Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Awkward

Hi, I'm James - Caitlin's boyfriend. I'm here to tell you a bit about what Caitlin's been up to lately.
So a few weeks back Caitlin learned that she would be featured in a local magazine along with some of the vintage items she sells
(by the seashore). We were both very excited but Caitlin was also terribly nervous about the whole ordeal. I received frantic
phone calls at work and, at our home, was privy to a Faulknerian string of fretting and cursing. Being featured in magazines
isn't the sort of thing that comes naturally, or regularly, to either one of us, and so I could at least empathize while also
encouraging my darling girlfriend that all would go well. When the magazine asked Caitlin to drop in to be photographed (along
with her vintage items), I believe just about every single anxious nerve in Caitlin's body must have melted. Again, I did my
best, reassuring Caitlin that she had nothing to worry about. We worked out a plan, of sorts: Caitlin would consult her
brother, Douglas, a photographer by trade, the day prior to the shoot, and I would accompany her to the shoot.

The day of the shoot was brilliant, better weather than we've had in weeks due to torrential rain and sweltering heat. We
packed the car with some vintage goods she would have on offer at the forthcoming Vintage Bazaar and headed down. I thought
Caitlin looked lovely, and I was happy to have the afternoon free to be with her. The shoot itself was over quickly and seemed
relatively painless for both photographer and subject, and we enjoyed a much-anticipated (and deservedly so) lunch at XOCO.

Flash forward a week, and the magazine's spotlight on local vintage sellers is published to the web (I don't think either of us
have seen it in print just yet). Caitlin had her eye out for the faintest mention in tweet or Facebook form, as her nerves about
the whole ordeal had never truly died down. Sure enough, when she did come across her published likeness, she was mortified, as
were her friends, family, and quite possibly even the cat, Constable, who as of this writing refuses to look in the direction
of the screen displaying the image. I chose not to look - bad idea. Caitlin was after me to do so, and she definitely wasn't
having any of my stoic optimism - perhaps not optimism, but apathy (in the best possible sense of the word), meaning that today's
nightmares are forgotten in a week's time, more often than not. When I did look, I, too, was shocked to find that the image was,
indeed, an exceptionally poor representation of my dear and darling girlfriend, Caitlin. My initial reaction was to say that it
appeared as if the magazine had chosen to publish the worst frame of the shoot.

And so there was much sobbing in our home, rhetorical questions asked through tears. It was a sad two, three days for Caitlin.
She wasn't happy, and she's still not, which is why I write here today, to tell you that I have a lovely, darling girlfriend.
She is beautiful by every measure and I am immeasurably proud to know her. She looks nothing at all like the woman in that awful
picture even on her worst days. That may sound like an overstatement but it's the honest truth.

To lift Caitlin's spirits I suggested she ask her brother shoot some photos. I think / hope she'll share one or two here, at the
bottom of this post, just for the sake of comparison (provided she's "over it" enough to also share the link to the magazine feature).
Should she choose to do so, know that this is the girl I've known, the woman I love.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That is my boyfriend. xo haha. What a swell guy to vouch for me. So yes. This was my first time being featured in a magazine, and the first time that I have been
professionally photographed since senior photos (summer of 2000, people), so I was nervous. I was able to spend some time with my brother beforehand and he snapped some photos and gave me some tips (and lots of laughs). He even tried to create lighting similar to what a studio would do (we referenced their previous photos and anyway, he has experience). So by the end of that I was feeling ok and just ready to get the whole thing over with.
I gotta say, I'm certainly not trying to blame or bash the photographer, it's just a fact that I am a difficult person to photograph. I am not a person who is comfortable
in front of a camera, especially when behind the camera is a stranger. I do wish I had more direction though. Instead of direction on how to stand, I was asked questions about my business which at the time was like asking me the most difficult math problem known to man! It certainly did not help me relax when I'm standing with a camera 4 feet from my face in a small dark room while trying to remember all the tips my brother gave me. I assumed it was going to be a head shot (I've seen shots like that in their magazine) so I wasn't thinking about my hands at all. I also probably blinked in every other photo- maybe even every photo but the one they chose.
But enough! I consider myself a person who has a great sense of humor- and while I do still feel crummy about my first published photo, I for sure see how funny it is. I mean, let the photo age a decade and you'll see it on the Sexy People blog. Or maybe it's bad (good) enough that they'll make an exception. And Alison's post seriously could not have come at a more perfect time, as her exact thoughts are the same that have often crossed my mind.

I thought I'd of course show you the photo from the shoot, but also the ones my brother, Douglas, took. Some are nice, some are funny..they were all meant for practice (hence the tank top, just what I happened to be wearing that day)..all are better than what happened in Time Out...let's indulge in the many faces of Caitlin...


 timeout
Above, Time Out Chicago Caitlin
Below, fun times with my brother..


