School photographer asking to take off shoes and socks?

[seahorsegirl]

So we have a school photographer coming every year and it is obligatory to take part in our yearly photography day. This year they came up with a new concept. So we were all told to show up with jeans and white T-shirts or tops. They didn't tell us what shoes to wear, though. So at that day, everyone was called up individually for a 10-15 min photo session. And at the beginning I was told that this year the photos would be taken with bare feet, so I had to take off my shoes and socks.

She said that shoes were not allowed on the canvas and anyway at the end she would take a group shot of our whole class were everyone would have to be the same, so everyone barefoot. Also, socks were not allowed for aesthetic reasons. I hadn’t expected this at all and as I’m kind of shy when it comes to my feet, I tried to discuss it, but in the end I had no choice but to take off my shoes and socks.

Do you think this is normal for a photo shoot at school? My parents said I can’t complain as it was the same for everyone, but since it was really an embarrassing situation for me, I wonder how you see this?

[Anonymous]

As a photographer, I understand the need to keep your canvas clean and the idea of creating a more casual look in photos with shoes off, but I would never suggest this for a school photo as it's already extremely time consuming to take photo after photo of hundreds of students, let alone make an additional and timely request that they need to then take off their shoes before I shoot. Not only that, I would have definitely sent out the information ahead of time if I was going to require all those I was shooting to take off their shoes because a lot of people hate their feet and girls/women especially would want to get pedicures for the most part.

[seahorsegirl]

Hi and thank you! Actually it wasn't so time-consuming, because we were already dressed up for the occasion, so in theory everyone just had to take off their shoes and socks and get started.
Maybe there was even some kind of "warning" that I didn't know about, because I was sick the week before. But yes, I agree that would have been nice.
So would you say the problem was mainly that they didn't tell us before? But that as such, her request to remove both shoes and socks was not unusual?

[Opinion Owner]

I've never personally asked anyone to remove shoes unless they expressed a desire to or they were like 5, or in theory, as I mentioned, I would have warned those I was shooting about it, and maybe you did miss the heads up, so in that regard, I think it is a little strange. What was the theme of the photos anyway?

[seahorsegirl]

I've asked my best friend now and she said that indeed the week before they received a sheet with some general information, where there was also a bullet point on clothing. It said that the photos were going to be taken with jeans, white shirts and bare feet and we were advised to come with clean feet and trimmed toe-nails, as well as getting a pedicure (the girls). For some reason, the girl who passed the information on to me just told me about the jeans and shirts, but forgot to mention bare feet, as I would surely have remembered this. So yeah, we were actually warned about it, it was just me who didn't know.
The theme of the photos was casual indoor photography, which is why we were made to wear these clothes, as they are seen as casual. The bare feet were also to stress the casual and fun character of the shoot. I think many students liked the idea and it was really more fun for them. Not for me though.
So, as a fellow photographer, can you understand the intentions of our photographer? And would you say that given the fact that we were warned in advance, it's normal that we were made to pose with bare feet?

[Opinion Owner]

This then, sounds absolutely normal, especially given the theme. I just couldn't imagine a professional photographer not warning those they were shooting ahead of time of this important bullet point about no shoes. It actually sounds more fun as your fellow classmates noted and relaxed now that you've put forth all the information you missed getting.

[seahorsegirl]

Yes, I have to admit that there was a warning in advance. So you found this weird only because you thought that there was no warning, not because of the bare feet requirement itself? Or, to put it the other way around, it was absolutely normal that the photographer requested us to have bare feet?
I didn’t have a problem with taking my shoes off, but I would have liked to wear socks, as I feel very exposed when my feet are completely bare. But the lady insisted that my socks come off too, because she said socks are a no go for aesthetic reasons, which is why my feet must be completely bare. And also because it would really stick out in the group shots if everyone had their feet bare, but one person was wearing socks.
Do you think those reasons she gave are legitimate ones? So was she right to insist that I have to take off my socks as well?

[seahorsegirl]

I have discussed this with my best friend. I told her that I found this whole process embarrassing and didn't understand why we had to take off our socks. But she says, she and most other girls were happy that the photos were done that way because it was much more fun and informal, without school uniforms and so on. So for most students it was a nice experience. And that it had to be more or less the same rules for everyone or it wouldn't look good. So yes, she thinks that our photographer was right to insist on bare feet. That's why I was asking if you as a photographer think so too.

[MackToday]

That sounds weird af never heard of anything like that before what so ever and I can't imagine any good reason for it. In fact it sounds dumb af. I'd ask questions about that. Is this person just trying to look at kids bare feet for instance.

