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.
I once did some portraits for a hesitant, mid-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.
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?
However not all portraits are effective at boosting self-esteem. It seems that “selfies” may be harmful (and here).
Most folks think that “selfie” stands for “self-portrait”. But in many cases, 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.
In any case, do more family portraits of, and with, your children. It’s important.
