It’s long been known that portraits boost the self-esteem of children. Family portraits are the most effective but sports and school portraits also help. These portraits have to be on display in the home and not left on computer hard drives or hidden away in drawers.
If you have young children, including adolescents, be sure to get many portraits done throughout their early years. Formal family portraits, sports portraits, school portraits, and casual portraits. It’s important.
And it’s not just for children. I’ve seen the positive effects that good portraits have had on girls in their late teens and early twenties. I’ve also seen what can happen with older women.
Portraits Benefit All Ages
I once did some portraits for a hesitant, late-thirties woman. During the photo-shoot, she kept apologizing for her figure, her smile, her hair and her clothes, none of which had any issues. The pictures turned out well. Seven months later she returned for more pictures. This time she was energetic, full of smiles and couldn’t wait to be photographed. What happened?
She explained that when the first pictures were done, she was going through a divorce. Her husband had left her for a younger woman and she felt it was her fault. But after she saw the pictures, which she said got great reviews from her friends, she felt much better about herself. The second batch of portraits were even better than the first. Eight months later, she came back for a third set of portraits.
Portraits Remind You
Out of the blue, I got an email from a woman who wrote that her favourite portrait was a photo that I did of her 18 years ago. She had recently divorced and put away her wedding photos. But this one portrait from 1998 was still on display in her home. She said this black-and-white portrait reminded her of true self. It made her feel good about herself after her divorce.
Business Portraits
What about business portraits? There are no studies on how business headshots affect one’s self-esteem. But one might reasonably conclude that a well-done portrait can only enhance one’s self-esteem. Who doesn’t enjoy looking confident, friendly and capable?
Selfies
However not all portraits are effective at boosting self-esteem. It seems that “selfies” may be harmful (and here).
People think that “selfie” stands for “self-portrait”. But it could probably mean “self-examination.” When some people post their selfies online, it’s an unconscious attempt to boost their self-esteem through public validation.
Social exhibitionism can be triggered by vanity. So when some people publish their selfies, it can be an act of narcissism.
Do more family portraits of, and with, your children. Get portraits of other family members, including yourself. It’s important.