[seahorsegirl]

I hadn't heard of it either before. It was part of their theme to have everyone remove shoes and socks. They said it was to get a more casual and youthful look and to have everyone the same in the group photos, which would be next to impossible if we were wearing shoes. So it was for aesthetic reasons. My parents also liked it a lot, they said it looks much cuter without socks. I guess they were happy to get those pictures also because normally they never get to see my with bare feet...

[MackToday]

Weird hippy shit that's not how you take a school photo. They're way over thinking it and turning it into some idiotic attempt at a photo lay out in a fashion magazine, screw people like that.

[seahorsegirl]

Many of the other students were actually quite fond of the idea. Before, our school pictures were always the same and always boring, whereas this time they tried to give you kind of a real photo shoot experience. Generally in my school it was evaluated in a positive way and they are probably going to do it the same way next year.
I can see why most people liked it better this time. For me it was just that thing about taking off socks that made it really hard

[MackToday]

Weird shit not everyone wants to be some fashion model or to take their damned shoes and socks off and stand there like an idiot. Stick with what has been done and what works, let the students have some dignity.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a common thing in some Asian countries. At least for the girls 😂

[seahorsegirl]

You mean it is common in Asian countries that girls have to have bare feet for school photos?
I've seen a post by a girl who had to pose barefoot for photos in a college in Singapore. Where have you heard this from?
And why only for the girls?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes I also studied there. Yes it's a tradition for them. I really didn't question why :D

[seahorsegirl]

You studied in Singapore? That's so cool! Did you also take part in a photo shoot like this?

So is it true that for girls it is obligatory to have bare feet in those photos whereas guys wear shoes? And girls are made to pose in a way that their feet always show, so they have no chance to hide them?
At least that's what that post says (unfortunately I can't post the link here), but at first it was hard to believe for me.

[Opinion Owner]

Yes there were photo shoots like this every year. And yes girls were not allowed to wear any shoes in most of those if I remember correctly while we get to wear our shoes :D So don't go there if you're shy about your feet and if you're a girl 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Well yes, I'm a girl :D
And yeah, I'm really shy about my feet. I always wear closed shoes with socks (only socks at home).
About Singapore, actually I'd love to go there. I'm thinking about studying abroad one year and Singapore is actually one of the countries where I applied and it's quite likely that this is where I'll go. That's why I'm asking so much about it, I hope you don't mind ;)
Now, you only mentioned that they had to take off their shoes. So were they allowed to wear socks or did they have to take them off as well?
And if I will be a student there for one or two years, do you think this would apply to me as well? So will I have to participate in those photo shoots? And will I need to have bare feet like the other girls?
And finally, do you think I will have to pose in a way that my bare feet are visible or do you think maybe I can hide them under my body? Because that other girl said they had to pose with their bare soles pointed towards the camera...
Sorry again for all those questions, but I may be in that situation soon, so it would be great if you could answer them for me :)

[Opinion Owner]

I think yes you'd be obligated to participate in those photo shoots. Sorry your socks have to come off too, no exceptions if you're a girl 😂 And I don't think there is a way of you hiding your feet in those photos, there are a lot of angles and they will be seen in most of them. I'd suggest reconsidering your decision if that's a big issue for you😂 You can ask as many questions it's not a problem :)

[seahorsegirl]

Thank you so much for your answers, that’s really nice. Well, it is kind of a big issue for me if I really will be photographed with bare feet. The thing is, I applied for an exchange program and I had to check several countries where I want to go. Singapore was my first priority, so it’s likely that this is where I’ll be sent, although there is no guarantee of course. Anyway I can’t change my selection any more, so I’ll have no choice but to go wherever the program sends me. Of course I didn’t know about that tradition when I made my choice. Anyway, it could be that due to Corona the whole program will be cancelled, but if it doesn’t, I’ll have to go.

So, are you sure that I’ll have to take off my socks, too? Maybe they will allow me to keep them on because I’m an exchange student?
Yeah, probably it won’t be possible to hide my feet. Especially if it is really common to sit with your feet pointing towards the camera. Do you remember if the photos were taken like this?
And do you know what will happen to those photos afterwards? Will they be in some kind of public space so everyone will be able to see them?

By the way, you can send me a follow request if you want, then it’ll feel more like talking to a real person instead of someone anonymous haha. But only if you want, of course.

[Opinion Owner]

Yes I'm sure you have to take your socks because I remember a girl shyly asking to keep her socks and got firmly refused 😂 And there were exchange students among them too, as I sad no exceptions if you're a girl. Most of the girls doesn't seem to mind about it. But you could clearly spot some that really embarrassed about it every time 😂 And if you refuse to attend the photo shoot there are some embarrassing punishments next year so they really make sure you regret it 😂
After the photo shoot the photos usually hang on the hall where everyone can see them. They make sure to select photos with everybody's faces and feet (sorry 😂) clearly visible (the sitting position).
And as I remember they were being published in the school website too and sent to student's parents. And some people even shared them on their facebook, instagram etc...
I don't think talking from here changes anything :) You can ask anything from here, and if you allow notifications on your browser you can see immediately when I answered (I use it).

