I came across the word ‘wabi-sabi’ not that long ago, and it really struck a chord with me. I think it does with a lot of photographers and artists.
Wabi: humble
Sabi: the beauty of the natural progression of time
The beauty of imperfection.
It’s what I love to capture. It’s the truth. It’s human. It’s the way we are. It’s why when I’m post-processing images, I often increase the clarity instead of smoothing skin out. Flaws are beautiful; they reveal character, stories, time.
Beauty is everywhere, but often it’s the most breathtaking in the imperfect and the ordinary.
It’s why this image has been a favourite for many months now. It’s the curve of his belly contrasting against the nappy sticking out of his shorts, it’s the dirty nails that clearly need trimming but the delicate way he’s holding that little leafy branch, it’s his chubby, dimply soft little hands with that one little finger curling oddly around the one next to it.
Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. ~ Leonard Cohen
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