#Apovision and the Photographer’s Treatise – aka A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
An oft-repeated axiom about photography as an artform is that primarily, photography is about the relationship between the the photographer and the subject.
Emphasis on relationship.
Photographers have a relationship with that subject even when that subject is inanimate, like a scenery. For example, the height of the photographer affects the position and angle of the shot they take. A photographer who is taking pictures of a new city will have a different perspective about what is interesting to shoot vs. a photographer who is of that place and may choose to find inspiration from the mundane.
Models as photographers are an interesting breed. A good photographer has a success rate of approximately 10 percent of shots -- the job of a model, in a professional setting is to increase the odds the photographer’s success rate. It’s why I find it so fascinating to watched MileApo as experienced models working. The way they shift their expressions, angles of their faces, tilts of their head between shutter clicks. Modelling is not just about being attractive and showing up and being a blank slate, a clothes hanger. It’s about precision in control of one’s body and one’s facial features.
I could write a entire other treatise on why I think Mile was so good as Kinn when it was his first acting role, primarily due to having such precise control of his microexpressions. The delivery of the lines are important, but what convinces us about characters are the expressions they have as they say -- or don’t say -- these things. Kinn is so complex; one of the reasons Da*mi originally facecast Mile as Kinn is because they noticed from model photos he was able to convey both the arrogance and the softness and sweetness that the character required. Kinn is so intense; that level of intensity can fall flat. And Mile is not Kinn, but there is no part of Kinn that isn’t Mile. You cannot create something from nothing.
Before I get too distracted singing the praises of Mile as an actor and model, I want to bring it back to #apovision. Apo is also a phenomenal model, but I want to specifically talk about Apo-as-photographer and his relationship with Mile-as-subject. Models are not shy about being directed for photos, and Mile has been beautifully photographed by by hundreds of professional photographers in a professional context at this point. And the shots are beautiful.
Apo is also an experienced photographer. His shots are gorgeous and evocative.
In particular, he has a great sense of angle (perspective), composition, and lighting.
The human cornea is one of the most complex lenses in the world. Our ability to adapt to intense brightness and lightness, focus and zoom in on specific while not physically moving is incredible. This has a lot to do with shape of the human pupil, but it’s genuinely extrodinary.
So when photographers play with shadow and lighting, it’s with an understanding of the limitations of the camera lens in comparison to what human eye lens can capture, and making use of that limitation.
It’s easy to take beautiful pictures of beaches, of sunsets. It’s easy to take pictures of a man as beautiful as Mile Phakphum, who is also a model and is himself experienced in physically moving his body to take advantage of of lighting. The difference here is Apo and Mile’s personal relationship.
Apo is not shy about admitting how he finds Mile handsome. Many of us do. But what he’s sharing with the world is a version of how he sees Mile. (that he thinks Mile is “super sexy”. I mean. *coughs*)
Apo already has said they have a ton of “couple photos” they don’t share. That might not necessarily even be photos that Apo is in the same frame as Mile. The last photo Mile shared with us on Instagram? People knew it was Apo not just because of the framing, but also because how intensely he exists in the photo. Remember: A photo is primarily defined as the photographer’s relationship with the subject. And the subject’s relationship with the photographer. Specifically here: the comfort, the intimacy.
It’s a glimpse in How Apo sees Mile. How beautiful and evocative. A sliver in time in how Mile is when he’s with Apo, in their little world.
And it’s incredibly humbling we’re able to witness any part of that.
So Pong Pongsakorn and Tong Thanayut have been photographed together a fair bit recently, and Twitter is AFLAME with rumors that they may be a couple:
If it's true – well, then good for them! 💖👍
And if it's not – and they're just good friends – well, then good for them too! 💖👍
Fuel to the fire were the pix posted of them dining together, in which they adopted (almost) exactly the same poses – which to a lot of KinnPorsche fans seemed a really lovey-dovey, coupley thing to do.
I dunno about that – but what struck me about the photos was how calm, serene and composed they looked:
And this was probably because the photo that followed immediately after in the Twitter feed was chaos gremlin Apo Nattawin telling us about an update to his Weibo: