Superhero Photo Challenge: Ugly-Beautiful

Someone told me about the french expression "Ugly-beautiful" years ago and I think about it often. She was explaining it to me in reference to a boy she was crushed out on, who wasn't good looking by conventional standards, was even unattractive by most standards, but somehow all his parts added up to this oddly handsome, striking man. He was ugly-beautiful. (If any of you out there know the precise expression in french, let me know! I would bet it sounds better in french)

This week's challenge is to find beauty in an unlikely place. Find the messy, the dirty, the discarded, the forgotten, and transform it with your lens. See it into beauty.

"The first question I ask when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful? And very shortly you discover that there is no reason." John Cage

Comments

[laura - dolcepics]

Thanks for such a great challenge! I'll keep my eyes peeled for ugly-beauty in my surroundings. I'm sure I can find something!

For now, here's a photo that I thought was ugly and destined for the trash bin but I thought I might salvage it.

http://www.dolcepics.com/articles/pulling-one-outta-the-garbage/

[m]

http://creativevoyage.blogspot.com/2008/03/ive-taken-quite-few-pictures-in-loos-as.html

I think this ends up looking quite serene - I think most people think of these places as ugly!

[Shelli]

This is a great challenge. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled. However, I did share this photograph a while back, and I think it might apply:

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#16

[Bipolarlawyercook]

I think the phrase is "jolie laide" for pretty/ugly.

[mary]

Dead and almost completely devoid of color, but somehow still beautiful...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9068078@N05/2327577872/

[Ursula]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2500253193/

[Regina]

There is a German expression called hübsch-hässlich (= pretty-ugly), probably meaning the same thing.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15165293@N00/2174939792/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15165293@N00/2385475140/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15165293@N00/2095226176/

I like things that are rusted, rotten or forgotten. If you look closely, they often have a strange beauty of their own...

[kt]

I have so many photos that probably fit this description so I loved this challenge. Thanks kt
http://kt40.typepad.com/kt40/2008/06/ugly-but-beautiful-challenge-shuttersisters.html

[Cindi]

When I was photographing these angels I thought they were interesting, but once I got home and looked at the images on the computer I decided they were just too ugly, so perhaps they fit this challenge!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjb_phodographer/2557899743/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjb_phodographer/2558724964/

[Cindi]

3 more ugly-beautiful rusting old tractors


http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjb_phodographer/2331886456/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjb_phodographer/2331886074/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjb_phodographer/2331885864/

[sperlygirl]

it's all in your perspective, isn't it - the beauty or the ugly? wonderful idea. thanks. :)
http://sperlygirl.typepad.com/sperlygirl/2008/06/finding-beauty-in-the-ugly.html

[Christy]

http://flickr.com/photos/cdwells711/2557943947/

[Marcie]

What a great topic!
My daily blog is filled with ugly/beauty...those things in nature that no one might find interesting to photograph. Here are a few recent ones:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=392
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=402
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=404

[Cheryl Doran-Girard]

A first attempt at posting:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheryldoran-girard/2554626005/

[sandra]

the neglect of my herb garden.
http://artfullife.ca/?p=287

[Kate Baumert]

http://happyinthehamptons.blogspot.com/2008/06/at-first-sight.html

[gem]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gemkathleen/2559130732/

[Michelle Potter]

I don't have a photo, but I found this on Yahoo Answers:

-----
Actually there is a specific expression for this in French and the term is "Une jolie-laide" which describes a woman who, despite not being pretty or beautiful in a classic way, still has an interesting face, but if you need a non gender-specific expression you could use "d'un beau affreux"
"Cette personne/ cet homme/ cette femme est d'un beau affreux"
"Ce film est d'une beauté affreuse" or "d'une affreuse beauté"
You could also say "d'une repoussante beauté" depending on the context.
PS. I have thought at length about this, and I would use a different sentence construction such as:
Une personne/ un objet /un tableau à l’apparence/ l’aspect à la fois attirant et repoussant.(both attractive and repulsive in appearance)
-----

The answerer claims to be a "Native Lecturer in Linguistics and Literature."

[mel]

I love the way the colours pop here, recalling a sunny and clear sky over the red sands of the desert.

http://flickr.com/photos/21106607@N05/2546350985/

[Jolie]

One of my favorite quotes-- it's written in charcoal on my studio wall-- by Paul Gauguin:

"Le laid peut-etre beau, le joli jamais." Or
"The ugly can be beautiful, the cute never (can be)."

[Mama DB]

I'm such a fan of rotted out tree trunks and termite riddled wood. What is wrong with me?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23829646@N02/2324835004/in/photostream/

[Anali]

This grass is getting so tall and I keep wondering why the lawn is being neglected. Then today, after reading this post, I noticed the roses and how beautfiul they looked. Ugly-beautiful!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/analisfirstamendment/2559187329/

[pooky]

Depressing weather:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/2190828964/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/2200718166/

[melody]

My ugly mop, but I loved the beauty of the sunset glowing upon it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/melsphotophun/2558651205/

[Rachel Parton]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25753692@N06/2560033416/

[Lawyer Mama]

Yes! They talk about that in Kissing Jessica Stein. Great idea!

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2533991877/in/set-72157605327080312/
http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2253575210/in/set-72157603674332188/

[Naomi]

I love the concept of ugly-beautiful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2482815970/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2482799480/

[brandi]

http://dandelionseedss.blogspot.com/2008/06/uglybeautiful.html

[Kim]

a trash can in the morning light. i saw it and thought it odd i was interested in a trash can. but i was.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9032846@N03/2561985739/in/pool-shuttersisters

[Moondance]

http://moondancenight.blogspot.com/2008/06/quick-clicks.html

I have never heard of the concept, but I completely understand it. It must be why I took this picture last month.

[Sharon]

When I got home yesterday, I found this dead hornet in my sink. What a great challenge, I wouldn't hardly have stopped to look at it otherwise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beautymountain/2565056232/

[piscesgirl]

http://piscesgirlpictures.blogspot.com/2008/06/superhero-challenge-ugly-beautiful.html

i love the site and have sat by the sidelines for weeks...let me in!!
Here's a bit of ugly beautiful care of Italy...ciao!

[iheartnewyork]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartnewyork/2391334782/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartnewyork/2536936395/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartnewyork/2508562786/

[Heather]

Springtime beauty...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fumblingforwords/2566959196/in/pool-shuttersisters

[Teresa]

Charmed by the ugly-beauty! Thanks for this post, Andrea.

http://flickr.com/photos/beatlequee/2567461881/in/set-72157594509846795/

[e.darcy]

I love this challenge, and I think that it rings true to most things in art. I believe that artists find beauty in all things, especially the not so pretty, unconventional things.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2568324209_aab3192915_b.jpg

I normally wouldn't use a self-portrait as an ugly-beautiful, but I will let the photo speak for itself. I love it for so many different reasons.

[kristin]

here is mine...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/2571144768/

[kristyk]

Beautiful is not taking yourself too seriously.

http://kristyk.org/blog/?p=14

[natala]

I'm so late posting this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/atheart/2577828510/

[clickmillieclick]

Hi, I hope you enjoy my ugly-beautiful spider web.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27664447@N08/2575578393/

[Heather]

I just found this site today, and this is my first superhero challenge!


http://i27.tinypic.com/23uo3t2.jpg

[Lisa]

I know I'm a little late, but this was fun!
http://becominglisaluckie.blogspot.com/2008/06/ugly-beautiful.html

[claire]

Une jolie-laide" which describes a woman who, despite not being pretty or beautiful in a classic way, still has an interesting face, but if you need a non gender-specific expression you could use "d'un beau affreux"