"You Are So Beautiful"

November 3, 2016 10:25 PM

Turkish travel photographer Rotasiz Seyyah has a project whose idea is simple: he tells the people he meets that they're beautiful and captures their responses.

(related)

posted by Johnny Wallflower (11 comments total)

Lovely. I wouldn't get tired of looking at these even if there were a hundred more.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:39 PM on November 3, 2016 [4 favorites]

Thank you. Couldn't help smiling. It is lovely how a few words can drop barriers.
It's Validation that love is an activity.
posted by Thella at 11:43 PM on November 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

You need a knack to not get slapped for this.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 12:39 AM on November 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

The photos say as much about Seyyah's approach as they do about his subjects. Make the same obervation with just a scintilla of insincerity and it could all go very differently.
posted by rongorongo at 1:15 AM on November 4, 2016 [10 favorites]

I must say, those photographs capture some very beautiful faces. So much good here, especially the transformative power of a smile.
posted by kinnakeet at 2:24 AM on November 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

You need a knack to not get slapped for this.

Well, I think the fact that they're already sitting for a portrait is pretty important here. That's why he posts both photos. They're reacting not just to the compliment, but to the situation they are in when it is received.
posted by muddgirl at 7:13 AM on November 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

He certainly meets a lot of women, doesn't he?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 7:16 AM on November 4, 2016 [4 favorites]

Aw, #4 is especially sweet with the smile shining through the hands in front of the face
posted by Fig at 10:49 AM on November 4, 2016

This is truly heartwarming. Thank you for sharing!
posted by Mr. Fig at 11:59 AM on November 4, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is not a knock merely an observation: he doesn't tell people he shoots they are beautiful. He tells women he meets they are beautiful. As part of his shoot. And there's some part of me that both enjoys seeing the change in these woman and also hates that a complement from a stranger can mean so much to each person. I can't imagine this working in quite the same way for men. Maybe there are examples with men as well. Maybe it has the same magic. But I doubt it. Because men aren't raised to crave validation in the same way. Beautiful images; thanks for posting, OP.
posted by Bella Donna at 10:39 AM on November 5, 2016 [5 favorites]

Male gaze FTW, right?

Do we really need more of that?

Ugh.
posted by wonton endangerment at 5:04 PM on November 11, 2016 [1 favorite]