Skin narrative

What a story.

A nude model poses or a popular women’s magazine.  Nothing new, right?  But wait — she’s not your typical model.  She’s a size 12.  And even though being an American woman and a size 12 is hardly uncommon, it definitely is unusual in the modeling world.  So hats (and clothes) off to the model and photographer and the magazine for the shot.

And it’s also encouraging that the general reaction to the image has been favorable.  And why not?  Is there any more compelling story than the skin narrative?

I admit that as a photographer, I feel that costumes, makeup and props can all be fun to add to a shoot.  I really like mixing in elements from a person’s life to the photo to help tell his/her story.  But I’ve come to realize that there is no story more honest that the one told by a person’s skin.

Think about it: the bumps, the bruises, the scars, the pigmentation, the wrinkles, the grooming/hygiene, the muscle, the fat, the underlying veins and bones — all of it creates a skin narrative of our own individual stories and uniqueness.  And that’s pretty cool.

In an era when “reality” is often heard but rarely seen, this is a pretty welcome change.

Meaningless point #3

Take your time. Really. I’ve got as long as I can hold my breath.

Meaningless point #2

Hysteria is pop, but Pyromania is rock.

Both have their merits. And both can certainly be viewed as successes. But there was definitely a break in style in the time and transition from one to the other.

Personally, I’ll take Pyromania.