Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Haunted by an Apparition of Beauty

I have this vision inside of my head. It's probably inspired by early experiences of viewing naturist photography, especially from a time long past when the lifestyle emphasized fitness and vitality (instead of uncritical body acceptance - for better and worse).

It is a vision of grace and beauty; lithe young bodies unselfconsciously exposed and nonchalantly inhabiting either the natural or the manmade world (either one delights the senses). There's no sexuality involved; and while I don't see how adding an erotic element would detract from this picture in any way, I must admit that there is a certain intrigue to the concept of a lifestyle where beautiful people perform normal, everyday activities entirely without clothes.

That is, opposed to reserving that outfit strictly for sexual (or otherwise private - in which none but a hallowed few receive the privilege of observation) encounters. For, even as sexually progressive as I am, I wouldn't be comfortable being surrounded by sex all the time. Yet my eyes have never once drunk their fill of looking at beautiful naked bodies; that thirst is unquenchable.

My fantasy is to live in a world where such sights are commonplace. Reality can, at times, approach this utopic vision, but only with great effort, and only in fleeting approximation. It is this fantasy that my photography is engineered to evoke; in my best moments, I can capture a little part of that vision of naked beauty that lives in my head. But, alas, I am not getting any younger or prettier.

Chasing the ghost of that vision, and trying to recreate the excitement I felt the first time it appeared to me, is what keeps me shooting like a madman, even when by all rights I should stop and have a rest. Taking pictures won't bring my dream to life, but so long as it allows me to occasionally catch glimpses of that world, as if through a window, I will continue to pursue. This is, without a doubt, my life's passion.