Stealing Souls

.

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
― Ansel Adams

.

In every word we say,

in every act we do,

in everything,

in everyone,

there is a muse,

and,

in everything,

in everyone

we find our muse.

.

Our muse can inspire us,

in every way that we can be inspired,

both in light,

and in dark,

and all the shades in between.

.

Stephen is a muse for me,

for this photo,

which is my F is for Fetish.

I went with an object imbued with magical power,

because that is how I was introduced to the meaning,

of the word,

fetish.

I chose a camera,

reflected in a mirror,

because both objects,

are given the ability,

by humans,

to steal souls.

.

But these objects can also,

reveal souls,

return them,

give what they are accused of stealing.

.

A muse (a female one) once told me my legs were crooked,

deformed and ugly,

something to be hidden from view,

so I hid them,

another muse (a male one) returned this part of my stolen soul to me,

whispering that every part of me was beautiful,

and so I revealed them.

One saw ugliness where another saw beauty,

but what did I see,

in the mirror of their musings,

the camera of their eyes?

.

A muse to muse upon…

Let yourself be,

your own muse.

.

“What I find interesting is working in a society with certain taboos — and fashion photography is about that kind of society. To have taboos, then to get around them — that is interesting.”
― Helmut Newton

.

.

Stephen’s F for Fetish

.

.