The Camera Play for Couples Six Week Workout

On my way to 100 squats

Thanks to Hubman and Ell, the HundredPushup.com challenge has evolved. It is now the Camera Play for Couples Six Week Workout; a six week program of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.

Today Peggy and I did Week One, Day One of the HundredPushups.com program and Week One, Day One of the TwoHundredsitups.com program.

We also did our initial test for the TwoHundredSquats.com program.

The results?

Peggy did 76 squats and I did 100. (That’s me around squat #50.)

Why is the image so blurry?

I’d like to say it’s art, or that it’s the camera’s fault, but the number one issue is vanity!

Mostly I like what I see when I look in the mirror. I’ll be brushing my teeth and think, “My goodness you’re a handsome devil. No wonder all the women go crazy for you!’

But something weird happens when I actually see photos of myself. My arms and shoulders get smaller, my belly gets bigger. My ass, which looks large and powerful when I look at myself in the mirror just looks big and fat in a photo. My back, which looks like it had a mild acne problem in the mirror, looks like a WWI battlefield in photos.

I don’t imagine I’m much different from the average person in this respect, and as photographer, I know the “me” that people see is a lot closer to the “me” that I see in the mirror than the “me” I see in photos. Nonetheless, I don’t especially like feeling this way about my photographic image. Do you remember that scene in AMERICAN BEAUTY, the one where Lester Burnham goes jogging with his gay neighbors?

“What are you trying to do Lester? Are you looking to put on some muscle or increase your cardio?” they ask as they start to pull away from poor Lester, already sweating and puffing.

“I just want to look good naked!” comes his plaintive reply.

Me too Lester, me too. Tomorrow it’s Week One, Day One of TwoHundredSquats.com!