Weight, Worth, and Self-Image: A Photographer’s Confession

A fifth-grade weigh-in became the lens through which I measured myself for years. This is the story of how a conversation with my nine-year-old gave me a new perspective, and why photography matters in holding that perspective up to the light.

Life LatelyAmanda SmithAugust 1, 2025body image, weight, self image, body shaming, self confidence, beyond the scale, love yourself, memories, presidential fitness test, P.E., gym class, fifth grade