[seahorsegirl]

Mmh ok, so there is really no chance of getting away with it without removing your socks if you’re a girl.
So they consciously choose photos with all the girls’ feet visible to hang them up in the college building? Why is that? It sounds really weird. So the point of this whole tradition is really to make girls’ bare feet visible to everyone? Do you think it is intended to be humiliating or just to be fun?
You mentioned embarrassing punishments. Like what for example? Are they more embarrassing than being photographed with bare feet and everyone being able to see them afterwards? And are those punishments dealt by the teachers or by the other students?
I’m thinking now, maybe I should ask a new question about it to see if there are more people who have had that experience. After all, it could be that this tradition exists just at the college where you and that other girl went, but not everywhere in Singapore.
Finally, you mentioned that those photos were published on the school website. Could you maybe send me a link, so I can see for myself how the photos are done and which photos are selected for publication? (Still hoping there is a chance my feet won’t show in the published ones haha).

[Opinion Owner]

I don't know where this tradition came from in the first place. It just includes girls sitting in front of boys with their feet bare. It's an ancient one. Intention behind this could be just fun but some people can definitely find it degrading.
Yes punishments can be more embarrassing if you're shy about your feet. They include having your shoes stolen in school throughout next semesters 😂 And this is dealt by the other girls. I think this is enough to convince you to attend the photo shoot if you're planning to escape from it because you're shy about being barefoot in front of others 😂 But it does not matter if you got sick on the photo days and couldn't attend. It did not happen on any of our photo days. Every girl in the class attended it. But I remember sometimes seeing some girls being barefoot in the campus, maybe because of that 😂
Also, even if you attend the shoot, there's a chance having your shoes and socks hidden by boys after the photo shoot. This very likely to happen if you seem too uncomfortable during the photos, or been unpleasant in general, and it's totally up to them when will they give them back to you 😂
Finally, unfortunately I can't send you a link to photos. Because it was published on a page where you had to submit your student ID and password (mine is not active anymore as I'm an alumni), so it wasn't open to public, just students and their parents. But as I said, even if you somehow manage to hide your feet in those photos, it may not be good for you afterwards 😂

[seahorsegirl]

I see. So I will definitely have to attend the photo shoot then, I guess. Or what did you mean about getting sick? Maybe I could just say that I’m sick and can’t come and that way avoid participation?
Now I have posted a new question about studying experience in South East Asia. I can’t post links, so I will insert an x into the https. Just remove it and you can find my question ;)
htxtps://www. girlsaskguys. com/education-career/q4109555-any-experience-with-studying-in-singapore-south-east-asia
Anyway, there some guys said that all this is not true, so there is no obligation to be photographed in bare feet. So maybe it was just in your college? Can you tell me which it was?
And if you want, maybe you can contribute under my question and reply to what the other guys said. I’d really like to know now if I’ll have to do this or not.

[Opinion Owner]

I said even if you got a doctor report it does not save you from the punishments. It's all depend you being seen it the photo in the hall. If you're not in there, then you may be in trouble 😂
I went to Hue University of medicine and pharmacy. But even in our school not every photo shoot have this tradition and most of the those traditional ones does not get published on public, I don't know why they keep this like a secret maybe not to scare potential students 😂 I have no idea if all other schools in there all have this tradition. If that's the case I strongly suggest trying to enroll in one of them that don't have this tradition or you might get really uncomfortable 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Oh, but Hue is in Vietnam, isn't it? I thought you said you studied in Singapore. But Vietnam is my second priority, so I might as well go there.
The thing is I don't know to which college I will go, as we are distributed by the program. And anyway, I don't know which ones have this tradition and which don't. I don't study medicine or pharmacy, so at least I won't get to the one where you were hahaha
So, will you write something under my other question too?

[Opinion Owner]

I've been in Singapore but yes I studied in Vietnam. Sorry I don't also know which schools have this tradition and which schools are not. Maybe you can e-mail them beforehand. But I'm not sure if they'll answer, they rarely do.

[seahorsegirl]

Thank you, that's a good idea, I will mail them as soon as I know which school it's going to be.
Anyway, I guess I'll go either to Singapore or to Vietnam, so both countries are interesting for me. So as you've been to Singapore as well, do you know if the same tradition applies there? (this is what I heard now, but maybe you have information about it as well)

[Opinion Owner]

I don't know exactly in Singapore but I've visited some universities there and if I'm remembering correctly they had this similar photos hanged on their halls.

