Let’s talk pictures, specifically concealment photos on social media.
Through my internet travels I frequently see photos touting how well a gun conceals in various outfits. While I wholeheartedly encourage women to play around with their wardrobe, there’s a disturbing trend emerging. One in which the photo-taker isn’t completely honest about the gun, concealment or picture they’re boasting.
Just about anything can be hidden or altered given the right lighting, angle and post-production — ask any celebrity.
The same can be said for gun photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A simple turn of the hip paired with the right light and that clunky, protruding gun suddenly vanishes. The concealer looks slim, trim and her followers marvel at her advanced abilities to conceal. Problem is, they’re not seeing the “full picture.” What viewers get is a portion of reality. It’s like the fake news of the gun world.
This is not to say that Facebook post or IG picture is faked. You can do magical things with the right gun in the right holster with the right wardrobe. There are plenty of amazing women in the industry who conceal flawlessly and truthfully; however, I urge caution and a healthy dose of skepticism when perusing social media.
How can you spot the fakes?
Here’s a few tips:
-Someone who is legitimately concealing a gun will offer multiple angles. Those who are faking will only give you one and it will be the most obvious one.
-Stance makes all the difference. Watch out for one foot forward, sucking in the stomach or, alternatively, pushing the booty out. All these can impact the way in which the gun lays against the body and can falsely represent how the gun is concealed.
-Lighting and colors. Is the subject wearing blacks, blues and dark attire? Though these make excellent colors for concealment they can also trick the eye in pictures, especially if the subject is facing away from a light source (or the light is behind). Shadows and filters can do wonders to make that over handgun’s silhouette dissipate.
-Use those critical thinking skills. Do you think a super tight mini-skirt can adequately conceal a full-size Glock? Furthermore, would it even be practical or comfortable to carry in that manner? If it seems off, it probably is.
-Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Namely, you hand me a gun and tell me to hide it, I can do that. You give me a gun and tell me to conceal carry it, that’s a different ball game with a different set of rules. (Retention of the gun, ease of access/ability to draw, ability to re-holster, etc.)
Micro Jacki 