If I was behind the camera, whom would I shoot? Can I please shoot me? Oh what vanity! Provided Father Time gives me that opportune moment why not?

I’ve known the fact that I've always been fond of the camera from childhood to adolescence to early adulthood. Imagine an old Kodak film camera in the hands of a 3-year old girl, peeping through the lens and clicking on the button to take somewhat images of the world in front of her. I was amazed by this gadget, so technically advanced for my midget mind and yet it pleases me to have it in my hands.

Although years later I would not have grown financially capable to have one for myself, I would grin at the sight of a camera and in front of it. No wonder   I’ve tons of photos to keep and post anywhere else! Do mistake me for being a narcissist because I find that as a compliment. Vanity is spelled out on every picture I take of myself! LOL!

Trust me on one thing however; I love the aesthetics " the beauty of and in things.    I see the color, contour, hue and shapes in things, people and events that we just seem to take for granted. I may not be a beauty guru but I know that to develop an appreciation for them would take some skill in this busily misconstrued world but to begin to even notice them one must first learn to see the beauty innate in oneself. 

Who else could better appreciate you but yourself? Who else could love you as you wanted to be loved but yourself? So then the love for oneself isn’t mortal sin after all. It’s the prerequisite to loving others.

 So where do we begin? We  take a stop in front of mirror, and give a few minutes to ourselves to examine the entirety of our face for a start. Do we even recognize the lines around the corners of our eyes that have been starting to show up since we don’t remember when?  How about the mole on your left cheek right below your under eye circle that has grown dark from sleepless nights, err, days? What about the little mounds of skin growing from the temples of your face, a hereditary skin condition you got from your ancestors? Not that it has grown massive to be anxious about but maybe the little intricacies of your being are yet to be discovered by you!

Have you seen how happily gorgeous you look after a pampering day at the saloon?   Or how your face differs before and after you take a shower?  What about those times you felt the angriest or the saddest? Did you see the look on your face for every emotion? Did you notice the marks on each side of your eyes and on your forehead as they wrinkle when you laugh or get angry? Did you see your nose hair coming out of your nostrils when you get infuriated?  Did you see the glow on your cheeks when you are in love? Or how your hair color matches your eyes and gives you that glow which makes your loved one want to kiss and hug you more?

Those are but little things we tend to ignore every day but somehow are important in making us realize that there is more than enough beauty in us that we should acknowledge and learn to appreciate and nurture. We must also realize that beauty from within our heart, mind and soul radiates outwardly into what we see in our face that which is best captured by my good old buddy the camera.

So let’s keep it going… lights… camera… smile!