{GBF Life + Style} NYFW Style Diary Outfit 4

A few years ago, I was at a bar in Silverlake with a good friend of mine enjoying a fabulous Friday night. We were goofing off and laughing without a care for eye wrinkles as inside jokes kept bouncing back and forth. A guy at a neighboring table noticed our joviality and offered to take a picture for us. The timing seemed right as we were having a blast so why not capture the moment? As he held up the camera, all traces of joy disappeared from my friend's face and it was replaced by an awkward fake smile that would've made smizing queen Tyra Banks frown with disapproval. Snap after snap, she couldn't muster a natural smile. We finally gave up and I now have photos of my friend looking forlorn on our fun night. She later told me she can't smile if a stranger is taking her picture as she needs to feel connected to the person behind the lens.

I guess pictures don't always tell a thousand words. Each snap captures solely what's in focus and cuts off what's unlit. So what you see isn't so much a moment in reality as it is a moment in surreality. Yet another reason why I write so damn much on this blog as the writing adds another dimension to who I am and supplements the poses, the frowns, the smiles, and the smizes.

If I look a bit sad and awkward in these photos it's because there were other photographers snapping away and I don't feel comfortable being in the spotlight. I was actually feeling quite happy at the moment as I was riding on a fashion high after seeing the Monique Lhuillier show (my favorite from NYFW) and was looking forward to meeting up with the little bro for a night of shawarma and beer in the East Village. I had also just run into an old friend (standing right outside the frame) and was eager to catch up with her. The photos simply didn't capture the full picture.