Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest
User submission
821
18.8K

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

ADVERTISEMENT

Over the course of the last two years following my personal coming out experience, I created a series of images to portray the deep emotions I felt while coping with my newly discovered sense of identity.

At first it felt like I was isolated in a vast and unforgiving world but I quickly realized being true to the core is the most freeing thing I can do to start truly witnessing beauty. I want to share my story with others to help them realize that all our unique identities are valid, important, and worthy of affection and acceptance in the world. When we are truer to ourselves, we become truer and closer to others and the world doesn’t seem so isolated anymore.

I have discovered how to love myself and I look forward to creating a second series once I discover what it means to embrace love more fully.

More info: Facebook

The Climb

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

The climb will never stop but the destinations along the way are glorious. We will toil but it will shape us into something beautiful.

Clarity

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

Like a foggy curtain drifting aside, a clarity began to sink into my troubled veins; the weight of sadness, confusion and longing began to wash away and were replaced with something subtle, but different. Green returned to the grass and water flowed like a sensation down my back from the collective dew dropping from the sky. It was a cold feeling, but a welcome one. I no longer had to be alone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Absolution

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

ADVERTISEMENT

There is a compelling moment that occurs when you finally accept forgiveness. A sense of acceptance of your existence occurs; you may be alone or you may not but everything negative seems to wash away. All at once the world seems hewn in perfect strokes of color like a masterful painting. It is in that moment when you are truly ready to move forward.

Semblance

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

Semblance; The outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.

The Encounter

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

Sometimes the growth comes quicker than we can handle and causes pain and shock, however all change is an opportunity to learn and become better. Nothing in life has to be a waste, we hold the power to determine the outcome of each transition we face.

ADVERTISEMENT

Suspended

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

Cleanse

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

ADVERTISEMENT

We are creatures of adaption and our trials only make us stronger to face the oncoming waves. We are strong, we are brave, we are capable of things we can’t even dream.

Resolve

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

Like a change in the season we enter different stages of life. Sometimes it comes expectedly yet sometimes its a bit more sudden. There is no formula, no exact date set in a stone, these things just tend to occur, as natural yet unsettling as the first drop of rain from a storm. In and out of love I have fallen, away from homely spaces I have gone, up and over mountains I have traveled- each experience changing me in some steady but intangible way. When I set foot somewhere familiar at last, my shadow seems different, changed. Will I dissipate from the reaction or will I battle on, claiming my identity with pride and resolve?

ADVERTISEMENT

Lies

My Coming Out Story Told Through Self-Portraits Taken In Iceland And The Pacific Northwest

The journey continues on; through dark and light, we must climb one step at a time through safe passage and obstacle alike.

19Kviews

Share on Facebook
Rob Woodcox

Rob Woodcox

Author, Community member

Read more ยป

Rob Woodcox is a fine art and fashion photographer currently splitting time between Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York City. He exercises his talent for photography with a passion that is unquenchable and contagious. As he creates each piece of artwork, Rob strives to capture fragments of a vivid life sewn by the threads of reality, memory and dream. Each concept is a declaration of his experience and seeks to tell a meaningful story.

Read less ยป
Rob Woodcox

Rob Woodcox

Author, Community member

Rob Woodcox is a fine art and fashion photographer currently splitting time between Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York City. He exercises his talent for photography with a passion that is unquenchable and contagious. As he creates each piece of artwork, Rob strives to capture fragments of a vivid life sewn by the threads of reality, memory and dream. Each concept is a declaration of his experience and seeks to tell a meaningful story.

What do you think ?
Add photo comments
POST
MizLynaIbrahim
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beautiful and stunning photos. Each photos resemble the difficultly of your journey. Keep moving forward and everyone deserved his/her own happy ending..=)

IsabelJaskolski
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should never ever (!!!) climb on the ice shores at Jรถkulsรกrlon. It can easily be deadly. Just don't. Otherwise: Very stunning and powerful photos.

suzemagoo
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Authenticity is an amazingly powerful thing. It makes one a target for all those who are still experiencing the "prisoner is the jailer" dilemma. There are all sorts of prison cells/closets all sorts of folks are stuffing themselves into. Observe how illogical some are here -- they fault a journey to authentic self for being about self! Ignorance like that should be pitied so please know that if those reactions still sting even a little, that's merely echoes of the discarded false self still trying to regain lost power. In time, authenticity strengthens and eventually one realizes that sort of nonsense stopped stinging without one even noticing when that occurred. Well done and best of luck in the continued journey.

