Photogenic is a Useless Adjective

I love photographing people who are not considered photogenic. When I meet them, they often warn me about how bad they will look in their pictures, and seem somehow ashamed of not being able to portray some set of coveted characteristics. In front of the lens, they look away, repeatedly clear their throats, they chuckle while looking down...a burst of colors going to their face.

Interested in portraying his joie de vivre and effusive personality, I asked Daniel, a friend visiting from Barcelona, if I could take his picture. He was nervous, brought two different set of glasses, and told me no one had ever taken a good picture of him. Some sushi and three Sapporos later he was ready for his shot.

In moments like this, when I see people unaware of their charm, of their uniqueness, or their ugly-sexiness, I often remember this saying I used to hear back in Dominican Republic: "Cada quien tiene lo suyo"... such accurate popular wisdom. We as human beings are not and cannot be repeated; this is not possible and quite frankly also undesirable. Maybe Daniel couldn't mirror the latest fashion ad from Diesel, but his delicate awkward pose, interwoven fingers (to hold down the nerves), the unintended sincere laugh that came out of his discomfort, and the lovely red of his hair(sprinkled with silver)are not replicable, and that alone is very special.

I stayed quiet while photographing him, sans directing of any kind(none of that "beautiful", "hold it" or "that's hot!" crap). I purposely do this every time I take someone's photograph because I don't want to scare their essence away, I don't want their spirit to go back in its shell, and I also want to send the message that what they got to offer is more than good enough, that their way is special and desirable, and that no one else is capable of replicating it.