What do you think about your face?

Danish photographer Simon Hoegsberg is known for his unusual photo projects, of which he has more than a dozen. In his work, he often approaches strangers on the street and asks them candid questions. In 2007, he spent a month photographing passersby in New York City, asking each one the same question: "What do you think about your face?" The results of this experiment are ten unique stories from completely different people, revealing their thoughts and feelings to the lens.





"It happens that one day I see a face that immediately catches my attention. I'm fascinated by its appearance, and I really want to approach this person and say hello. I spent a month, seven hours a day, walking the streets of New York City, searching for people who had a similar effect on me. I found ten and asked each of them the same question: "What do you think of your face?"



1. Joan Darrow. Image Consultant

"I think God gave me a beautiful face. And I'm grateful to Him for that. So much of my life is tied to faith. My beauty comes from faith. When I think of the Holy Spirit, I feel myself glowing with beauty, thank God. It's very important to accept the face you have. Sure, I could have plastic surgery. But I'd look like a different person. And why would I want to become a different person?" I'm not ashamed of the way I look; I think it's directly connected to something spiritual, not worldly. The world is always telling us: go do this, that, and that to yourself... I hardly wear makeup; I don't think it makes a person more attractive. I want people to see my face, not my makeup. I like being the way God made me."

2. Genevieve Montgomery. Actress, screenwriter

"In my face, I see a portrait by Van Eyck or Holbein. I don't have a modern look. I don't fit today's standards with their emaciated bodies. They're not feminine at all. I admire the divine essence of women. But when they starve themselves, get breast implants, and don't accept themselves as they are, it's repulsive. I don't judge my appearance by the expectations Hollywood imposes, but by what I see in museums."



3. Rhoda Lukin. 75, political commentator

"I'll say right away: I've changed a lot in the last three years. Age has caught up with me. Now I see in the mirror not a free, witty, and charming woman, but an old woman. It's hard, but in a way it's liberating. You don't have to be in a crowd anymore, and you can talk to a nice man without worrying about flirting with him. I'm a writer. My world is journalism, art publications, news. It's hard to be away from an active life. And yet, I hope I can find a way to grow old without all these puzzles and crosswords, keeping a clear head."



4. John Toriello. 55, unemployed

"I wish I were better looking, and it's all because of boxing. My nose was broken in 1973, and I walked around like that until 1981. Then I went to the doctor. How he tortured me! He took a hammer and a chisel and... And then he said, 'I can't shorten it.' And I wanted my nose to be smaller, so that that damn thing would barely be visible. I'm Italian, so you know... You're born with a Roman nose like this. And to be honest, I recently lost almost $4 million in real estate. I've been taking antidepressants, so now I don't really think about my nose or anything."



5. David Lawrence. 23, newspaper delivery boy

"My face is experienced, yet youthful and rebellious. If I saw a photo of myself without knowing it was me, I'd think: this guy really has a purpose in life. I'm an ordinary man with an extraordinary appearance. It's a 21st-century look. I'm only 23, but I have a long, thick beard. Or rather, I would have one if I shaved less often. When I slick my hair back, women go crazy for me. This is how God made me. When ordinary people get so much attention, they become arrogant. But I always remember that I didn't create myself this way."



6. Allen Mackerel. 27, singer, poet

"As a child in Africa, where I grew up, I looked at myself and realized that my face was different from everyone else's. And when I came to the States, I saw that I was different. I discovered how magical parts of my face can be—my nose, my eyes, my lips. Since then, I rarely leave the house without eyeliner. People say I'm beautiful. But beauty has nothing to do with a person's spiritual world. So when people say to me, 'What a beautiful face you have!' I usually don't respond because I have nothing to say."



7. Biond Fury. Musician, TV show host

"I'm involved in the world of film and music—I'm a writer and singer. I think my face reflects the content of my work. I like the energy that long hair brings." For me, they symbolize freedom and independence. My name is BIOND FURY (a distorted version of "beyond rage"), which speaks for itself. I don't say my age. I don't think of myself in terms of time like most people. I exist outside of time."



8. Robert Sheen. 37, professional dog walker

"My face can be repulsive. I sense when my appearance intimidates people. I can turn it on and off. When I'm riding the subway home, I don't really want people to talk to me, so I turn it on. If I'm going to a party, on the contrary, my facial expression changes: it's much easier to approach me and talk to me."



9. Lonnie Ratti. 31, singer, poet

“My face is asymmetrical. I’m sure if you cut it in half, the halves would look different. Although, maybe there’s something unique about it. I don’t think I’ve seen many people who look like me, even in New York. Sometimes that’s good, and sometimes it’s bad. If I commit a crime, I can’t pretend it wasn’t me. But that’s never happened to me before. Actually, no, it has. I was rude to a guy once, and when I saw him again some time later, I tried to pretend it wasn’t me. But I couldn’t get away with it.”