Wabi Sabi and Still Life Photography

There’s a lot of food that will never reach the shelves of the supermarket.
There’s a whole election process going on where the food is selected and rejected for the trip to the groceries.

Some of the food that looks a bit weird will go to the food banks, or it will be processed for animal food. Or it will be turned into juice or compost.

We have a lot of fruit in the garden and depending on the season it will be part of our breakfast.
In this case, I decided to photograph the plum before I would cut it in pieces.

In Japan you have the lovely concept of Wabi-Sabi.
Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese aesthetic and philosophical concept that emphasizes the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and the natural cycle of growth and decay. It’s a worldview that finds beauty in the simple, rustic, and unrefined aspects of life. Wabi-Sabi encourages an appreciation for things that are aged, weathered, and show signs of wear and tear.

In a way, Wabi-Sabi challenges conventional notions of beauty by recognizing the unique attractiveness of things that might not conform to traditional standards.

And on top of that, I think the blemished and imperfect plum shows the true nature of nature. Not the perfection that is artificial and dull.

The beauty of Wabi-Sabi gives us space to appreciate the way we are and the way nature is.

Beauty is not made with social media filters or surgery. Beauty comes with giving attention and appreciation of what the world gives.
Life in itself has beauty simply because it is. It moves, it breathes, and changes all the time.

In a society often driven by constant improvement and pursuit of perfection, wabi-sabi offers a counterbalance by emphasizing the beauty and value of things as they are, flaws and all.