Self Portrait, Leaning  digital photographic print  12.5 x 12.5″  POR

After many years as a designer & educator, I retired and began spending more time writing & taking pictures. My favorite things are finding moments of unnoticed beauty in the world around us, and trying to capture the inherent but often unappreciated beauty of our bodies, whatever they look like.

Photos of unappreciated beauty in the world are quick shots taken with my iPhone as I walk around my neighborhood, on the Towpath Trail, or wherever the day takes me. I shoot anything that catches my eye. I shoot and edit quickly on my phone. I want this to be spontaneous and fun. The resulting images show up mostly on Instagram (@awdsgn) and Facebook.

I spend much more time and energy collaborating with people of all ages and genders for my “At Home In My Own Skin” project. These photo shoots, often in their homes, take a couple of hours and yield 200 or more images. I pay a lot of attention to lighting and composition, trying to capture images that are technically good. In the editing phase I try to crop and adjust the images in a powerful and beautiful way. I often combine multiple images, looking for similarities and contrasts of form.

The pandemic has given me more time and incentive to get out and about via daily walks around my neighborhood. Good for one of my photographic loves. At the same time the pandemic has made in-person photo shoots problematic, and I haven’t been able to work with anyone since February 2020. I do have one available and willing model, myself. I’ve created many self-portraits during the pandemic, although the one in this show was shot pre-pandemic (December 2019) and edited more recently.

The pattern of wrinkles in my 74-year-old skin looks more obvious in the photo than in the mirror, but show a strength and beauty that I didn’t know I have. This is what I look for when photographing others, and I’m happy to finally recognize it in myself. I’m happy for this opportunity to share it with you. Remember, you’re beautiful too.

Al Wasco