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Photo for my new age healing book
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'You Can Do This' Photo for my new age self help healing book
 

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'It's warm even' face


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'It's hard for me to not smile but I want to try' face




_MG_0206
such a caring expression, it's gotta be my campaign photo




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Promo photo for my comedy tour


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Candid cult photo


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Photo for my realtor billboard or broadcast news anchor bio (I went from 0 to 60 for this and we laughed for a long while)


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not having fun anymore


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judge or high school guidance counselor



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oh cool rock band photo

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So there you have it. MY FACE. haha whatev. That is the most you'll see of me for a while, I think. Hope you had a lil' LOL. 
I should also make clear that I am indeed grateful and flattered to have been asked to be part of this Time Out Chicago mini round up of just a few of the awesome vintage sellers Chicago has to offer. I am also honored to be part of the Vintage Bazaar which in my opinion is the best thing to happen to local vintage in a long time. Libby and Katherine are doing great things!


timeout3 timeout1 timeout2

13 comments:

  1. OH MY GOODNESS. I think I love you even more. Too funny!

    You know my thoughts on that weirdly shadowy and distorted photo... but the ones your brother took are HILARIOUS! The last two and the "candid cult" photo are the closest to how you look, I think. The realtor billboard one cracked me UP! So true!! You look a little crazed, haha.

    Aw and James! What a sweetheart. You guys are the best and you are so beautiful. xoxoxoxo

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  2. last year i had someone call from the newspaper and they wanted to do a feature on me since i was the "local expert" as they called it, with an online business. i was happy to go along until she said the photographer would be coming to my house to photograph me with my wares. she took pictures non-stop for about an hour, and i know for a fact that she chose the worst on out all. i don't what kind of angle she was at, but my nose looked long and pointy and downright terrible; nothing like it looks in real life! i was so embarrassed when the newspaper was published!

    so, we're our own worst critics, and i'm sure that people who don't know you don't have the same opinion about the picture. i think you look different in the published picture than you do in your brother's photos, but you don't look bad!

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  3. This is such a sweet little post despite the offending photograph. Having met you over sandwiches I have to say that you are officially a cutie! If I'm ever in the real estate market I'll be looking you up based on that portrait!

    Here's a little photo horror related story...A few years ago I went to visit one of my college friends and her family and about an hour after I got there, her mom said "Jen you're so cute in real life, I guess you're just not very photogenic." It srsly got me down and to this day I still hate being in photos, whereas before I didn't really care. Maybe I need to set up a photo-sesh like your second one!

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  4. Caitlin! Were you in the same issue as I was? They took the worst photo of me ever, as well! I was so bummed, as I too am a very difficult person to photograph. But if that is your photo (in the first photo with the black shirt) it looks fine!

    I will see you at the bazaar! I'm selling there, too :)

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  5. You are such a beauty!! Your new age book head shot killed me, I would definitely chant along with you!

    I have a photo shoot coming up for a book I'm going to be in and I'm terrified. Don't know what to wear, where to sit, etc, etc. I think it's the lack of control that scares me so much, that I won't see or be able to choose the photos and how will they knooooow??

    If I look half as beautiful as you do in these shots, I will be very happy!

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  6. oh girl, you are hilarious and super cute. you and james win cutest couple 2k10.

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  7. Oh, I'm sorry to hear you hated the Time Out picture! I honestly think you looked cute mid-laugh but I know the frustrations of being photographed. I feel like I've somehow forgotten how to smile for photos?

    This is a hilarious post though, and you're a babe. I'd let you sell my house any day.

    -Mia

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  8. I HONESTLY think you're overreacting. I thought you looked pretty. I definitely didn't think, "OMG WHO IS THIS FREAK?!"

    At least they didn't refer to you as the wrong gender like they did Morgan!

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  9. The photo captions have me *cracking* up! And that James - clearly a winner. :) What a great post, and what a perfect way to find the very-funny and super-sweet lining in a stressful situation! PS: Candid cult photo is so cute!

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  10. oh you're the cutest. i can relate to that awkward feeling of being photographed by someone you don't know. it's just weird but i think you are gorgeous!!! xoxo

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  11. Such an awesome post. I'm particularly a fan of the 'You Can Do This' Photo.
    I always look like a total doofus when someone else takes my photo. People always want to see teeth, and trust me, no one wants to see my snaggletooth!

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  12. I seriously don't think your photo looks bad! I think it's a really nice natural looking photograph of you. The lighting may not be that terrific, but you shouldn't be sad about the picture. You look great!

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  13. Reminds me of a certain SATC episode! hehe!

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