"The Limitations of Being"

• Photographer
  AVERY DANZIGER, United States
• Website
  http://www.averydanziger.com

Upon seeing my work for the first time, many believe my photographs are made using multiple exposures or some other form of externally manipulated imagery, but they are not. As with all my work, there are no double exposures or Photoshop composite image trickery with these, or any of images.

I made these photographs using a simple principal of physics. Instead of using one ?white? light source to illuminate the ballerina, I used the three primary colors as the light sources, which when combined make ?white? light. However when any of the three primary colors are blocked by the ballerina?s body, the ?white? light breaks down into pure primary and secondary colors.

Please visit my website at www.averydanziger.com for more images highlighting endangered locations around the world.

The title of this series comes from a poem ?The Invitation? by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, which the model has tattooed a verse of on her lower back.

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The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living

I want to know what you ache for

and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.



It doesn't interest me how old you are

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool

for love

for your dreams

for the adventure of being alive.



It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow

if you have been opened by life's betrayals

or have become shriveled and closed

from fear of further pain.



I want to know if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving to hide it

or fade it
or fix it.



I want to know if you can be with joy

mine or your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your

fingers and toes

without cautioning us to

be careful

be realistic

to remember the limitations of being human.



It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me

is true.

I want to know if you can

disappoint another

to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless

and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

As with all my work, these are "straight" photographic images, there are no double exposures or Photoshop trickery used to make these images.

I invite you to visit my website : www.averydanziger.com and send me any comments you have about my work - info@averydanziger.com