island of misfit images

 

The other night I went through all my posts here on lightheaded, beginning with the most recent and working my way back to the very first entry. After this occasionally embarrassing trip down memory lane, it occurred to me that of the client images I’ve shared, a good 90% of those were not chosen by the clients. Which might possibly say something about my taste in photographs. I’m not sure.

As I was going through, saying “not chosen, not chosen” to successive photos, the thought came to my mind that lightheaded is rather like my own private “island of misfit images”. Sort of reminiscent of the holiday movie, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” with its island of misfit toys. So this is the place where the cast asides come to congregate? Isn’t that interesting. You might think I’d consider throwing in some of the popular and well sold images every now and again for more widespread appeal, wouldn’t you? Hmmm.

Part of the reason that I chose not to have this photo journal associated with my work website was to avoid being tempted to put up images based on what I think someone else might want to see. There are images that spring to the forefront, boldly screaming “pick me, pick me”, and then there are those sitting quietly in the back row. The misfits. Maybe they are too subtle in their approach. Perhaps their story hints of darkness. Rawness or technical flaws may have limited their appeal. I suppose I’m inclined to reach for those quiet little images because I relate to them so well. I scoop them in my hand and hold them up high saying, “go ahead and tell your story, it’s worthy of being heard.”

So much that’s impersonal surrounds us. Why is that? So many things done solely out of duty or concern for what others think. So much insincerity. So little truth. There must be a place where this doesn’t exist. Shouldn’t we all keep a little island somewhere near our hearts, where the misfits that speak to us are warmly welcomed and accepted exactly as they are?

 
~Cynthia