When you take a photo, you're probably pointing the camera at your subject's face. That would make sense, yes? You want to see the twinkle in their eyes and their smile, because it's really the face that tells the story, right?
For photographer Patty Maher, capturing a story, a feeling, and a memory isn't just about the face.
In fact, in many of her photos, her models' faces are entirely hidden from view, either turned away from the camera or obscured by long hair. But somehow, we can sense what their facial expressions might be.
There are many ways to tell a story in images, and many photographers are finding that this applies to portraits, too.
Like the photographer who used models, animals, and a dreamy aesthetic to explore his relationship to solitude, Maher tells a story in her photos through setting, color, and props.
It takes a little more planning and skill to go this nontraditional route, but the results are stunning.
Taken from a few of her series, these photos are haunting and lovely, and tell a surprisingly definite story despite the fact that not one face is visible!
[H/T: My Modern Met]
Patty Maher creates these moody, emotionally charged photos in the great outdoors near her home city of Caledon, Ontario.
She uses models for her portraits sometimes, but also takes a lot of self-portraits, though. Of course, you might not necessarily know that, since most of the faces are totally obscured!
Maher likes to work outside, using the natural landscape to reflect the feeling she wants to evoke. She's interested in "what stories can be told inside the theater of the natural world."
But at the same time, she uses her mysterious models, costumes, props, and even some animal friends to turn the otherwise ordinary landscapes into strange, dreamy worlds.
Because her photos are so simple, the stories behind them are completely up to the viewer. Maher's choice of setting and props guide us in a certain direction, but leave the details out.
And these complex moods are all achieved so simply, with just a quiet setting and a tousle of hair.
And even though she's a relative newcomer, she doesn't let herself get intimidated by the so-called "art world." Instead, she works intuitively, letting the photos take shape on their own.
"One thing I have found… is that the more concrete my narrative is, the less likely I am able to translate that narrative into a photo I actually like," she says.
So to get a good photo, she tries to be as relax and hands-off as possible, letting the image form itself.
So why does she hide her subjects' faces?
Well, for Maher, the hidden faces allow for the models to become more anonymous, and therefore more universal.
In addition, the models, including Maher herself, also wear wigs and costumes that further obscure their identities.
"I seemed to be only able to capture a very limited storyline using my own face," she says. But she also says that she's open to creating photos where the subjects' faces are shown.
She also likes to find inspiration in everyday things.
"It's easy to find inspiration at the top of a mountain," she says, "but I figure if you can find inspiration in a grocery store then, well, that's a life worth leading — because most of us spend more time in grocery stores than we do at the top of a mountain."
