When a photographic portrait is done right, it can reveal a tremendous amount of information about the person. Our faces tend to read like road maps; some ridden hard and put up wet and others radiating an acceptance of the path well taken. We love those images of people with deep cavernous wrinkles (as long as they're not our own) or the photographs where the eyes are an opening to the mysteries within - the seat of the soul. Steve McCurry's image of the young woman on the National Geographic magazine comes to mind.
I LOVE to photograph faces and yes, it's what lie in the eyes that gets my energy going! I'm always in awe of how much someone can let me in when I'm standing behind a camera and a lens! But I'm starting to notice that there's a new "style" that's creeping into my work. Forget the eyes, look at that Body Language! I'm reminded of a saying that hangs in my office: Remember the difference between looking and seeing." I'm seeing more in the language of the body and am having fun with it.
So with that I offer you this recent photo of an 18 month old girl. As she strode confidently over the bridge with her parents car keys held firmly in her hand, I had a peek into her future. Her body language spoke volumes to me about the time to come in her life. Soon, much sooner than her parents expect, she'll be heading out with the keys in her hand to confidently drive away with friends. Only this time she'll turn her head over her shoulder, smile broadly, wave those keys and say, "See you later!"
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