My latest self-portrait, Pieces of Me, was born out of two ideas. Visually I wanted to play with pieces of a face used to mask my own. The idea of obscuring the face, yet leaving parts visible, creates a trick of the mind. A familiar person becomes a stranger.
The second idea was born out of the idea of personas, particularly online ones. I am grateful for the internet. I have gotten almost all of my photographic opportunities by having an online presence. But I do realize that what you see isn't always reality. We show our best side, our most successful, confident selves and rarely expose our vulnerabilities, insecurities and disappointments. And who can blame us? We want to exude confidence and success, not drone on about our shortcomings. The old saying "Fake It Until You Make It" does have its rewards. Unfortunately, we don't see through the fake and assume that we are alone in our struggles. That is definitely not true. Though I won't spill every insecurity out to the public, it is there. We all have it and we are not alone.
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| Pieces Of Me © 2013 Heather Evans Smith Photography |
