If you've never personally referred to a photo of yourself as "bad" or "unflattering," chances are you know or have come across someone who has. It's perfectly normal to think that a photo didn't capture your best angle, or feel as if the lighting didn't flatter you — but blogger Aliss Bonython has vowed to stop using the word "unflattering" to refer to a photo, or even the angle or lighting in a photo.
In a post on Instagram last week, Bonython explained why she decided to reframe the way she thinks of her photos.
"Lighting and pictures I used to refer to as 'unflattering' I now see as just another way to show how human I am," she wrote alongside a photo of herself in a bikini.
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"Scars are beautiful, they show how resilient your skin can be Stretch marks are beautiful, they show growth, and there's nothing more human than that," she continued.
It may seem like a simple sentiment, but her post is a refreshing take on body positivity. While there's nothing wrong with feeling as if a photo of you isn't particularly flattering, Bonython's post brings up a great point. Sure, there are always some photos that you'll like more than others, but the "unflattering" photos just show more multifaceted sides of ourselves — and that's a good thing.
The way we speak about our bodies matters, and characterising photos as "good" or "bad" could have more of an effect on ourselves than we think.