[seahorsegirl]

Ok, I see. They really seem to make this a secret though. I tried to google this, but didn't find any such pictures.

[Opinion Owner]

If you have the chance to visit the schools beforehand make sure to look at the photos in the halls they can't hide them all 😂

[seahorsegirl]

I won't go to the country before my exchange, but I guess I can check before the semester starts. But anyway, if they do have this rule, I suppose there won't be much I can do about it...
So, if I understood this correctly, they will also send the photos to my parents automatically, right? This will be even more embarrassing, as they will be very happy to get more barefoot pictures of me (because you never see me barefoot normally), so they will surely show them to everyone :(

[Opinion Owner]

Yes maybe they hang it on the wall of your living room😂
If you don't really want them to see it maybe you should take the risks and not attend the photo shoots that have this tradition?

[seahorsegirl]

Yeah, they might really do that. They sometimes complain that I always hide my feet in socks, so they'll be really happy to get those pictures and will probably hang them up somewhere.

Yes, I'd like to avoid participating in those photo shoots, as I said. But from what I understood, that's not possible. Or if you don't go, some other girl has told me now, they will realize that I'm uncomfortable showing my bare feet, so they will make me go barefoot at school all the time or even force me to take off my shoes and socks for photo shoots were everyone else is wearing shoes. I don't know of course if this is true. Can you confirm this?
And anyway there will be more than one photo shoot. So I can avoid maybe one of them, but not all, right?
Or was it just one photo shoot where the girls had to take off their shoes and socks?

[Opinion Owner]

Then I'm sorry for you 😂 living at a house where every guest can see photo of you barefoot.
Yes I believe I mentioned it to you too, they would definitely make you go barefoot at school but not sure if all the time. Girls in our class always showed up in the photos so I didn't see this happen in our class. And there's no reason why they can not make you go barefoot in another photo shoot where being barefoot is not obligatory. I've seen photos which only one or two girls barefoot but then maybe I thought they were barefoot by their choice.
No I believe there will be more than more photo shoots where girls will have to be barefoot😂

[seahorsegirl]

The only thing that would be worse than having the soles of my bare feet photographed at college would be if they could make me go barefoot at school any time they wanted, or even at photo shoots were everyone else is wearing shoes.
So, if there are more than one photoshoot with bare feet, I think it will be really impossible to avoid this. I mean, I can miss one photo shoot, but even then they might understand why I did this and force me to be barefoot on other photo shoots or any time they like, right?
So I suppose, I definitely, definitely have to participate in the photo shoot?
Now I’m thinking that as I will have no choice but to attend the photo shoot, I could just try to take off only my shoes and walk to the shooting location in my socks. Maybe the photographer won’t say anything and so I can get away with it. Would you advise me to try this?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes maybe the photographer won't say anything or maybe you'll spend the next semester and all the remaining photo shoots in your bare feet 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Mmh yes. Which one do you think is more likely to happen?
The dilemma for me is, there is a chance that I might not have to show my bare feet at all, but I might also have to be barefoot the whole time, which would be much worse, of course. So should I try to avoid it altogether or choose the lesser evil?
Anyway, even if the photographer doesn't say anything about me wearing socks, I guess I would have to be very lucky, if there are like 3 or 4 such photo shoots and my hope is that every time, the photographer, the university and my fellow students won't say anything? Which would make it extremely unlikely that I can just get away with it, right?

[Opinion Owner]

If you ask me, try going there confident with your socks and even shoes. I'd really love to hear what happened to you 😂
I don't think the photographer will say anything to you, not directly at least. The ones you should be afraid of are the other students, especially the girls.

[seahorsegirl]

Mmh, are you saying this because you are curious to hear what happens or because you think there is really a chance that I might get away with this? Please be honest! It would be terrible for me if I really have to be barefoot at university all the time or be barefoot in photos where everyone else is wearing shoes, so I want to avoid at least that if possible.

[Opinion Owner]

To be honest, it'd be really funny to hear the story: A girl who hates being barefoot is dragged around in her bare feet in front of everybody for the whole semester 😂
But if you look at the bright side, if you somehow managed to get away with it, graduate from that school before being seen barefoot by everybody , you would be a hero of the girls 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Hahaha yes, I see :D
But just to get serious again, you don't think there is any chance that I can pass those two years or more without having by bare feet photographed, do you? Please tell me your honest assessment. Because if there is really no chance, I should probably just accept this as a fact and prepare my mind for this.

