The Concept of Expression: Aaron Bent

DISCLAIMER: SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES WERE FOLLOWED CLOSELY AT THE TIME OF THIS PHOTOSHOOT WITH ALL THE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT MYSELF & AARON.

The next subject I have photographed for this series is Aaron Bent.

It was five years since I last met Aaron as we both studied at Croydon College, and to meet up with him prior to the second lockdown was an emotional welcome with open arms considering we hadn’t met up for such a long time and it was a true blessing to meet up with him after so much time passed as we had so much to catch up on, especially with everything currently going on with the coronavirus pandemic, though so much has changed in five years and it was so refreshing to catch up.

What was so nice was the fact even though both of us hadn’t seen each other for all that time and to have a catch up on everything that’s been going on, it felt like as if it was yesterday we last spoke to one another and I’ve learned to realise during the course of this coronavirus pandemic that it’s brought all of us together a lot more, as we’re more open than we all were before and it’s such a refreshing feeling to be able to reach out and feel like the conversation never ended and it feels like the conversation’s continued from where it left off which I find so liberating, and what’s nice is both of us talked about how things have been since we left college and how things have changed since we all went into the world of work.

During the course of this photo-set, I aimed to capture Aaron’s genuine emotions in such a way where he expresses and oozes confidence that he’s not afraid to say that your authenticity matters and that you should be you knowing you don’t need to care at all about anyone’s opinion of you and who you truly are.

iPhone 11 (With Studio Light Mono) / Edited Using The Instagram Filter, Inkwell.

This is Me! This is Who I’m Meant to Be. I Was Born to Be Myself & I Won’t Change for You & For Everyone Else!

Nikon D3300 (With The TAMRON AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Lens)

That’s An Interesting Thought to Think About.

What I admire is Aaron’s calm and collective approach to mental health as his emotions are genuine and express how he feels as he’s unafraid to be himself which is liberating, and what’s interesting is how his expressions reveal the deep inner feelings he isn’t afraid to show, which creates a very visceral outlook on how he expresses his emotions all while expressing his emotions with the best intentions.

Aaron’s personality really shines here because he expresses his confidence and isn’t afraid to show both sides where he’s happy in certain moments, all while showing the moments where he’s on edge or angry, which is a nice thing to see because he knows his emotions and expressions are realistic and authentic, all while being mindful of how he genuinely feels.

I’m Feeling Hopeful That Things Will Work Out.

With the way he expresses his vulnerabilities, it’s refreshing to see his unseen emotions come to the surface because it’s not often men show genuine, raw emotion for the fear of being judged for being genuine and open about how they truly feel, and Aaron has expressed his unseen emotions effortlessly as he’s expressed his intentions with the fact he’s not going to put on fake emotions at all to please anyone when his true emotions and feelings are what give off strength and willpower.

You Really Want to Go There & Push Your Luck, Don’t You?

His resilience and confidence defines him as being strong-willed, unafraid to show genuine emotion, all while expressing his purpose and true intentions that his authenticity matters and no one can ever take that away from him.

My Purpose is to Be True to Myself & To Show You The Real Me You See Now!

The inspiring and motivational energy that Aaron gives off in this photo-set is living proof that you can be anything you want to be because you have purpose, and your mental health matters just as much as anything else because mental health exists, and his confidence is what inspires me to keep being open about mental health, and this is why for me, personally, I know my best and true intentions are to open up more about mental health all while inspiring all of you to be open about your mental health as you all matter.

This pandemic has given all of us more of a reason to come together and support one another, and I would want all of you to be open about your mental health as we all need to be there for one another now, more than ever.

If you enjoyed this photo-set, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with me as I hope this photo-set inspired you to open up, and I want all of you to know that you matter to me and would always want you to stay safe and well, both physically and mentally.

Alex Smithson

Equipment Used: