Vanity of Age: On Camera Filters, or The Lack Thereof

 

A selfie in Juarez. December 2016. Credit: Mzuriana.

Until recently, I've felt somewhat irritated that my phone camera's app auto-"corrects" my selfies, smoothing out my lines a bit. I've searched the camera settings to turn this feature off, but the option doesn't seem to exist on my phone's camera app. 

I have now reconsidered my objections. 

I attended a community event a week or so ago. Members of a local photography club swirled about the area, capturing many photos of the people there. Some of the photographers posted their work on a social media site, where I saw a photo of myself. 

It was a perfectly fine photo, except I wish I had been sitting up straighter on the bench. 

It was a perfectly fine photo, except ..... ohhhhh ..... without the busybody filter that my phone camera has, the photographer's camera had no compunction at all about disclosing the stark reality of my facial terrain. 

I'm reconsidering my irritation at my phone's kinder view.