Physical Attraction
Do we have the ability to look at the face of a stranger and instantly know if we feel attraction or not? It is impossible to ignore the romantic chemistry when it exists between two people.
There is an instinctual attraction between faces that magnetically draws people together. To explore this notion further I've used the method of composite photography to compare facial features of people engaged in romantic partnership.
Fifty couples of varying age, ethnicity and sexual orientation were photographed, the length of their relationships ranging from two months to sixty-one years. In order to visually analyze the facial similarities and differences of the subjects, twelve specific angles were photographed of each person. A series of composite photographs were created to compare the horizontal space between the pupils, the vertical distance between eyes and nose along with the shape of the profile. The survey demonstrated that out of the fifty couples photographed ninety percent of the vertical distance between the eyes matched within millimeters and eighty six percent of the horizontal distance between the eyes and nose and couple profiles matched.
The result is an apparent visual indication of the similar physiognomic features shared by people who are romantically involved.
The duality of emotion and reason are not independent or conclusive, although my survey shows that our decisions regarding physical attraction may be greatly influenced by our primordial instincts.
There is an instinctual attraction between faces that magnetically draws people together. To explore this notion further I've used the method of composite photography to compare facial features of people engaged in romantic partnership.
Fifty couples of varying age, ethnicity and sexual orientation were photographed, the length of their relationships ranging from two months to sixty-one years. In order to visually analyze the facial similarities and differences of the subjects, twelve specific angles were photographed of each person. A series of composite photographs were created to compare the horizontal space between the pupils, the vertical distance between eyes and nose along with the shape of the profile. The survey demonstrated that out of the fifty couples photographed ninety percent of the vertical distance between the eyes matched within millimeters and eighty six percent of the horizontal distance between the eyes and nose and couple profiles matched.
The result is an apparent visual indication of the similar physiognomic features shared by people who are romantically involved.
The duality of emotion and reason are not independent or conclusive, although my survey shows that our decisions regarding physical attraction may be greatly influenced by our primordial instincts.
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Katie Huisman is a photographer based in Vancouver, Canada.
Her body of work is informed by human behaviour, body language and our relationship to voyeurism within contemporary society. Katie is influenced by antiquarian aesthetics and the scientific approach to the creation of identity in 19th century photography. Through her work she is intent on studying the present state of photography, with regard for history.
