The authentic photograph
What it really means to make authentic work, and why it matters (more than ever)
I believe that authenticity sits at the heart of all meaningful photography.
An authentic photograph holds a special individuality that sets it apart from what everyone else has made.
It is an expression of something unique and personal about who you are.
It will allow you to connect with the viewer of your work on a deeper, more emotional level.
I also believe authentic photographs are the ones most likely to endure, and perhaps even thrive, in the age of AI-generated art we are entering.
This is why authenticity is my north star.
In my photography, and in everything else I create, my goal is to stay close to what feels like a true expression of my Self.
This is how I find the most meaning in the creative process.
I am guessing you want to create meaningful, personal, AI-proof art, too.
When we talk about authenticity in art, what does that actually mean?
And how do we express ourselves authentically through our work?
Here are my personal thoughts on this.
What is authenticity, really?
I’ve heard authenticity defined in many ways. It’s most often defined as “being true to yourself,” “honest,” or “being real.”
But I’ve always found those definitions to be a bit nebulous and unhelpful.
What does it really mean to be true to yourself?
Here’s how I see it: authenticity is congruence.
Congruence between who you truly are and what you present to the world.
Congruence between your internal reality and your outward expression of that reality.
On the flip side, inauthenticity is incongruence between your inner and outer world.
It’s when you have an internal experience and then put on a false front to either hide it or distort it.
Authenticity is not something you can do. It’s not a verb you can act out or explain.
Authenticity is a state of being.
You can’t do, make, or find authenticity; you can only be it.
Just like you can’t do happiness. Or make happiness. Or find happiness (the biggest misconception of them all). You can only be happy.
You are either in a state of authenticity, or you aren’t.
It’s all about connection
Authenticity can’t be faked.
Humans are designed to pick up on the states of other humans and animals. We have evolved this ability over millions of years as a survival instinct.
That’s why we are so attuned to knowing when someone or something is authentic or not. We can sniff it out a mile away. Our intuition (which lives in the body) can feel it.
It’s also why we feel at ease and regulated when we are with someone authentic.
We are hard-wired to connect with others through authenticity.
People gravitate towards authentic people and art because they want connection.
Connection feels good because it feels safe. When we feel safe, we can let our guard down and be ourselves.
It’s easier to reciprocate authenticity around people who are authentic.
It’s also why humans will never truly be able to emotionally connect with AI-generated art (more on that in a bit).
It’s all about connection.
If you want your art to connect with people on a deeper level than it does now—one that emotionally resonates with the viewers of your work—*be more authentic.
Express yourself through your art in a way that is congruent with your internal reality; your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, likes, dislikes, etc.
(*human-made em dash)
An authentic photograph is…
“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.” — Paul Klee
When a photograph is authentic, it is an extension of your Being.
Part of your Being is your unique way of seeing.
When you make authentic work, it will feel like looking in a mirror. You will feel like it resonates with a part of your soul.
You will feel this resonance in your body; you won’t think it in your mind.
Those who view it from the outside will recognize a part of you in the work, like your unique signature. Some part of your inner world is embedded in it.
Every photographer filters what they see through their own unique psyche and lived experience.
An authentic photograph, then, is not one that perfectly documents the external world.
It is one that expresses the photographer’s relationship to that world.
An authentic photograph is a reflection of the artist’s own perceptions, values, and lived experience.
It does not come from imitation or approval-seeking.
An authentic photograph is what naturally emerges when what you make is congruent with who you actually are.
So the question becomes…
Who are you?
“All I can do is be me, whoever that is”. — Bob Dylan
If you don’t know who you are, it’s hard, if not impossible, to be authentic.
You will take others' advice, opinions, and feedback and mistake them for your own voice.
You will look outside yourself for direction before you ever learn to listen inward.
You will photograph what you think you should photograph. Edit the way you see others edit. Do more of what gets praise and repeat what gets attention.
Most photographers I work with want to express themselves artistically.
They want to move from their left brain to their right brain.
They want to make photos that convey a feeling rather than simply record nature with a camera.
However, you can’t express who you are if you don’t know who you are.
So, who are you?
Figure out who you are (easier said than done, I know), and then create in congruence with whatever you discover.
What are your values? What’s going on in your inner world? What stirs your emotions? What are you curious about? How do you feel about the subjects you photograph?
Questions like these will help you hone in on your individual way of seeing.
Then, make work congruent with whatever that is.
That is authenticity.
Authenticity takes courage
“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
Being authentic is hard because it requires courage.
Authenticity requires you to share a part of your own humanness, including the stuff most of us try to hide. The imperfections, the flaws, and the mess.
Revealing these things to the world takes courage because it requires vulnerability.
We risk rejection from the herd by simply being ourselves.
This is scary…often terrifying.
I think this is a big part of why many people respect authentic art so much, and have an aversion to AI-generated art (at least all the artists I know do).
Authenticity is an inherently human state that cannot be replaced by a robot.
An AI doesn’t have the capacity to exhibit courage, and this is one reason it will never be capable of authenticity.
No matter what “art” it creates, it will never be able to do it with emotion, risk, vulnerability, or courage.
So, be authentic.
Have courage.
Express yourself through your photography and art in a way that is congruent with your inner world.
It’s the path to connection, meaning, and fulfillment in your work.
And the robots won’t be able to reproduce it, either.
Until next time, thank you for reading.
— Meredith
📸 What’s next?
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I loved the piece on authenticity. I am a poster child for introversion and I fear critical comments. The good news is that I continue to shoot what speaks to me. The criticism can hurt but I am making progress. Thank you for "Authenticity". John Day+
Thank you for your reflection on authenticity, which is, of course, rooted in the often elusive pursuit of self-knowledge. Despite the apparent simplicity of the ancient Greek maxim, “Know thyself,” I have found such understanding difficult to attain and, at best, fleeting. Yet there are rare moments when I believe we are granted a glimpse of our authentic selves.
Perhaps it is in moments of stillness, when the heart grows quiet and the mind comes to rest. In the silence between breaths, we may catch sight of ourselves reflected in the gilded light of dawn, the radiant summit of a snow-crowned mountain, or a solitary cloud drifting across an endless blue expanse. Such earthly wonders seem to beckon us home—to that truest part of ourselves—a place both intimately near, yet mysteriously beyond our reach.
There is something yearningly beautiful in this awareness, something both profound and authentic. It reminds us that our true self is not a destination which can be fully attained, but rather a light briefly glimpsed along the way—a quiet recognition of who we are beneath the noise and haste of the world.
May you continue to discover yourself in the many lights of the world, whether through the lens of your camera or through the lens of your heart. And may each image, each landscape, and each fleeting moment reveal something of that rare and enduring truth that resides within you.