agape01 said:
There was an African teenager who posed like a model, but is suffering from the AIDs virus. As she is in the later stages of the virus, you can clearly see the skin and bones to know that she's going to die sooner or later.
I just chanced upon this thread.
Agape's post was the one that really caught my attention, and brought to attention, the fact that no one else was attracted to discussing, in the firum at least, matters as deep as these with a photographer who has so much more experience, and exposure than any of us.
What I find most saddening is that very often, the most powerful portraits, and sometimes, the ones that move the world, are pictures of ... old men and women. Of pain. Of life. Of wrinkles and smiles. Of death even.
I have yet to see a really meaningful portrait that has meant something to the world with an old man clad in a bikini, oops, of a young strappiung man clad in a bikini, or should that be of a young curvy girl clad in a bikini.
I don;t know. Society and precepts of beauty, attraction and value have seemed to over-run humanity.
I'll be honest. I love ogling when I look at a picture of a sensous or titilatting model rendered or portrayed as a sex object. No, I would not get turned on by a picture of Michelle Goh in a Nun's Habit. Sorry.
However, do I want to always try to take/create photographs where the main focus is on sensual or sexual attraction? If I wanted to be an artist, no, rather sheepishly, I would admit, I would not.
One of the most brazzenly sexy, tittatingly, sexual and intoxicating photographs I have ever seen in my entire life ... is a very craftful back-lit silhouette of over-lapped champagne flutes. Yeah, call me crazy, but I am not about to have fantasies about glass.