I love authenticity. I love to be real, even if it’s not pretty. Does that surprise you? As someone who photographs people for a living, and who started/built/sold a business creating Instagram and photo filters, that might sound surprising.

One of the things that drew me to Tyler when we first started dating was that we “showed all our scary and crazy things to each other early.” We told each other secrets, quirks, etc., as a time-saver in case we had any deal-breakers.

After being around a bunch of fake people, both in L.A. and even in NW Arkansas, I got so burnt out on inauthenticity. Real is refreshing. Transparency is beautiful. I love real people.

I think that’s part of the reason I’ve started sharing considerably less on Instagram. I actually spend a lot less time on Instagram than in years past. I still hop on Facebook once a week and Instagram every day or two, but it’s mostly to catch up on big news.

An app I’m loving lately is the Be Real app. If I could explain this quickly: at a random time each day, users are asked to “be real” and take a photo of yourself; however, it uses both front and back camera. So, it shows what you’re doing in a real way. No filters, no perfect light. Just you. Being real. Also, you can’t see other friends photos unless you post one, so no lurking.

Do you lean a lot on Instagram filters and only post the prettiest and best things in your life? Maybe give Be Real a try! You can follow me on Be Real here.

Talk to you soon,
Dale