StuartEnsor
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is this you - http://www.elizabethgadd.com/blog/2014/10/2/icelandic-red-dress-series - if so this inspired our trip to Iceland

Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey Stuart, that series is by my best friend Lizzy- the website you shared is hers! We traveled to Iceland together and assisted each other on our mutual personal series. I'm so glad that inspired your trip- I think Iceland holds so much magic and healing powers <3

Load More Replies...
LindaCorfee
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is an awesome journey. A new way 2 accept change & begin new growth !!!

JerieRagsac
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

There are artists who model their own photographs although most of the time more of their works have other models. It's normal for photographers to make creative photos of themselves. but this article is more MEH~~~ for me. Too narcissistic, "I love myself", "Me, Me, Me" drama. And he's not even model-isque, to start with. (Like, Angela Clayton models own her dresses and photographs and that's alright because she's beautiful.) I don't know what he's referring to with his "personal coming out", but if it's that what I'm thinking, dude you have all the right to be happy and all that-- but it doesnt mean you've become beautiful and your photos are beautiful and we should all gasp in awe and all that. Lol. Your photos are ugly.. yeesh

AngelKabadiev
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

The only thing I don't like about these photographs is the gay looking model.

JerieRagsac
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I know right? ..and he should really get a shirt. SERIOUSLY, he should really really stop taking photos of himself naked because it's insulting to my optical nerves!!! lol.. it's alright if it's Zach Quinto or Matt Bomer, far out I'd rather see Ellen without a shirt!!! hahaha (seriously, he should stop stripping in his photos coz he's not modelish)

Load More Replies...
AngelKabadiev
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This comment has been deleted.

Jabey
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Why to make so much tragedy, darkness, frost and fuss from coming out? Aren't you going to be a butterfly or a poop?

MizLynaIbrahim
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beautiful and stunning photos. Each photos resemble the difficultly of your journey. Keep moving forward and everyone deserved his/her own happy ending..=)

IsabelJaskolski
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should never ever (!!!) climb on the ice shores at Jรถkulsรกrlon. It can easily be deadly. Just don't. Otherwise: Very stunning and powerful photos.

suzemagoo
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Authenticity is an amazingly powerful thing. It makes one a target for all those who are still experiencing the "prisoner is the jailer" dilemma. There are all sorts of prison cells/closets all sorts of folks are stuffing themselves into. Observe how illogical some are here -- they fault a journey to authentic self for being about self! Ignorance like that should be pitied so please know that if those reactions still sting even a little, that's merely echoes of the discarded false self still trying to regain lost power. In time, authenticity strengthens and eventually one realizes that sort of nonsense stopped stinging without one even noticing when that occurred. Well done and best of luck in the continued journey.

StuartEnsor
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is this you - http://www.elizabethgadd.com/blog/2014/10/2/icelandic-red-dress-series - if so this inspired our trip to Iceland

Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey Stuart, that series is by my best friend Lizzy- the website you shared is hers! We traveled to Iceland together and assisted each other on our mutual personal series. I'm so glad that inspired your trip- I think Iceland holds so much magic and healing powers <3

Load More Replies...
LindaCorfee
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is an awesome journey. A new way 2 accept change & begin new growth !!!

JerieRagsac
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

There are artists who model their own photographs although most of the time more of their works have other models. It's normal for photographers to make creative photos of themselves. but this article is more MEH~~~ for me. Too narcissistic, "I love myself", "Me, Me, Me" drama. And he's not even model-isque, to start with. (Like, Angela Clayton models own her dresses and photographs and that's alright because she's beautiful.) I don't know what he's referring to with his "personal coming out", but if it's that what I'm thinking, dude you have all the right to be happy and all that-- but it doesnt mean you've become beautiful and your photos are beautiful and we should all gasp in awe and all that. Lol. Your photos are ugly.. yeesh

AngelKabadiev
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

The only thing I don't like about these photographs is the gay looking model.

JerieRagsac
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I know right? ..and he should really get a shirt. SERIOUSLY, he should really really stop taking photos of himself naked because it's insulting to my optical nerves!!! lol.. it's alright if it's Zach Quinto or Matt Bomer, far out I'd rather see Ellen without a shirt!!! hahaha (seriously, he should stop stripping in his photos coz he's not modelish)

Load More Replies...
AngelKabadiev
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This comment has been deleted.

Jabey
Community Member
8 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Why to make so much tragedy, darkness, frost and fuss from coming out? Aren't you going to be a butterfly or a poop?

Related on Bored Panda
Related on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda