Photographer explains why men take 'unattractive' photos of their wives and girlfriends

Having a professional photographer as your partner or spouse can be a blessing. You can expect them to take your beautiful pictures now and then and you don't have to worry about asking them to delete your not-so-flattering snaps. But a photographer based in Australia named Adrian Magno–who goes by @adrmagyo on Instagram–takes pride in clicking some "ugly" pictures of his wife. However, Magno has a thoughtful reason behind it, as he has shared in his video.

Magno created a special anniversary video for his wife on Instagram, which features some of the candid moments from their relationship. "If you hate the way your boyfriend or husband takes photos of you, I can explain why," Magno narrates in a voiceover. He believes that regardless of people's skills with a camera, it's pretty common to see most significant others store some hazy and random pictures of their partners on their phones.

"You know you're falling in love with someone when you're drawn to the things that others would consider unattractive," Magno continues explaining in his video. "Their stubbornness, the way they breathe when they sleep, the way their hair stands in the morning. The way their clothes smell after a long day or how they eat loudly." He argues that what he finds attractive in his wife might conventionally appear unattractive to others, which is a sign that you have truly fallen in love with a person.

Magno admits that his skills as a professional photographer are fine enough, but it doesn't change how he clicks random pictures of his wife when she is not at her photogenic self. "Despite spending years learning about lighting, composition and posing, and winning awards in making girls look pretty on their wedding day, my wife still hates the way I take photos of her," he quips. Magno remarks that he doesn't know how to make his wife look her best because she always looks beautiful to him.

"The reason for this is, unlike all the other women I have no affection for who have had hours of makeup and hair, in the most expensive dress they’ll ever wear, I've at least developed an understanding of how to make them look their best. But the problem is, when you're looking at someone you're in love with, it gets harder to discern what makes her look good or bad," Magno notes.

"After 12 years, I don't know which side is her side because they both look beautiful to me. Every mole, every imperfection, every little thing she hates about herself, those aren't just the things I love. Those are my favorite things about her because that's what makes her her. That's what makes her mine. After seven years of marriage, I can still say for certain my photos of you still suck, and I couldn't be any prouder. Happy anniversary," he concludes the video in the sweetest way possible.

Fellow Instagram users were blown away by the thought and effort Magno had invested to curate the special video for their anniversary and others shared their own experiences with their partners and how it feels like when they are truly in love with someone. @crowsnesthikes wrote, "This was so beautiful, it made me cry. My husband overheard the things you were saying and had an 'I told you so' look on his face."

@anniemogonz commented, "This made me cry. I also hated how ugly I looked at photos taken by my husband. I always wondered why he thought those were beautiful. He passed away three years ago. I stumbled upon this post and I finally got my answer. Thanks for this." @steveweltman added, "Amazing post! I can feel it in your messages — You love her so much. Your other photos are commercial and high quality, but your photos are just that sentimental and much more meaningful to you because she is the object of your heart's desire. Keep taking pictures of her you love, even if she doesn't. She knows you love her. I am sure of it."

You can follow Adrian Magno (@adrmagyo) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.

This article originally appeared on 1.9.24.