"You Are Photogenic" : Discover Your True Self with Photo-Image in the Age of the Selfie

How do you see yourself? How do you know what you look like? You probably base your answer on the reflection in the mirror, but stop and think: what appears to be your left side is actually your right side. This is an inaccurate image—it’s only what your brain perceives. The fact is, only other people can see you straight on in your entirety, because they have a visual vantage point. Others can see your face, body, gestures, and expressions, from which they form subjective opinions of you based on their perception and not on reality. This opinion can create major problems and confusion, as well as insecurity in who we truly are. In order to know yourself, you must be able to accurately see yourself. Your photo image is the tool through which you can see your true self. In I’m Not Photogenic, photographer Pina Di Cola offers her unique theory of the photo-image as a way to discover the real image of your visual self, and thus, gain a fuller understanding of yourself. Adding to her thirty years of experience as an internationally known celebrity photographer, Di Cola also shares insights from prominent thinkers in various scientific fields, such as neurology, psychology, philosophy, and sociology and includes images and diagrams to help explain the hurdles we face on the journey to self-discovery. YOUR BACK COVER TEXT (150 WORDS MAXIMUM) To know yourself, you must first see yourself. But how many of us turn away from the mirror, thinking, “That’s not me.” The truth is, we’re correct. Due to the brain’s neurological processes, the one face our human mind is incapable of seeing is our own. We rely on our reflections, and it’s no surprise we turn to other people’s opinions of us. And yet, it’s important that we do see ourselves as we truly are. Fascinated by the common response “I’m not photogenic” to photos of themselves—even by clients internationally renowned for their beauty—photographer Pina Di Cola discovered a breakthrough in self-image: the theory of the Photo-Image. Pairing her thirty years of experience as a celebrity photographer with in-depth research in the fields of neurology, psychology, philosophy, and sociology, she discovered how essential truly seeing ourselves is to living a full life. Are you ready to discover your true self?