Sinful Sunday: Jaw

The beauty of photographs often lies in their ability to show you something about a moment – or a place, or a person – that you didn’t notice at the time. Our brains are remarkably good at processing visual information, but even when we’re fully focused on whatever we’re looking at they can’t pick up everything, or lift all the most important and most beautiful bits out of the wider picture.

When I revisit photos I’ve taken during sex – whether hours, days or months after the event – I’m always surprised by the details that stand out. Or rather, by the ones that didn’t leave a mental imprint when I was right there with my partner. I guess we get so overloaded with sensation that we can only hold onto fragments of the image in front of us – the rest of it blurs and fades away.

The sheen of sweat on her temple. The way her hair looks like she’s just stepped out of the sea. The hard, straight line of her jaw…