Generally, I am a camera-shy person. Recently, when a devotee had called me to come along with few other devotees for receiving the prize for our temple in book distribution, I stood at the far end, not understanding what pose or what look I should give. I didn’t even look in the front for quite a while. For most part, I was glancing at the devotee who was receiving the prize from the hands of Maharaja.

But, in this techno-powered age, we have to inevitably face the camera quite a few times. What can be our thoughts while posing for photos?

Camera as Krishna’s Inward Lens:

While a group photo was being taken recently, I was thinking how this camera has the capacity to capture only my outer appearance. I may be smiling outward, but miserable or troubled inward.

Krishna’s camera is super advanced. When he clicks our pictures, he does so from inside our heart. And he shows us outside.

While looking at the lens, we can remember the prayers of our acaryas recognizing our fallen condition. That is the lens through which we must see ourselves. Bhaktivinode Thakura states,
āmāra jīvana, sadā pāpe rata,
nāhiko puṇyera leṣa
parere udvega, diyāchi ye koto,
diyāchi jīvere kleśa
I am an impious sinner and have caused others great anxiety and trouble.

When we are posing, we can think that Krishna is making us aware of our inebrieties, and with this mood, we can pray to Krishna to lift us from our pitiable condition.

Posing for Pleasing:

When devotees request to click photos with us (although I am asked rarely for this :D), by fulfilling this small request of devotees, we can give devotees great pleasure. If we can thus get devotees’ blessings by such a small act, why not do it gracefully?

Regarding Haridas Pandit, a great devotee in Vrindavan, it is mentioned,
vaiṣṇavera guṇa-grāhī, nā dekhaye doṣa
kāya-mano-vākye kare vaiṣṇava-santoṣa
He always accepted the good qualities of Vaiṣṇavas and never found fault in them. He engaged his heart and soul only to satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas. CC Adi 8.62

Posing Not for Impressing:

When we pose to impress, or to look beautiful in the eyes of others, we cannot be satisfied. Our expectation is of the size of a huge mountain, and the reciprocation we get from people is like a mustard seed. We should try to impress Krishna rather than trying to impress the people of this world.

Can I have a look at the photos?

Generally, after posing, when we look at our photos, our eyes inevitably land where we are. We are able to find ourselves in a flash in the midst of even a hundred people. How deep is our attachment to our own selves! Also, if we are not there in the photos, then we are not so much interested to see them.

When we see ourselves in a photo, how should we see?

One mood we could have is that of immense gratitude for having received this human form of life. Else, how would we have practiced spiritual life? We are seeing ourselves in a human form. That is a great boon. If we are short of ‘being human’, we could softly pray to get beyond our double standards while looking at ourselves.

Another expression of gratitude could be for having obtained the association of devotees. If we would not have been in association, would we be smiling in spiritual bliss the way we are depicting in the photos? Definitely not. We should see ourselves sheltered in the association. What a wonderful feeling is that!

durlabho mānuṣo deho
dehināṁ kṣaṇa-bhaṅguraḥ
tatrāpi durlabhaṁ manye
vaikuṇṭha-priya-darśanam

For the conditioned souls, the human body is most difficult to achieve, and it can be lost at any moment. But I think that even those who have achieved human life rarely gain the association of pure devotees, who are dear to the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. SB 11.2.29