Photographs

I'll bet, if you've never been to this site before, that this if the first link that you clicked on.  You're curious to see pictures.  Why is that? I find that many people are intrigued by transsexuals; by the fact that manly men can actually become feminine women..  Of course, there's no small sense of irony in that fact that many of those same people are amused, repulsed, annoyed, or outright angered by the fact that we've done what we've done.  But the proof is in the pudding, and the place to check it out is by looking at pictures.  In this case, a picture is worth a million words. As amazing as pre- and post- transition photographs of transsexuals can be, I think it's critical to emphasize the fact that the visible physical changes are only one part of this journey, and in most cases it's not even the most dramatic or amazing one. The mental and spiritual changes we go through as our sense of self changes are often far more profound and startling than the physical ones captured in photographs like these.  I fear that far too many people get way too caught up in ideas that this journey is somehow about wearing women's clothes, or makeup.  To think that this journey is simply about looking different is to put a superficial explanation to something that is core deep for most of us, so know that the physical changes captured in photographs like these are just the tip of a very deep iceberg.

As I lay out the pictures for public display I plan to include images from the 3 different stages of my life here:

Dave
I'm including a variety of pictures that span the nearly 40 years of my life as Dave.  I include them for several reasons: 

• First, although I know that many transsexuals despised their lives as men, I did not.  Certainly, it was ultimately frustrating, empty, unfulfilling, lonely, and awkward, but that doesn't change the fact that I did the best that I could as Dave, and in the end I think I did a pretty good job.  Dave was a pretty good guy.  He certainly had his flaws, as we all do, but the things that made Dave Dave are the same things that have developed to make Donna Donna. 
• Second, they're fun to use to compare how I am now, with what I was then.  Those who are considering their own transitions can see just how dramatic a physical transformation can be accomplished. 
• Third, to show that I was  just a regular, "normal" person just like most people.  If something like this has hid successfully inside of me for all this time, it could be hiding in anyone.
• And lastly, I just like the pictures.
  

Transition
I consider the 18-24 months of my physical transition to be it's own stage of my life.  It's a time when I certainly wasn't a guy, but I really wasn't all that feminine, either.  It's a time when my ideal of femininity, and of myself as a woman, changed dramatically and that change was evident in how I looked and how I acted.  It's a time for experimentation.  The photos do a fairly good job of capturing that.

(For those who are reading my book, I'll try to include page numbers of events from the book that correspond to the photos that capture them here)

Donna
What am I doing these days?  Who are the people in my life?  I'll document some of it here.  Whereas the first couple of sections should remain pretty static, I'll add new pictures here as time goes on so feel free to return from time to time to see what's new.

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Added 3/2006
I've created a small page of recent photos - spanning the last 3 months of 2005 thru current time in 2006. 

You can see some select recent photos by clicking here.

For those interested in a broader choice of photos, following is the link where I upload all my pictures.  I hope you enjoy browsing them.  Please note that I also embed pictures in many of the pages throughout my website, so use that as incentive to explore here. 

Donna's Photo Pages

Disclaimers

#1:  A few months back I got an email from someone who claimed to be a professional photographer, and who cautioned me about using photographs that aren't perfect on my website.  This person was not subtle in telling me that I need to be aware of my "image", and I was told in no uncertain terms that displaying photos of myself that might be somehow unflattering should be reconsidered.  I replied that I really don't feel that I have an "image", and that the day I avoid sharing a picture that I like because others might not think it's perfect is the day I take down my website. I hope to meet many of the people who read my website, and when that day happens rest assured that I look like the pictures on my website.  If that's what having an "image" entails, I don't want one.  What you see on these pages is what you get....the good, the bad, and all the rest.

#2:  I've been alerted a couple of times that others have taken personal pictures from my website to include in their own website.  Please know that this is NOT ok.  My photographs remain my own personal property.  If you'd like to use them, ask me.  If you see others using them in ways that seem inappropriate, please alert me. 

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All images and words at donnarose.com are the property of Donna Rose, and may not be copied or used without permission..