The Rise of Authentic Portraiture by Sanjay Naker
In a world full of filters, perfect skin, and manufactured perfection, there is a subtle revolution taking place in photography—a re-embracing of the raw, the real, and the truly human. Pioneering this cause is London photographer Sanjay Naker, whose portraits have become the benchmark for honest portraiture. Why Authenticity Matters For decades, portrait photography has been aiming for technical perfection—sharp focus, perfect lighting, and post-worked skin tones. But the advent of social media, and the ubiquitous exposure to worked-over imagery, has made many feel disconnected from what they see. Sanjay Naker's portraits disobey that rule. He shoots individuals not as they wish to be perceived, but as they are—with all the imperfections, impermanence, and authenticity that include human life. His subjects mostly sit for him in daylight, in ordinary environments, and with very little editing. The outcome? A candid beauty that speaks. "A portrait should feel like a moment, no...