I was taking photos this morning at the annual Shape Run. While I was sorting through the photos, I realised why they named it the Shape Run. Cause the ladies do really come in all sort of shapes. Hahaha, but that is not the topic of my post. The other thing that I noticed was that most ladies look very unglam in their running photos. But before you ladies out there jump in and said "abutthen, what do you guys expect?", let me state that I also captured shots of ladies who still look glam and cool and some even glow! Here are just a few examples:
For obvious reasons and since I value my life and my camera and do not want some enraged lady to kill me or kick my camera the next time they see me shooting at an event, I am not going to post any unglam photos here. Those who are curious can go check out the photos in Running Shots:)
But for those ladies who are honest enough and admit that they do look unglam in their running pose, here are some tips on how to look glam:
1. Put on some make up. I know, I know a lot of ladies will kpkb about this, how make up can run with all the sweat and grim but I think there are some waterproof make up available.
2. Tie up your hair. I think I blogged about this before. Nothing is worse than hair flying all over. Or wear a cap. Look at the ladies above. None of them has messy hair. They are either tied up neatly or they are wearing a cap.
3.Its in the eyes. Most of the unglam photos have one common theme running throughout. The eyes. Some are shut, some are slit, some are sunken. The easiest thing is to wear a sun-glass and volia! Again just take a look at the photos above. The glasses do make a big difference.
4. And last but not least, smile. I know after running for more than an hour, it is a torture for some people but a beautiful wide smile can make a world of a difference. Don't you just love the smile on the faces above? The next time you see a photographer, just smile. We loves to shoot cheerful looking people.
There you have it. The trick to looking good for your next running photo.
Sorry, but this is just insulting to any serious runner. When I run I care about my time. Not just looking glam. If I look unglam that means I'm working really hard and trying my best, and I'm proud of all those race photos. It's a race not a fashion show.
ReplyDeleteNot cool, bro, not cool. Not only are women expected to conform to society's unrealistic expectations of them being thin, elegant, hairless below the scalp, covered in make-up, they now have to look glam while running? Come on. What's next? Look glam after a car crash or at the A&E?
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, So I assume that the photos above of those ladies - they are not in your opinion serious runner? Because they sure look glam and sub 60 minutes timing is not serious running? And you dress up only to go for fashion show and not when you go out for dates and other outings?
ReplyDeleteHi Tekko, no, that's not the point. I'll be the first one to say that people can wear whatever they want to run, including makeup if they feel like it. Of course you can want to run and look good at the same time. In fact I frequently show up to races wearing neon nail polish and have my Great Eastern race outfit already planned... :)
DeleteThe point is that it came across as you telling women what to do and how to look (as you said below. Thanks for clarifying!), to conform to a conventional standard of beauty. I think it's sad that people have asked Running Shots to take down their photos (just don't tag lah, it'll disappear in a few days and no one will ever be able to find your photo in the 1000s of Running Shots pix) and I think people should be proud of their race pix - after all, they made the effort to get out there and run!
Anyway, it has been pointed out to me that the way I wrote the article in my very bad English, I seem to be dictating and telling women that they must look glam or have a certain type of look when running.
ReplyDeleteIf that is the impression I have given, to all the ladies and even the guys out there, please accept my apology. It is never my intention to tell people what to do, how to run or look. During the course of taking photographs during races, I have heard many comments usually from ladies on how "ugly" they look in their race pics. At Running Shots, we have also received requests (so far only from ladies) to take down their photos and I assume these are not because they look too beautiful. So I thought an article like the above might help. Just like all my earlier articles on how to run marathon, how to make sure you get your race pics, etc I had only good intentions to share what I know and my experiences. After all, that what we old fogey have, experiences. But personally, I still believe that it is possible to run and look glam at the same time and there is nothing wrong with wanting this.