Hey guys,

I was working at an east coast rep for a major clothing company's house today. The owner came out and started taking pictures of us without asking and I found myself bugging out. I was extremely dissociating (so dizzy I couldn't walk straight, couldn't focus my eyes, felt completely "dissociated" from my body) and was overly anxious. I don't usually react to people taking pictures but for some reason the fact that he didn't ask first really bothered me. I felt like I didn't have a choice if he took the pics or not.

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I found it odd that I reacted how I reacted. What do you guys think, was it a boundary issue? Do you guys enjoy getting your picture taking?

Riley

We often have triggers that we don't know about, especially if we are fairly early on in our healing journey. Something in the situation "clicked" with some past experience of yours. Try to figure it out. Are you in conversation with a counselor? Such clues can often open up avenues of healing.

Allen

pufferfish

I saw the same thing happen to someone else once. I had a close friend 20+ years ago who was a professional photographer. We were in a store parking lot in my old Dodge cargo van and he was sitting in the back. A pickup driven by some 20-something hottie parked right next to us. She was wearing a tight, skimpy top. Jim took a light reading out of the windshield, estimated the focal depth, and got his camera all ready. Then he opened the rear side door of the van, clicked the shot, and slammed the door shut again.

And the little cutie driving the pickup just went nuts. Oh was she hopping mad. She jumped-out and began banging on the side of my van, screaming in some sort of frightened rage. She wanted the film out of the camera. Jim wouldn't give it to her and she kept screaming at him. Fortunately my other friend came out of the store and we drove away, leaving one fiery-tempered gal standing there. We sure thought that it was funny then.

I guess that I enjoy having my picture taken when I know what is going on, and even enjoy composing shots and taking photos myself. I prefer to take photos of old industrial buildings and machinery, and landscapes when the sun is low in the sky. Just yesterday I photographed a large abandoned coal mine and an eerie out-of-business ski resort that has sat abandoned for the last 7 years. They had ski-in/ski-out condos for $69K if you didn't mind if the place was out-of-business. But my one bad experience with photographing unwilling models has perhaps soured me on anonymous photography.

Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy having your picture taken without permission. I am sure that the guy taking the photos never even gave it much thought. I'm almost certain that he wasn't expecting to make anyone uncomfortable.

Hope that you feel better soon,

Mark

I NEVER have my picture taken unless I am duty bound to do so. I know a few other surivors who make the same claim as well.

Hey guys thanks for the help,

Trucker, he was actually a nice guy and I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. He ended up giving us all free Carhart stuff.

I've been trying to break it down and I really think it was just a boundary thing. Maybe it's a good thing, maybe I'm beginning to recognize my boundary's and I triggered when someone crossed them. Who knows.

My only other reason would be my perp photographing me and I have no recollection of that happening,

There are no pictures of me. I don't allow pictures to be taken with me in them. Mostly because I'm afraid of who will see the pictures and what they would do with them.