[seahorsegirl]

And something else: The photos they will hang up in the school building, will they be removed after some time or will they hang there permanently?
And do they always select photos with the soles of bare feet facing the camera? Because these are the ones I'm most uncomfortable with...

[Opinion Owner]

I don't think it's ever done before 😂 But maybe the reason behind it is that nobody ever had the courage to stood up against it. I don't think any boy is uncomfortable by that and do anything about it. So it's up to girls.
Maybe you can start a movement by talking to other girls and stop this from happening, maybe ever. At the worst case scenario you'd have some more barefoot friends so you won't feel lonely about that in the school 😂
Some of the photos will stay permanently, you can see photos from every year and semester. Yes you better get comfortable with that if you're not doing what I'm saying 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Well, I don't think that as an exchange student I'll be able to challenge such an ancient tradition. Maybe it would even be morally wrong to try, as I am their guest and should respect their traditions. What do you think?
And the photo that stays on the wall permanently, is there a chance that it will be one of the photos where bare feet are not that visible? Or at least one of the photos which doesn't show the soles of our bare feet facing the camera?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes I agree that you should respect the tradition and get your bare soles exposed for the camera like the every other stubborn girl 😂Maybe you should take a photo like that now and post it on your instagram to get yourself used to it 😂
No there's not a chance that your soles won't be seen in the halls forever 😂 And not even your feet being seen? I think you're daydreaming 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Mmh, I don’t want to be disrespectful towards their culture, so maybe I really have to just accept this. And NO, I won’t post a picture of my feet on Instagram…lol
I didn’t quite understand your last sentence. So is there a chance that they will not hang up pictures with the soles of my bare feet in the college building? Or at least that they will remove them after some time, only leaving the “normal bare feet pictures” to hang there permanently?

[seahorsegirl]

I mean if they have pictures with all the girls' bare feet visible, I think that should be enough, right? So no need that those pictures show the soles of bare feet.

[Opinion Owner]

In my last sentence I meant that while if let's say there's 1% chance of your soles not being displayed in the hall, there is 0% chance of your "normal barefoot" picture not being displayed there.
Why is there something wrong with your soles :D You're ok with your barefoot picture but not ok with your soles picture?

[seahorsegirl]

No, of course I’m NOT ok with my barefoot picture hanging on the wall!! It’s just that a photo with the soles of my bare feet exposed would be even more humiliating to me.
No, nothing is wrong with my feet. They are quite normal actually. Still I feel very exposed when they are bare. It’s hard to explain.
Actually, a 1% chance of my soles not being displayed in the hall is pretty much the same as a 0% chance. So this means that definitely there will be pictures hanging permanently at the school building where the soles of my bare feet will be quite visible…

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah 1% is probably is not a realistic estimate for your soles not being seen by everyone in the hall, it's more like 0.0000001 😂
I'll tell you what, sometimes they write the graduation year on a girl's soles as a memory in the photo. Like 20 in right foot and 15 in the left foot. Why don't you volunteer for this mission so you'd be more on focus 😂 To overcome your fears of course 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Oh haha, that sounds like fun. But obviously not if they write it on my soles, since this would call even much more attention to my bare feet.
Do you think it might happen that they will insist to write this on my soles? Maybe because I'm the exchange student?
Or is this something you can refuse if you don't want to?

[Opinion Owner]

Of course they write it on soles 😂
This is not a part of the tradition so it's not enforced. I've seen some classes doing it and I swear I'm not saying this to scare you but I think usually they write it on a foreigner/exchange student's soles 😂 But maybe that girls wanted to do it by herself by we never know :D
How would you react if they offer you to do this?

[seahorsegirl]

How would I react? I think you can imagine haha. I would refuse it, of course. The idea of them photographing my bare soles is horrifying me as it is. If they would write anything on my feet, obviously it would attract even much more attention to my bare feet.
Do you know why they usually write it on the soles of exchange students?
So you think that if this idea comes up, I will not be obliged to do this, right? Even if I’m the only exchange student in my class, it will still be possible for me to say no?

[Opinion Owner]

As this not a part of the tradition I guess girls get to decide who is doing it on their own. So it makes sense that the domestic students group up and select the exchange student as the victim😂
Yeah go ahead and tell them you won't do it because you're shy about your soles getting more attention 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Mmh so you think it is likely that they will try to force me to accept that they'll write this on my soles?
But if I refuse and tell them that I'm uncomfortable attracting even more attention to my feet, wouldn't that make them even more determined to do this? I mean you mentioned all those punishments that they could apply on me when they find out about my fear of having bare feet. So do you think it is possible that if I refuse to let them write on my soles, they will do it anyway and give me additional punishments in the next semester, like stealing my shoes and socks on normal days as well?

