I Filter My Photos… So What?

So, like many of you, who are reading this, I too am guilty of using filters on the photos that I post on the social media. But wait a minute, what am I apologizing for? This article is not going to be an apology for the amazing pictures of mine which are an outcome of the filters on Instagram. I would rather use this article to explain why I use them and how there is no harm in it.

Off late, we have heard a lot of criticism about the way superstars, glamazons, and other blessed pretty people use these filters to manipulate the way they look on screen. The moment you type the term “Instagram filters” on your search bar, you get two types of results — one, the different ways to employ the filters to enhance your images. The other being the myriad blog posts that denounce the way these filters indulge in visual trickery to make us believe that these Instagram influencers and fashionistas have all descended on earth straight from the garden of Eden.

Well, I am no influencer and more often than not, my OOTD is the random articles of clothing that I can get my hands on, the first thing in the morning. My followers on any of the social media sites can be counted on fingers, and that doesn’t stop me from using these filters. And I don’t see going back on this any time in the foreseeable future. Here’s why I am not ashamed to use filters on my photos and you shouldn’t be too!

1. They Make My Pictures A Bit Whimsical

Be it adding a little sparkle to my images with the “Purple Glitter” filter or inducing the 90s effect by using the “VCR” filter. These filters allow me to add a quirky twist to my photos. They uplift the everyday mundane and the banal by endowing it with a magical quality. What better way to get through a particularly boring work day than using these filters to trick you into thinking that you’re in a far away fairyland? And you can’t even say I am deceiving people because do you really think I have a glittery halo around my head or that I was born with golden eyelids?

It’s just an attempt to fill my boring, devoid-of-magic life with some flair, so don’t come at me.

2. They Allow Me To Control My Appearance

We all have good hair days, bad hair days, a-zit-as-large-as-the-moon days, so on, and so forth. And getting a compliment on such days can work wonders for your self-esteem. So if using a filter allows me to work on that tiny blemish which is marring an otherwise perfect day, why shouldn’t I?

The Internet is full of trolls who are ready to scrutinize every tiny flaw that you have and amplify it a thousand times. Why would anyone make themselves vulnerable to that? Using filters allows me to erase these tiny flaws and gives me the power to control how I appear on the cyberspace. Meanwhile, I can work on those flaws in peace. As our saint Taylor Swift said, shake it off!

3. I Use It To Create My Own Art

Photography, like any other medium such as writing or painting, has its own language and lexicon. Like all art, even photography is twice removed from reality. It makes no claim to give you the real thing. And filters are just a tool that I employ to further enhance my pictures and give them a unique twist. Using these filters helps me focus on particular details and allows me to create my own pieces of art. And for all those who say it promotes body dysmorphia, I know I don’t have long eyelashes like a camel’s and the ones who are looking at my photos are aware of that fact as well.

4. It Boosts My Self-Esteem

We are all aware of the fact that there is no such thing as a perfect face or a perfect body, yet all of us wish to achieve that perfection. I can’t talk about everybody else, but I have had a love-hate relationship with my body. Thinking that my nose is too big or wanting to alter the shape of my lips is something that I have done a lot.

These filters allow me to do just that without having to resort to dangerous medical procedures. It’s a simple wish-fulfillment mechanism. And there’s no shame in indulging in a little self-care, is there? So if using these filters allows me to feel good about myself a little, why shouldn’t I use them?

Just to be clear, I am not here for dangerous trends like thigh gap nor am I a paid advertiser of Instagram or Photoshop. I am just saying that there is no harm in using them as long as you do it self-consciously.

Do you filter your photos as well? Let us know your views about them in the comments section.

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