Crossdressers-Haven.com

Since I've been a member here the one thing that has always been a question is the avatars everyone uses. Are you real?

Well. I know the cartoons are not, but there are some definite classy looking pictures used and it always amazes me that they are a whole lot nicer than mine. No , I am not intimidated!

I'm just a gal who loves images and I'm always impressed (make that mostly impressed), with the ones I keep seeing here.

Gosh your nice looking!

Gwen

I think you'll find all (or most) of us real here. Not everyone is comfortable posting their own picture as an avatar so the nice thing about them is that one can use whatever picture feels right for them. Sometimes even a cartoon can reveal their sense of humour so I always look for that. I personally think the most important thing is what's contained in a person's writing and how they express themselves. The pictures can be an element of their 'personality', whether it's them or not.

Stephanie
(yes, that's me in my avatar)

Well..mine are mine.....ugly old gal..but me

I reckon you were addressing the nice looking one's, but I'll answer anyway. Yep, it's really me.

Maybe If I can ever get down to 200 lbs it'll be replaced my a nice looking one

Mine is for real althougt I will admit it's old and I need to change it as my wig has change my makeup and over all look.

Hi all,

Gwen,

The thing about the avatars is that they fulfill a very specific function: as Stephanie said, they're meant to convey some sense of a member's personality to the forum. As such, the avatar one chooses to use can be funky and creative; it can set a mood or impart a 'tone of character.' I think my own avatar falls into this category. Although it's really me in the photo, it's obvious (I hope) that it's an "idealized me." I play around with the lighting and contrast in order to "soften" some of the signs of aging on my face but the lips, the eyes, the face are genuinely me. I offset this photographic sleight of hand by posting photos of myself "au naturel" (in boy mode) on the forum's gallery.

When I first joined the forum, I posted photos of myself (using a cheap little webcam, which is all I had at the time) that I thought truly represented how I saw myself. I soon realized, however, that "how I truly saw myself" was only part of the picture (pun intended ). It wasn't very long before I felt the need to come clean regarding my appearance, at which point I posted boy mode photos.

So. Regarding the "are you for real?" part, yes, in my case, this is me. However, regarding the underlying question ("Do you look that good en femme in real life?"), the answer is, of course, absolutely not! I'd have to spend three days getting ready to go out in order to look even a fraction as good as I think my avatar makes me look. And even then, I don't think I could ever achieve that look. But, again, in my mind, this is what I look like. And I want others to know that, in my mind, this is, indeed, what I look like. Again, I offset this by the 'truth' that I post on the gallery.

So, Gwen, don't ever be afraid to get funky or creative or as real as you want to be in your avatar. Like Stephanie said, it's the character and personality that comes out in your words and thoughts that paint the best picture for the rest of us.

Love,
CJ

Virginia is for real. The shot was taken at my house as I was the hostess for the local support organization.
Don't be bashful about posting. I think my sisters here are all beautiful people!!!!!!
Love,
Virginia

I don't have a lot of decent photos of my femme self, and I joined this forum a couple of years ago, back before I was back out dressing in the world. The photo is of the actress Alyson Hannigan, who used to be Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If one considers that she's a cute redhead, then I suppose she represents an idealized version of my femme self.

My avatar is really me - I did manage to sneak up on the camera a couple of years ago .

Jadeanne

This is also me - slightly retouched to remove highlights and chin dewlap

Lydia

Mine is me

Hey girls,

This is an unretouched picture of me. Luck of the draw it turned out to be a great shot. Just to give you and idea, here are some other pictures taken that same day. These shots were taken right before the one I am using as an avatar.





Love always,
Elizabeth

Ah, Elizabeth, your photos are just as lovely as you are - no need to 'touch them up' IMHO!

Love and Hugs to Raven(SO) and yourself!!

- SL and her SO

PS: Don't be such a stranger - we miss seeing your beautiful face and reading your intelligent posts! We presume you're still pulling in a 4.0 at college?

You look great Hon. You don't need photo shop! You're very cute!Say hi to the Ravester for me.Hugs. Keep the faith Baby!

Love
Jeannie

PS. Now I can't wait for Silver Lady to post:

" Were sick of seeing your Kitty Carlyle mug everywhere. Make yourself scarce. Is your GPA still 0.4?"

Like a twist on The Romones big hit "I wanna be berated!"

I haven’t changed my picture for a number of years, but I’m not photograph inclined and it ‘s a rare occasion that I’m ever in front of a camera, and then it’s only ever when I’m caught off guard, which is how the picture I use came to be, we were going to a dance that evening.

It’s not that I disapprove of how I look, because I can move about publicly without ever being ‘read’, it’s just that I’m more attuned to how I feel inside, and for me personally it’s not the wrapper which is most important, it’s what’s inside the package which counts.

Having said that, of course Sally has her share of vanity, but that’s for me alone, and the most important aspect of passing to me is the safety issue in being able to go where I choose in public free from harassment (excepting of course that which any female attracts from time to time, but usually that type of harassment is not as threatening as a TS can attract if she’s ‘read’).

I do love to see pics of other people though, it gives that special added dimension having a vision of the person with whom I’m interacting.

Kind Regards,

Sally.