[Opinion Owner]

I don't know what would they do in that particular moment but surely next semester would be a lot of fun for you and your bare feet 😂
Maybe they'd use your soles as an announcement board in the next semester 😂😂

[seahorsegirl]

Haha come on, you're making fun of me now!
So in case they get this idea of writing on my soles, I won't have a choice but to accept it, too, in order to avoid worse punishment?

[Opinion Owner]

What I'm saying is it really doesn't matter what you choose to do. In either way your soles will be seen by a lot of people 😂 And there's nothing you can do about it 😂
So yes girl, you better accept it, you don't get to hide your bare soles as you wish, as you did in your own country.

[seahorsegirl]

I don’t see any possibility either how I could hide them. But maybe I get lucky and I will go to a university which doesn’t have this rule. We don’t know if they do this everywhere, right?
If I go to one of those universities with that stupid tradition, I don’t see how I could avoid this either unfortunately :(
Don’t you agree that it is a stupid and unfair tradition? And don’t you feel sorry for me, if I really have to go through that humiliating procedure? It seems to me like you’re having a lot of fun right now…

[Opinion Owner]

I don't know which universities have this tradition, hopefully all of them 😂
I'd prefer to call it an unfair and very funny tradition 😂 Whoever find it is a genius.
Sorry I can't really feel sorry for you 😂 I'd love to see you trying to keep your socks and then desperately trying hide your bare feet in those situations 😂

[seahorsegirl]

I don't think I deserve this just for being a girl. It's a silly and pointless tradition. What's the benefit anyway? Who on earth will want to see my bare soles?

[seahorsegirl]

Why are you so mean? This will be incredibly embarrassing for me. How can you not feel sorry for me?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes you deserved this for hiding your feet from everyone for all those years, that's how universe gets back to you lol.
It's just so funny to see how vulnerable the girls look while they're all in their bare feet against their will :D Especially if a girl is shy about showing her feet, like you 😂 You see her wearing shoes and socks all the time in the year and at the end of the year boom she has no choice but to present herself in her bare feet whether she likes it or not 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Yeah, it’s funny for you maybe, but not for me! I suppose I’m lucky you won’t be there at my university. You would probably insist to use my bare soles to write the year on them, just to make me more uncomfortable, right?

[seahorsegirl]

During your studies in Hue, were there any girls like me who didn't want to show their feet? And did you act on them as you are saying now? Like making them even more uncomfortable by making fun of them or forcing them to be barefoot even longer?

[Opinion Owner]

No, girls in my class didn't have a big mount like you so they just accepted their fate and did as they're told!
Not by me, but I remember some of the girls shoes were hidden after the photo shoot so they had to spend the rest of the day barefooted 😂 I wasn't involved as much in this but yes if I knew you before, you'd definitely have some really hard time being in the same class with me 😂

[seahorsegirl]

Yes, I suppose so. I hope my classmates will be nicer than you...
I suppose you also would have posted those photos on facebook and instagram, right? Just to make it worse for me. And you would have chosen the photos where the soles of my feet are perfectly visible.

[seahorsegirl]

Actually why did you say I have a big mouth? I didn't say anything bad, did I?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes of course I'd share them all over your social media and tag all your friends and family 😂
Why should I have to choose a specific picture? I'd share all of them with all the different angles😂
No you didn't say anything bad, but wanting to keep your socks is bad enough 😂

[seahorsegirl]

I don't understand. Why am I so bad for not wanting people to see my bare feet?
Yes, I can imagine you will share all those photos and make everyone see them just to embarrass me... :(
By the way, you mentioned earlier that those photos were actually shared on Instagram and facebook by some people. Actually I would really like to see some examples. I searched for it on the internet, because I really want to be able to imagine how it’s going to be. But I didn’t find anything. I’m sure you must have some of those photos, right? Or at least know people on facebook who posted them? Would you show them to me?

[Opinion Owner]

You're a bad girl if you don't remove your shoes socks immediately after you're told to! Because you're girl.
Yeah sure send me some photos of your bare soles and I'll send you theirs 😂
Don't worry you can see a lot of them in the hall after you start your days here.

[seahorsegirl]

Come on, please send them to me! You would really be helping me! It will be months before I get there, maybe even more thanks to Corona. I really want to see how those photos are taken. It will help me prepare for this mentally, so when the day comes I will have the strength to bare my feet and accept my fate :)

[Opinion Owner]

You're very bad girl wanting to see other girls' bare soles while trying to hide yours!
You already know the condition to see them 😂 And it's not my duty to make it easier for you.

