On page 120 of Kathryn Harrison's novel, Exposure, the narrator asks, "What words could have exposed her more than the photographs themselves?" The question disconnected itself from the plot of the story and in my mind started rotating as a compelling question in general, as I am both a writer and a photographer. As a writer, I write about ideas, situations, the world, and myself; as a photographer, I capture...shoot...compose...photograph the essence...the whisper...the suggestion of people, places, pets, objects.
To me, photography is infinitely more complex an art form than writing, possibly because I've been writing in general and writing more professionally longer and so have more comfort and experience with the craft, the art, the science, the skill of connecting words together to form meaning about ideas, situations, the world, and myself. Also, I find the art of photography to be a medium that requires a true partnership between the camera, the photographer, and the photographed. Whereas writing is a mechanical skill partnered with one's own imagination and depth of knowledge - a truly solitary pursuit. Composing an image requires numerous instantaneous decisions, each falling over the other as they combine to form the idea about what the image should and could look like, and then the photographer tries to (but doesn't always) achieve. But when I consider the question that the novel's narrator raises, whether words or photographs expose an individual more, I find myself caught between two dangerous loves, both seductive in their ability to expose, or pose, our "true" natures.
When you look at a photograph of yourself (probably taken by someone like me), what do you see? Do you see your true self, your soul, your spirit, your essence, the truth of who you are? Or do you see what I see? My truth about who you are. Compare a photograph of your face to something you've written about yourself. Which one is more posed? Which one exposes more of who you truly are? Do we EVER expose ourselves fully in either medium, despite our confessional yearnings?
Having exposed my fears, concerns, and escapades pretty thoroughly in writing (if sometimes anonymously) over the years, and having taken photographs of myself recently for various purposes (publicity shots, online dating site images, Facebook photos), I would have to say that my writings expose more of me than the captured images. However, I might be blind to what the camera sees with its unrelenting, unblinking shutter-vision...the man I'm currently dating says that he can see my soul through my photos. Now, this might have just been a line, which I initially took it to be, until he started talking about what else he sees based on the photos. And what he said took me aback. How could he possibly perceive those notions...through a photograph? And a digital one, to boot!
It is a powerful medium, to be sure, but even as I attempt to capture the truth of what I'm seeing, I'm still aware that it is ME seeing - my lens, my perception, my interpretation of whatever is in front of me. And because of that separation between the truth and my interpretation, the photograph can't possibly contain vital information that essentially exposes the captured person beyond the surface pose.
Or does it?
I have always thought that our own writings, particularly public writings, say more about us than any photograph could. But both mediums require us to both pose and expose to some degree, and whether we are entering the enterprise with the intention of exposing our truth or hiding it, is it possible that a photograph of our essence, captured in a moment, even manipulated by software and a soft touch, can reveal more about who we truly are than our own written expressions? By which medium do we truly know ourselves? By which medium can others truly know us?
What do you think? Which medium exposes you more - a photograph or your own writings?
1 comment:
These are good questions! I think photos and writing expose people in different ways.
If someone poses for a photograph and even touches it up a little bit with Photoshop before posting it for others to see, I don't think that is so much of an exposure, because you specifically tailor what kind of image you want others to see.
However, if someone catches a photo of you when you are unaware, I think that is exposure to a much deeper level, because the moment is raw and untouched. A lot of times, people don't like these photos of themselves, because they look unflattering or are looking away, but sometimes, these pictures are also the most beautiful, because they capture who a person really is when they think no one is looking.
The same goes with writing, I think. Many times, my teachers say that we should write so that our readers don't see the writer on the page--our mistakes and thought processes are hidden. However, I always think it is interesting to go back to look at earlier drafts of famous poems and stories if they exist and see how the author is working on the page, how they decide what to keep and what to take out. It's very illuminating and shows a different side to these people.
Great post!
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