point has been a slow process of learning to accept myself with it's hiccups along the way.  The only lens I've ever felt comfortable in front of belongs to Daniel Ballesteros of Ballesteros Photography.  Back in the days when I worked with his beautiful and talented wife Kari of Kari Jane Make-up at Sephora, Dan took THESE photos of my horse and I and later on they both came out to the ranch to take John and my Engagement photos and then our Wedding photos.  I've always been curious as to what it would be like to be in front of my own lens and I've always wanted to do a shoot with a tripod, timer and/or mirror.  Well, the other night when I was supposed to be packing to go out of town, I got a wild hair.  In my workout clothes and freshly cut hair (I blame the saucy haircut really), I grabbed my beloved Canon 60D and went at it.  I did not allow myself to be my own worst critic and instead kept snapping until I was tired... and really panicking about not packing.  I only viewed the images at the end rather than critiquing each one as I took it and kind of laughed at the end of the little exercise.  It really was fun and kind of interesting in a way I don't fully get yet.  It was just... playing - with big(ger) kid toys.  I guess, this is how I "Selfie"! #selfiesparingly #selflove