I've graduated from High School this year and like everyone else my parents sent me to a photographer to get my senior pictures. I went their together with my best friend, since we wanted to get some pictures together for a long time The first surprise was when my photographer insisted that we had to take off our shoes and socks and pose in our bare feet. A little later, she took a permanent marker and wrote "2020" on the soles of our bare feet with one number on each foot. So then we had to show our feet into the camera and let her photograph them. Afterwards, when I saw the pictures of the other girls in my year, I saw that almost all of them had to pose barefoot and many did similar shots with the graduation year written on their soles, although most of them went to different photographers. Have you experienced this as well? And do you know why they do this?
Graduation year written on bare soles in senior photos - why do they do that?
If you look at the photos you'll notice that while the feet are perfectly in focus the faces are not. This technique of focusing on another object rather than the actual subject is a good way of dealing with unphotogenic people. However I'd be pissed off paying for a portrait where I have a blurry face.
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Ahh ok! Yes, that's true, it is an interesting technique. In most of our pictures, however, the focus is on faces. But she insisted to take a few shots of the soles of our feet as well. Have you seen this before, girls' senior pictures being done like this? It almost seems like a tradition around here that the girls have to take off their shoes and socks for their senior pictures and have the year written on their feet...
It happens a lot though. If you search on google, you'll find tons of photos like this one... So, what do you think about this tradition? She said it looks so much more playful and cute to have the girls in bare feet for their senior photos, so they do this basically with all the girls. And the year written on soles is a fun tradition so that later on, you and everyone else who sees those pictures will remember the year you graduated from school. Do you think they are right about this?
haha yeah, I guess it's harmless. But I have that thing about my feet, I feel uncomfortable showing them to other people. And no, I couldn't refuse, because she insisted that this was part of the shoot and it is always done like that...
Well, the shoots are organized by our high school, this is why they were so cheap. I couldn't afford to pay the regular price. Actually she was like "Come on, girls, can you please just take off your socks now? It's part of a traditional senior portrait to have bare feet, because it looks so much more cute and playful. All the girls do it, so no need to be ashamed. And I promise you, it will look so much nicer. Sorry, but you're just gonna have to trust me on this one"
Do girls like barefoot pics, or is it brought up by the photographer? Seems like a lot of girls I've talked to or been around are barefoot a lot and take pics laying with their feet up. Just curious i assumed girls like showing off their pedicure or painted toes. Which is very sexy, foot fetish or not small soft cute feet get a guys attention. Hate to say it but my girl has made me hard resting her feet on my lap. When she noticed she laughed and mentioned selling feet pics haha
They had a similiar tradition in our high school voleyball team where the losing team had to pose with the word "LOSERS" or something like that written on their soles 😅
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Really? That's funny... :D So were you part of that volleyball team as well? Did you have to write this on the soles of your shoes or the soles of your bare feet? And did they also take photos of you in that position?
It would be terribly embarrassing for me. Those senior photos with the year written on my soles are really embarrassing, too...:( So, did they have to take off their socks as well, or was it enough to take off their shoes?
They all had to take off their socks too. If you find it that embarrassing why didn't you protest against it and not do it? I mean it's a senior photo not a punishment :D
It's not meant as a punishment of course, but it's kind of a tradition and it's supposed to make the photos more interesting from an artistic point of view. Actually I did protest, but then she was like "Come on, girls, can you please just take off your socks now? It's part of a traditional senior portrait to have bare feet, because it looks so much more cute and playful. All the girls do it, so no need to be ashamed. And I promise you, it will look so much nicer. Sorry, but you're just gonna have to trust me on this one"
In that situation I had the feeling that this was just not an option, because she already said that she would not let this go. And my friend started pushing me, too, then. She said, come on, take them off now, don't make this such a big deal.
Mmh ok, yeah, I understand your point. So would you say, she was right to insist, because after all I only had to show my bare feet which is not like crossing any line or so?
It's not a crossing line but she could've thought that it might be embarrassing for some people to be forced to pose like that as a lot of people will see that photos.
I think their philosophy is that many girls will find it embarrassing at first, but then you have to keep insisting, because it will look much better in the photos. I guess they see the quality of the end result as their top priority there, because that's what they're paid to provide.
yes, they are really nice. I think from an esthetical point of view, what she says makes sense. But it was still a huge challenge for me. So do you think she wasn't that crazy after all to insist that I have to do them with bare feet?
she said that according to her experience this is something that many young people have (being shy about their feet), but it will pass later. So if she let me wear shoes now, I will be regretting it my whole life
yes of course I am. She meant it will pass in a few years, and then I will regret not having nice senior pictures like the other girls. Do you think maybe she's right about that?
I'm not sure. They are beautiful photos, but the thought that they show me in my bare feet and even have close-up shots of my bare soles with the graduation year written on them is very weird. I've been hiding my feet for years, but now everyone sees them on those photos...
they LOVE them. My mom says that our photographer was absolutely right to insist on bare feet, because she thinks it looks just awesome. She just put those photos on the wall in our living room, so everyone can see them...
What do you think? It is so embarrassing for me. Especially because many people knows that I'm never barefoot, so they comment on this and mention how pretty I look in my bare feet and stuff like that...
