Open Letter to Everyone, or Just Say No to Sunglasses

Dear Everyone,

I know sunglasses -- especially gigantic ones -- are still totally in right now, but you know what's not in? Keeping your sunglasses on in a family photo. Or in a photo where you're standing in front of a historic monument or a temple or a pristine lake on top of a mountain in a remote land. Or in a photo where you're with your best friends or loved ones or children or basically anyone whose face I want to see.

I get it, I get it. Sometimes a photo is spontaneous and no one even thinks to take their sunglasses off. And sometimes you just want to play it cool and do a model pose with big shades and puckered lips. And sometimes you're just at the beach, where you would naturally have sunglasses on. Those times are okay. You can wear sunglasses for those photos.

Here's the thing: When I look at a photo of people who mean something to me, I want to see them. I want to see their entire faces, especially their eyes! I don't want to see big black holes where their eyes should be. Those sunglasses will date the photo pretty fast, and more importantly, years and years from now, when I'm looking at those photos, I'll want to see how the people in them have changed over time. You can't do that very well by looking at sunglasses.

Next time you're about to snap a photo or have someone snap a photo of you, think about whether sunglasses are appropriate for the context. Think about how eyes are one of the most important features on someone's face and that leaving them out is a shame.


Sincerely,
Sara