Photo Series Shows That More Symmetrical Doesn’t Mean More Beautiful

What is it that constitutes beauty? Is it the completely unique aspects to a person, perhaps their imperfections, or is it symmetry that makes a person beautiful?

Traditionally, symmetry has been held as one of the biggest indicators of beauty with people often striving after it in whatever form that might be. But, photographer Alex John Beck decided to question this ingrained idea with a photo project.

In ‘Both Sides Of’, he made completely symmetrical composite images of the faces and the results are pretty surprising. Each portrait is comprised of two different pictures: one is the left half of the person’s face mirrored and the other picture is the right.

Not only do the subjects not exceed their natural beauty, they don’t even look like real people. So much for symmetry…

To Beck though, it’s not that simple. The effect is meant to show how the different characteristics of our face (i.e. ones that aren’t mirrored on both sides) are very much hidden in our faces…but they’re there.

The viewer is able to tell that they’re looking the same subject, but the two photos look dramatically different.

Beck said of his project: “I would love it if it led [people] to their appreciation of character as the truest indicator of attractiveness, rather than absolute measures like symmetrical features.”

See what you think for yourself but, I’d have to say, he definitely did a great job of reaching his goal.

h/t: diply, mindbodygreen