Exposure
A fundamental element of photography is achieving correct exposure which in very simplistic terms means capturing the light in a way that will record all of the tones from light to dark in a photographic image. But this article is not about exposure in the technical context of making a photograph. It is about personal exposure… being observed as our most authentic selves.
What do I mean about being one’s authentic self… a difficult and perplexing subject to say the least. Speaking purely from my own experience, being my authentic self means acknowledging all of what I consider are the good and not so good things about myself and letting others know and see those things about me. This also means that in action I conduct myself, (hopefully responsibly), in a way that allows others to “see” me as I am, warts and all… exposing myself so that others see all of my tones from light to dark.
As you read this, reflect on what this means… all living things, plants and animals, are endowed with the capacity and ability to hide their true nature. I can hear you say, “but, a tree is a tree, it is authentically a tree, it can be nothing else…” and that is sort of true from many points of view… but, even a tree may camouflage its true nature to protect itself from predators. For example, “The Araliaceae tree which has several defences which…[are suggested] to be linked to the historic presence of moa [a giant extinct bird]. Seedlings produce small narrow leaves, which appear mottled to the human eye. Saplings meanwhile produce larger, more elongated leaves with thorn-like dentitions… The mottled colours of seedling leaves are similar to the appearance of leaf litter, which would have made them difficult for a moa to distinguish. The unusual colouring may also reduce the probability of leaf outlines and help camouflage leaves against the sunlight-draped forest floor.” [1]
There are numrous examples of other living things that have evolved overtime to show themselves as other than what they really are. The intent being protection, usually from other living creatures that want to do them harm or eat them. Another example is animals that play dead to mislead predators into leaving them alone. So, although some of these characteristics are fixed and others are instinct driven behavours, they all in their own way hide the true nature of the being that employs them. Human beings are acknowledged to be fair game to most predators including other humans. We, as humans, have developed a sophistocated bag of tricks and subterfuges to hopefully protect ourselves from physical and emotion harm and also, to use offensively when we are in “hunting” mode… competing for survival as we have done throughout history.
Today we have developed a multitude of industries devoted to promoting the ability to help us hide… to make ourselves prominent in terms of our standing in society… to be other than what we truly are in the face of our peers so that we have a better chance of being accepted as part of the tribe and not be outcast, ostracised and isolated. We have also created and devoted ourselves in profound research to attempt to study and understand this evasive behaviour we have evloved over millenia. In my opinion, humans were their most authentic selves at the dawn of time when we were purely hunters and gatherers. The saddest thing about this is, that all this industry despite the understanding we have gleaned thtough research, is leading us like lemmings to our self destruction. I am ever hopeful though that we will embrace the hard earned knowledge and apply wisdom and start the journey of moderating how we apply ourselves in being our authentic selves.
I am tempted to say more here about stuff like the affect on our mental health resulting fom the constant inner conflict of maintaining our armour to disable being observed in all our naked authentic glory, hopefully by now you get the drift.
In art there are also famous examples where personal characteristics are purposely hidden, portraits of Oliver Cromwell come to mind where in one he is shown as youthful and without blemish and in another he is shown warts and all, a more authentic representation. Contemporary photography is a tool used to promote, fashion, food, and anything that will induce us to believe we will enhance our standing… models are selected for their symmetry, their slimness, their tallness… etc. These atributes evolve over time. In Victorian times it was attractive to be seen as plump and curvy… a statement that you were part of the upper crust… a 15th century term describing a member of the highest class of society.
Putting on my almost worn out and very scratched rose coloured glasses, I want see the world full of people freeing themselves from artifice and as much as is practical for them, living as authentically as they can… and being more content with life. Yep, guilty as charged… I am a hopeless romantic and idealist…
For me… and probably like everyone else, I struggle daily to maintain my authentic self and allow others to see me as I am… all my tones from light to dark…
[1] Fadzly et al. Ontogenetic colour changes in an insular tree species: signalling to extinct browsing birds? New Phytologist, 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02926.x
A wind in the twilight
Aroma of dry red sand and the softening edges of rock and scrub
The memory of it brings softness to my heart
A place to be once again
In the slowing coolness of night set
Nothing like this living space where I stand now
Nothing like it in the whole universe
But I still have my hat and a stone from that time
A gift from the desert floor
Pitted and ageless echoing the topography of my life
I will in time disappear there and embrace the land… become its breathe
My memory folded into its memory.
28 May 2020