Where Truth Resides

I could capture her in her perfection.   The bold silver of her hair or the light magic of her eyes when she's listening in close to every word you say.   With any luck, I could take that image and make it shine even more with my fingers at the keyboard, as her years and her flaws slip away.  I could do all this and make you see her, make you love her, make you understand who she is without any imperfections holding you back from the truth. 

 This is my work, I tell myself.  To eliminate the distractions.  To take the flaws of the photo or the subject and minimize them until all you can see is the beauty.  This is why we have the tools right?  This is what it means to be an artist in a digital age.

 But what if the beauty is in the lines that show with each passing age?  What if the magic of knowing her is to see the way that love (and sorrow) has made her face worn and kind?  What if the only way to know the truth is to make the imperfection plain?

I worry I am using my photography to tell a story about my life that isn't always true.  I wonder if I am clicking away all the rough edges, only to make pictures that tell half truths of my raw, messy, beautiful life.   How would things change if I used my post-processing skills to highlight all the places truth resides when things are anything but perfect?

Show me the photos where beauty shines in the absence of perfection.  I want to see your real life--the one that celebrates what is true, no matter what.

Comments

[littlepurplecow]

What a beautiful woman. Oh, I know what you mean, Jen. It's so easy to inject color and smooth the edges. I've grown to love the texture of age on this old man and find myself shooting him more as he matures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlepurplecow/2404289439/

[Lara]

interestingly enough, i kind of just wrote about this: http://laradavidphotos.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-kind-of-perfect.html

[Hay]

I'm all about real and raw and truth in my pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippyhappyhay/2402061173/

Except for perhaps self portraits...then I might smooth and soften things a little, lol.

[Carol]

www.xanga.com/akashapeace I have absolutely no idea how to alter my photo's on the computer, apart from cropping and making bigger or smaller, so everything tends to be how I shot it.

[Chris]

My grandmother, in all her glorious beauty. I wouldn't touch up this picture for anything.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2405397418_99311e2331_b.jpg

[Marcie]

I love the raw and honest truth.
The words are as beautiful as the image itself.

[Melody A.]

I just wrote about it too for another post. I agree that you can take out too many flaws and all the beauty marks. But I also think that true beauty still comes through.

http://thehipmommasjournal.squarespace.com/journal/2008/4/10/imperfection.html.

[Tracie]

How about the perfection of an imperfect little cowlick?

http://tracienolesross.com/sketchbook/?p=122

[Shelli]

My brother told me that I should also take pictures of my son when he's crying because, you know, the pictures of him smiling and being cute are only part of his life and my memories of him. Not too long ago I posted one of these pictures in one of my blog posts:

http://web.mac.com/pabis/Mama_of_Letters/Blog/Entries/2008/3/18_All_or_Nothing.__A_Little_or_Something..html

[Amy]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellaminnowpeas/215480424/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellaminnowpeas/427185979/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellaminnowpeas/235229817/

[Kara]

I love this idea... Accepting what IS as how it is supposed to be - what a liberating idea!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80816501@N00/2405662144/

I'm sharing a photo from my son's first surgery. There are so many things wrong with seeing a child in the hospital. No one is looking at the camera in this picture. It looks like I'm about to dump one brother on top of another. And yet... this is one of my all time favorites. It's the first smile we'd seen on that sweet little face in days. He saved it up for his hero - his big brother!

Life isn't always pretty, but there are moments in every day that should be celebrated.

[camerashymomma]

i just found this photo from last month and i am not remembering now why i didnt' post it then, maybe because my face is all scrunched up and crow's feet are accentuated? i don't have the tools to fade away wrinkles or make things look perfect so my tactic is to just not show them i guess. but i love this picture because of his eyes and the game we were playing!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/2405661242/

[abbey]

Here is my real life truth... daily..
I love you blog and look forward to it daily..
http://www.photoblog.com/abbeyh13/

[cotterpin]

I know I have a hard time accepting less than the ideal "beauty" in my photos- but I'm working on it!

I almost threw out the attached photo originally because the flower looked a little too bruised and beaten up- but then realized what the flower represented meant more than the outward appearance...

http://cotterpinhouse.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/october-showers-eventually-bring-may-flowers/

[cuzamora]

I love how she emerges from the background, and the background melts into her. And how both of those bring the focus to her eyes. A really nice shot.