[seahorsegirl]

But I will show my feet in that photo shoot anyway! Everyone will see them then.
I don't want to look at the other girls' feet of course, why should I want to do that? I don't care how their feet look haha. I just want to see how the photos are composed and how visible my feet will be.
But if you really have to see my feet in order to show me those photos, send me a personal message and I will send you a picture. Although I think this is silly.

[Opinion Owner]

No you should share them in your question so that everybody here can see them 😂 As you say, everyone will see them anyway.

[seahorsegirl]

Not everyone of course, just my friends and family, which is bad enough. If I share this here, it will be really really weird. People haven't read our long discussion so they won't understand.
Please, I'm begging you. I will send you my photo in exchange for those photos from your school, alright. Plus, I will also show you my pictures from the photo shoot at university. Do we have a deal? :)

[Opinion Owner]

No we do not have a deal of course!
People don't have to read our discussion. Just explain that you've been a bad girl and forced to show your soles to us!

[seahorsegirl]

If I post a picture of my soles, do you swear you will send those photos from your university to me?
You do have those photos on your computer, right?

[Opinion Owner]

Yes I'll also send you a photo from my computer after seeing your soles in the question here with a good explanation, you have my word.

[seahorsegirl]

you have to send me more than one for that. Send me at least three.

[Opinion Owner]

Stop negotiating and send the photo! Or I'll change my mind...

[seahorsegirl]

I tried but there is no way to insert a photo now, i can just add text now.. But I'll send it to you in a personal message if you write me.

[Opinion Owner]

You can insert photos if you're xper 2+. Share the photo link in the update field of the question.

[seahorsegirl]

Yeah, but I'm xper 1. So I can't do it publicly.
Actually I'm thinking you are trying to make this as hard as possible for me because in reality you don't have any pictures that you could send me. Maybe you made this whole story up. I haven't found ANYTHING on the internet about such a photo shoot tradition, so I just have to believe you. If you don't even want to send me those pictures, why should I believe you?

[Opinion Owner]

If you don't believe in me please stop talking with me immediately. I'll not write anything else until you post that photo in the question!

[seahorsegirl]

I just told you I can't post it, as I'm not xper 2. I will send it to you privately if you want, but I can't do more than that.
If you don't agree to that, fine. I will find other people to confirm if you were telling the truth or not.

[Opinion Owner]

You can upload the photo to somewhere else and share the link's text here in the updated question. You know you can do it please don't waste my time any longer.

[seahorsegirl]

What do you mean by somewhere else? For all those websites you need to have an account whichI don't.
Anyway, I don't believe you are telling the truth. You are writing anonymously (why?), you could not produce any proof (why?) and even after I searched a lot on the internet, I couldn't find any proof myself. I don't think this stupid photo shoot tradition exists. I found it hard to believe anyway. If this really existed in so many universities, there would surely be some photo like that on the internet, don't you think? But there isn't.
So if you can't give any evidence, sorry, I don't believe you any more.

[Opinion Owner]

You can upload the photo to websites like imgbb (dot) com and then post the link in the question.
As I said before if you don't believe me please don't write a single word any more. This will surely the last message from me until I see this clear photo of yours with a good explanation !

[Max1109]

Don't be shy, your feets are beautiful I can say that from here and next time be the fisrt person to remove shoes and socks.
And it's ok that they want to take photographs barefooted that could be their theme

[seahorsegirl]

Haha thank you. My feet are ok, I guess. It's funny that every time people see my bare feet and know how shy I am about it, they say the same thing: What do you worry about, your feet are beautiful? Haha...
Anyway, it's not about how my feet look, it's just that I feel so vulnerable and exposed when they are bare.

Yes you are right, it was part of their theme to have everyone remove shoes and socks. They said it was to get a more casual and youthful look and to have everyone the same in the group photos, which would be next to impossible if we were wearing shoes.
Ok, so you think it's ok that they insisted that everyone needed to have bare feet? So they were right not to make an exception for me?

[Max1109]

Nice then feel free stay safe

[seahorsegirl]

But the thing is that it's still very embarrassing for me to show my feet.
So do you think that they were right to insist anyway and not make an exception for me, because for their theme it was necessary to have everyone in bare feet?

[Max1109]

Sometimes you gotta do what Teachers say kiddo. That's the rule of the life

[seahorsegirl]

well it wasn't a teacher but a photographer.
So you think they were right to insist?

[Max1109]

Yes babe yes. They should not make an exception for only you, as you were not special for them, you were like any other children learning there

[seahorsegirl]

That's what my teacher said when I brought up the issue haha

[Max1109]

Seriously maybe your teacher is somewhat connected to me by mind, But I'm not your teacher

[OddBeMe]

Yeah barefoot shouldn’t be an obligation. I’m a photographer. We sometimes ask subjects not wear shoes to protect our background canvas. But putting hundreds of bare feet on it would be disgusting.

