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Softness/
the imparted

I find that many of the images I am struck by when browsing the internet have elements of softness to them. Whether that softness is conveyed through film's grain, focus (and lack thereof), or color balance, there seems to be this sensuous, physical element that comes out in the photograph.

I'm not the only one drawn to this sensuousness. There's an element of dreaminess--of imparted hopes and dreams and identities. But paradoxically, for myself at least, it makes me feel a nostalgia for things I have not yet experienced.

Here, I will share a few images and give credit when I can.

Daria Werbowy for Celine SS 2013 shot by Juergen Teller

At first blush there are elements to her outfit and this photo that would

not necessarily make one think of softness (i.e. the geometric bracelets, 

the line of her shoulder), but there is something in her gaze and the curves of

her hair (echoed in the bag's loosely tied knot) that evokes some sort of

tristesse

In the world of film, I feel that many of the scenes in Joe Wright's 2007 adaptation of Atonement held this same softness to them. Here, with Keira Knightley smoking a cigarette while getting ready for a dinner. 

the same idea of softness can even be found in photographs of landscapes, such as this one by photographer Jake Stangel of Drakes Bay. I love the dispersion of light on the right hand side of the photo while the land in the far-off distance is shrouded in a haze.

Venetia Scott for Margaret Howell SS 2009

Like the Juergen Teller photograph of Werbowy, at first blush

this photo doesn't make one think of softness. However, there is something

in the model's gaze that evokes some kind of tenderness. I also think the

tent pole in the background that slices the photograph unevenly in two has something

to do with it. It adds a distinctive (partial) framing against the model's face

and a striking juxtaposition. 

pearls, 2012 by Lee Yun Ho