Face Saving: Forty Faces in Forty Days

What faces are likely to appear to me in my daily wanderings? I’ve been trying to imagine where I will see faces of the kind I might photograph and came up with this checklist as a preliminary guide.

Faces of the "real" world – humans, animals, flowers, vegetables

Faces found in doodles, graffiti, murals

Accidental/imagined faces – perhaps only in “my” eye

Faces in found photographs – anonymous, eccentric

Three-dimensional faces – figures with faces

Faces in original art works – anything interesting (to me)

Faces in strange places – tattoos, store windows

A photography instructor once suggested that there are two types of photographers: hunters and gatherers. The xola series definitely followed the gatherer approach - eyes roaming, mind open, everything is possible….whatever seizes the attention and stimulates the imagination in any moment.

The hunter, on the other hand, is deliberately focused on one idea, one subject, one outcome. For the few days I’ve been engaged in this project, I’ve become a reluctant hunter. In this mode, I find that there are not as many opportunities to take shots and the subjects are not easily photographed in original or compelling ways.

It’s all about the faces themselves. Are they humorous, poignant, droll, beautiful, ugly, unconventional, unique, fantastic…..? What is the story behind this face?

It is such a subjective assessment. If I see a drawing by a friend that I find totally charming, will you see it that way? The animal faces I see weekly are adorable, but will they lend themselves to an artistic photo?

It is a challenge. I predict that perhaps only about a quarter of the photographs I post will be of any merit as “art.” However, I have needed a project that is limited in scope and time just to get me looking and looking again.

In any case, I hope you find a face that pleases you!

∆∆