Al's Photography

When a subject poses to have his or her photograph taken, the subject tries to project a message about himself orherself by how he or she “poses”, by the attitude of his or her body language or facial expression.

If the subject is posed by the photographer, the body pulled and prodded into the desired angles, the facial expression “directed”, it is the photographer who is intending to communicate a message. In either case, posing or posed, there is undeniably something “false” in the representation. Perhaps the only “true” thing being represented in this art is a record of how people being photographed or people photographing other people misrepresent reality for whatever their reasons. Perhaps it’s human to always want to show a life that’s a little prettier, happier, better.