![]() All of these things are facets of who I am, and that's okay. Does the lack of sweat-laden photos mean that part of my experience was erased? No. When I take photos, I do so carefully in an attempt to capture a moment that conveys both the physical and emotional beauty of what I'm experiencing. Does this mean capturing every drop of sweat on the trail? No. I have experimented with makeup, hairstyles and outfits and figured out what works for me, whether I'm inside or out. I like to dress up and feel fancy from time to time and have an abiding obsession with red lipstick, even in the backcountry. I'm the first one to admit that I care about aesthetics and am no stranger to vanity. ![]() Too often, when the phrase "authentic" gets bandied about, what the author really means is "you don't conform to my idea or experience of the outdoors and therefore your depiction must be false." I have always been puzzled by these posts, finding them to be incredibly dismissive, inappropriate, and cruel. But what does it mean to be authentic? We aren't handbags, after all, crafted from vegan leather. The author, often a woman, levels a critical eye on images of other women in the outdoors, deeming them "inauthentic" for one reason or another, often contrasting those photos with one or more of their own. We have all seen the blog posts on this topic. I simply want to take some time to reflect on an idea that we all seem to have absorbed in a million subtle ways: women are limited by their aesthetics. I’m not here to talk about the dynamics of beauty although that’s a very worthy conversation and one that cuts both ways. Let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I recognize that in her mind she was giving me a compliment and I am by no means offended by her intentions or perception of my physical appearance.
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