
Like... duh. lolol
However, this photo (the one to the left) made the rounds on facebook today with more that one person on FB commenting on the images 'craptasticness'..... and you know - let's face it: it's a little craptastic.
When I first saw it I was.... I have to admit - I was a little bit annoyed.... I mean - if this was the first "professional" image they were releasing I was disappointed because there are certainly waaaaaaay better photogs in the UK.
However, after reading the article attached, it turns out that HRH Kate had her own Daddy take the picture in their back garden.
How sweet.
Hmm.... how sweet.....
How *normal*.
I should think that Diana is very proud of her boy right now.... even in her absence, he continues to live a normal life, working as 'normal' a job as he could have, shopping at the local Tesco, and using everyday pictures to release to the world wide press of his new born son..... He could have hired a fancy-pants - and expensive - photographer to come in and do that first "formal picture".... but they didn't.
Instead.... they did was MILLIONS of people do - and they had a nice, normal picture taken of them: for free.
Now..... let's be clear- the lighting on this image is a bit overexposed/underexposed, and the posing is a bit off balance, but it's still a very nice picture. Plus, it say's to me: we're normal, we're proud, this is our baby.
Which is *exactly* what 'first photos' for any family should say.
It's funny to me that here is a woman with endless financial means and whatnot, and yet she didn't Pinterest the sh*t out of this.... there are no gimmicky props or forced and fake poses.... just a nice portrait of a sweet family on a hot summer day.
God..... does this mean I can possibly look forward to a future session of my own where the Mom didn't scour Pinterest for the latest and greatest gimmicks and gimmicky poses to lay at my feet for consideration?
That would be nice..... lololol
It's funny to me - because my story and this Blog are bereft of any fancy-pants qualities.... other than a general (albeit not great) improvement in my spelling and grammar.... I'm just trying to be as open and honest and forthcoming about things as possible.... and even without the advertising and the badges and the whatever people put on blogs to bring in an audience...... mine continues to grow.
I don't think it's *me* perse.... but I *do* think it's my honesty.
In a world where we only post our fabulous 'A Reel" of life to facebook and instagram - I think we all crave a little bit of honesty..... guess what: my marriage fell apart, my life went to sh*t.... and it f*cking sucked.... you can't get more honest than that.
I'm not alone. I'm not the heaviest woman, skinniest woman, nicest, bitchiest... whateverest woman- whose husband left her.... thousands of us - men and women - get cheated on.
We all know pain... the kind of pain that drags us down to the bottom of where we think we can't climb out.... but no ones' really sharing that on their 'status update' while they are checking in for breakfast at IHOP. hhmm..... waffles.......
I have had many people - even some of my close friends - question why I am willing to share so much - especially when they know I never had intentions to be any kind of blogger or writer who would share so much detail..... and the truth is - I don't know. I didn't plan this.... but at the same time - I'm not ashamed of any of it.
I'm not ashamed that I got cheated on and my marriage fell apart.
I'm not ashamed of the hurt and the anger and the pain.
I'm not ashamed of how I dealt with it.
I'm not ashamed I'm gay.
So - why not share it..... why not share what is *normal*?
What's the use in hiding any of it?
I think that the new Royal family is getting it right.... *doing* it right - and just being as normal as they can be... and more power to them.
True.... not everyone is willing, or wants, to be as open as I am about the crap that goes down in their life, and I totally understand that... but - at the same time - does pretending that *everything* is "perfect" - does that help anyone? Doesn't that put pressure on ourselves and our friends around us to live to a standard that is kind of unrealistic.......?
So.....
Keep Calm
and
Carry On Normal
Mind you.... the photographer in me couldn't help but *try* to make this photo just a bit better....working with the blown-out highlights and finishing it in a popular "haze" affect that will help "heal" some of the grain from being so underexposed.... it's not too shabby. :)