My husband is a lover of posed shots-big cheesy grin, the perfect stance, clothes and hair in place. I like the random, the moments in time that can't be recreated. It's good that I don't listen to him.

Here's my favorite random shot of my husband and son: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2242926853/

And favorites of my son: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2242795377/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2299218876/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2331414829/

[nicky thomas]

shuttersisters


the beauty in this photo is the gift given by others

the imperfection is that it just wasnt enough

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickythomasphotography/2388379816/in/photostream/

nicky x

[calissa]

I love this picture of my grandmother's hands. With her advanced Alzheimer's, she got to the point where she liked to feel textures and hold things in her hands. So I would give her my hands and she would just hold and rub them forever. When I see this picture, I can still feel her hands holding mine that Christmas. She died last July, so I especially cherish this picture now. And the wrinkles in her hands make it so pure and true.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2140076666

[mary]

I've reached a point in my life where I can suddenly see more years behind me than there are ahead. It's a scary thought, but it has helped me to see that beauty can be found in the most unusual places.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9068078@N05

[Kathleen]

This is the beloved (now retired) principal of the school where I work. We had a big school party, and this shot embodies the fun, sweet nature of our dear Ms. Davis! At first glance, I wanted to crop here, erase there. But I just love the celebratory nature of the shot, and I left it as is, in homage to a true inspiration.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23630286@N05/2391253022/

[summer]

I love this concept and generally embrace it in my photos...maybe it's because I don't have photoshop...
whatever the case seeing all the beauty that age brings is priceless

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sufferingsummer/467818338/in/set-72157603787388753/

[Sarah - Ji]

Goodness, Jen, everywhere I turn on the web today, you continue to amaze me! This post reminds me of something I read on another blog yesterday about how the "Your are Beautiful" sticker/art campaign has no credibility unless we really believe that EVERYONE IS beautiful.

Here's a photo I've always loved, even though the lighting's not quite right, and I couldn't figure out a way to post-process it very well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/2115836525/
I just love the fact that my pastor will run through our church during a sunday service dancing with 3 year olds.

[Kelly]

Such a lovely post and photo! This inspired my own blog post as well, with a photo that shows what is true about the love between me and my son, freckles, laugh lines, imperfections and all:

http://kellyswritelife.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-truth-resides-for-me.html

[Lawyer Mama]

Wow! Jen, you are a mind reader. I just posted my favorite imperfect photo today. Doesn't seem to be so popular with everyone else, but I love it anyway.

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2403847327/

and another recent photo showing all the imperfections of my grandfather:

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2400946936/

and my dad:

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2399434383/

[Rachel Parton]

Am I allowed to take a picture taken by my father? My rationalization: my father has been the biggest influence on my life in helping me recognize the pure beauty that God has surrounded us with, especially in people. That being said, one of my father's favorite people to take pictures of is my great Uncle Robert:
http://www.excelsiorfarms.com/history/2005%20Pictures/tuner.jpg

[Trude]

Speaking of everyday life...this is one of my fave photos of my dog, since he's constantly sleeping like this, with his nose pressed in wherever he can manage: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/2341831391/

[Mama Outloud]

I really love my daughter's eye contact in this photo but every time I look at it, all I see is the stove in the background and then I realized our life is all about that stove and those eyes.

http://outloud.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/carrot-pop-almond-eyes/

[Shelly]

What a wonderful photo and very thought provoking words. Your post really hit home with me. If you would like to check out my blog, I've posted my favorite pictures.

http://www.noburpingatthetable.blogspot.com

[Heather]

Hey wow. This is right on time. I've had a helluva day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/2405895503/

[Just Pure Lovely]

The dentist told my 8 year old that his "smile would be improved" if he, the dentist, filled in a little chip. Mind you, he's an 8 year old boy with missing teeth, crookedly coming-in teeth, and ones too big and ones too little. Why do we feel such a need to be so "perfect?"

Afterwards, I took a photo of our little guy, wonky teeth, freckles and messy hair -- and he looks just right to me. http://justpurelovely.typepad.com/justpurelovely/2008/04/this-smile-need.html

[Rachelle Mee-Chapman]

Jen,

I love this picture of your mom. (And I bet she does too!) It makes me wish she would hold my hand and take me with her to Africa -- you know, on one of those 'good deed' trips that ends up helping you grow ever-so-much more than it helps anything else. :-)

Love,

R

[Jeannine]

How serene and beautiful!

[Naomi]

It isn't perfect, but I still think it's beautiful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2314346416/