I told her, but she says, we paid for those photos and they are so beautiful. So of course they will hang on our walls. And I'm not naked in those photos, but just my feet are bare, so there is no reason for me to be ashamed.
mmh yes, that's true of course. So I guess she couldn't allow me to wear shoes or socks, because it wouldn't have achieved that particular look in the portraits? So it had to be bare feet without socks?
Sorry, I didn't see your question before. I understand why she insisted that I had to have bare feet, because it looks better indeed and of course it wouldn't work to have just one girl in bare feet and the other one in socks. So from a logical point, she was probably right to insist. But it was kind of hard for me to accept this, so it's also hard to admit that she was right to make me show my bare feet in those photos. I don't have any arguments against it but it's still hard to admit that she was right. Do you understand what I mean?
Well, it's true that portrait photos look better with bare feet. I guess it's hard to argue with that. But on the other hand I feel exposed when my feet are bare. I just don't like it when people see my feet. So these are two different issues which don't really have much to do with each other. I suppose that's hard to understand for anyone other than me haha...
It is so embarrassing. My mom put one of those pictures on the wall in our living room like one week ago. We have a place there were there with several portrait photos of our family. So now she chose one picture where I am sitting on the ground and smiling into the camera with the soles of my bare feet facing the camera. Some days ago, my aunt came for a visit and of course she noticed that photo on the wall. She said "Oh, as I can see, finally you've had your senior photos taken?". Then my mom reminded her that I don't like to show my feet, and said that because of that, this photo was kind of special. She replied "Yeah, but they always do senior pictures like that with the girls. Your cousin had to pose without shoes and socks, too back then. I think it's an amazing tradition, as it kind of marks your entry into adulthood, showing you one last time as the playful barefoot girl, and it gives your parents some really awesome photos that they can look at every time they miss you, once you've moved out". I felt so uncomfortable when she talked about me being barefoot on those photos and when I told her that for me it was such a big thing, she replied that my photographer was definitely right to insist and I have to accept that this is just part of the whole senior photography process. I fear that from now on, all of our friends and relatives are going to notice my photo when they enter our home. That thought makes me feel really weird...
haha I loved how your mom knows how you hate being seen barefoot and still puts the photo on the wall and makes sure the guests notice it :D it's kinda funny. Maybe if you go barefoot more often then she puts the photo down.
So apparently it is kind of normal that girls have this kind of photos taken after they graduate, right? Do you think I just have to accept that this is how it is?
Yes it's ok to have some photos like that. But I guess you wouldn't have done it if you knew that your mother would put it on the wall for everyone to see :D
Photographers have zero legal right and zero moral right to beg girls to show off their feet against their will! It wouldn’t be done to boy, so what is the point in that being done to girls? In doing that, are they trying to convey an imaginary idea that a girl refusing to do that is somehow insane and lost her mind? One of the three things must happen: photographer begins asking boys to take their socks off and show it off, but begs neither gender; photographer stops asking people all together to pose barefoot; photographer begs both genders to pose barefoot. It seems like there is sexualization of feet, and that is not okay. Plus, what right do photographers have to beg people to pose in a certain way? They are the customer’s/client’s photos, not the photographer, and people are posing for themselves, not for the photographer!
You're obviously a foot fetishist airing out a fantasy. No photographer is going to "insist" that you go barefoot for a senior portrait session, let alone write on your feet without even asking if it's okay with you first. That would be a great way to piss off your clients and lose business. I know this was a photography trend on Pinterest for a while, but I'm certain those photographers probably either did it because the client requested it, or at the very least showed the client an example photo first then asked them if they would be willing to try it. This kind of portrait is not for everyone and any professional photographer who wants to remain in business would be aware of that and would know better than to do what you described.
This is weird and i feel like something a male photographer with a fetish would come up with. So weird and its nasty how many guy friends i've had stare at my feet if i wear flip flops or open shoes. If guys werent so creepy about feet it wouldn't be a big deal.
I hate feet, so I'm gonna ask a question that I've been wondering. Why do women wear open toed shoes if they hate people starting at them? I refuse to wear open toed shoes for that exact reason, I don't want people looking at my feet.
Your boundaries should have been respected. It’s clear that you felt really uncomfortable with this and that’s not ok. If you feel vulnerable about a part of your body and don’t want to show it to others, that’s your right and it MUST be respected. Period. I’m sorry you were put in this position, please don’t ever stop pushing back against people who push you to do things with your body that you don’t want to. It’s yours, not theirs.
To tell people they walk around their house barefoot and dont hoover or mop the floor. And when they sit on their bed the white sheets have dirt marks 🤔
Yea gotta be a fetish thing, no girl thinks of this and why would she want her feet in focus instead of her face. Foot fetish guys dont even try to hide it anymore. As nice as it feels it makes me not want to go out barefoot anymore
Is it a common thing for girls to do because it seems like the photographer likes their feet and needed an excuse to get them barefoot to be honest. Foot guys will be excited though
Not common at all this guy just has a fetish and prolly wanted pictures to jerk off to. Leave my feet alone please its to much. Girls would be more open if guys didn't do this shit.
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