[seahorsegirl]

Well, my photographer said that bare feet are a lot cleaner than shoes or even socks, so it's better if everyone steps on the canvas with bare feet than with shoes.
So you said you ask subjects not to wear shoes, but do you also make them remove their socks then, or just the shoes?
She said she can't begin to allow exceptions, because if she does, more people will want to wear what they like and then it won't be possible to have everyone wear the same style of clothes for the group photos. Also, she said she never photographed anyone in socks because in her opinion it looks really weird and bare feet are much nicer. As a fellow photographer, do you think those reasons are understandable?

[AsanisterMagazine]

Ok, they mustn't tell you what to do if you dont want it. I had to take off my shoes and socks in karate classes and in gymnastics. That's usually. Now, on photography's on school.. I don't know why may they want to sell them u know, u mustn't take photos barefeet may its po*n. Anyway thats weird.. But they may wanted to photo you barefeet because of a dress code or smt I don't know

[AlexanderBrunnrgaard]

Weird. I've never heard of a school photo with bare feet nor seen one. If you ask me the whole, "no socks for aesthetic reasons", sounds like BS. But, artistic types are oft times peculiar.

[seahorsegirl]

Yeah, but I think it's fairly common at photo studios. We had our family pictures taken at a professional studio recently and they also insisted that everyone needed to take off their shoes and socks. I mean, those photographers normally work in a studio as well, so maybe that's how they normally do it.
But do you think their request was just unusual or somehow inappropriate? So was it still ok to make us do this for artistic reasons?

[seahorsegirl]

oh, by the way, I just found a similar question by another girl who also had to do this at school. Unfortunately I can't post a link here, but you can find it if you look for "photo shoot". She also posted this because she found it embarrassing. Her college was in Singapore, though, so maybe it's more normal there.

[AlexanderBrunnrgaard]

I suppose it does occur then. It's not inappropriate really just odd to me. But if there are legitimate reasons for it then fair enough.

[seahorsegirl]

I see. So would you say it was understandable that they insisted and didn't make an exception for me?
They said this is how we do all the photos today and we can't discuss exceptions, as we only have so much time for each person. Also, we need to have everyone the same for the group shots later.

[AlexanderBrunnrgaard]

You can say it's understandable since insecurity about your feet is so exceedingly uncommon that they probably aren't used to hearing it and do not know if even to take it seriously. And they do have a limited amount of time to get their shots done as requested and all.

[genericname85]

no shoes because of the canvas seems quite reasonable. no socks seems weird tho.

[seahorsegirl]

yeah, my issue was with removing socks anyway, I wouldn't have cared to remove shoes. It was part of their theme to have everyone remove shoes and socks. They said it was to get a more casual and youthful look and to have everyone the same in the group photos.

[genericname85]

that sounds dumb. no "youthful" person is parefoot all the time. so it makes no sense to associate being barefoot with youth xD

[Anonymous]

That's weird. What kind of school photos are done barefoot?

[seahorsegirl]

It wasn't like that before, it was the first time they requested this.
It was part of their theme to have everyone remove shoes and socks. They said it was to get a more casual and youthful look and to have everyone the same in the group photos, which would be next to impossible if we were wearing shoes.

[Opinion Owner]

The photographer is definitely a nonce

[seahorsegirl]

haha come on, be serious. It was required for aesthetic reasons. I've been to a professional photo studio with my family once and they also made us pose in bare feet. It just appeared weird to me for a school photo session

[Opinion Owner]

That's some whack aesthetics they are going for. How is taking your shoes and socks off "youthful"?

[eagle1951]

in all my days i have never heard of this. that's really weird

[Miristheiss]

Not normal.
What country is this.

[seahorsegirl]

United Kingdom. Why?

[Miristheiss]

I just can't picture a school doing that here so I guessed it was another country.
I am in USA.
I wouldn't have guessed England

[Miristheiss]

Well, are you in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Of course they cannot "make" you.
The older you get you will stand up for yourself more.
They cannot make you take your shoes off.

[seahorsegirl]

England, why?
What you say unfortunately is not true. We have to take off our shoes and socks for PE lessons as well if we forget our PE kit. They do have the right to ask this, if for some reason it is deemed necessary.

[ZeussLightningBolt]

I think your photographer has a foot fetish

[Shamalien]

Haha u had to show ur feet :P

[seahorsegirl]

Yes, I did. So what did you want to tell me with your post?

[DiversityHire]

That's fucking weird.

[Mynameisbobby]

Yeah that's weird

[Lorenzo1997]

Thats really weird

[Cahittinsan_]

İt is so weird. :).