Soon, I will be doing a photo shoot for potential shots to grace the cover of my upcoming book. I have a dilemma in this area: I’ve never been the most photogenic person, at least in my opinion. I have, as the old-timers would say, “a face for radio.” This is not some statement of false modesty — I’ve honestly just never looked that great in photos (see my “about” page for evidence). So, as I prepare for this shoot, needless to say I’m somewhat hesitant.

My main concern is concealing my incessant double-chin, which, no matter how little I weigh, always seems to push itself outward in photos, making me look like a modern-day Boss Hogg. In addition, my eyes always seem to disappear in photographs, morphing into black lines that are almost indiscernable from the eyebrows above them. I’ve always been a little vain about my eyes, as I believe they’re better features of mine. And yet, pictures always seem to minimize them. Alas.

Finally, there’s the glasses vs. no-glasses issue: I wear glasses irregularly because I have only slight astigmatism in one eye. When I really want to concentrate or focus intensely, out come the glasses. But if I’m doing everyday tasks, the glasses are nowhere to be found. I suppose that if I want to look “writerly,” I should really wear them, but then, I’d be playing to a stereotype that I’ve worked hard to avoid. (Deep sigh).

I suppose the answer in the end is just to do what the photographer says and hope for the best. I have a lot of confidence in the abilities of this camera-artist, so I guess I’ll just sit back and let her do the work. Expect photos posted here in the next week or so, and wish me luck, good readers…