La Vita È Bella with Slim Aarons

How many photos of you did your friends take this summer, trying to find that one Instagram worthy snap? Which one did you post? The one where you are flirting with the camera, the casual one, the Boomerang with the flamingo in the pool, or the #nofilter snap, where the sunset rays touch your body so gently?

While the temperatures are still high, it’s never too late to visit the sea and take that perfect summer photo. If you are bored with your Instagram profile and been trying to spice it up a little, the man who will most definitely inspire your next most-liked post is Slim Aarons.

Way before Rich Kids of Instagram, there was a retired young American army photographer, who after the war, moved to sunny California and started photographing celebrities, jet-setters and socialites. He never used the help of a stylist and make up artist. His profession according to him was “Photographing attractive people, doing attractive things in attractive places.”

Born on October 29th 1916, Slim Aarons was a shy, optimistic fella, whose lesson from the combat was that “The only beach worth landing on is decorated with beautiful seminude girls tanning in a tranquil sun.” One of the best photographers of his age, his work appeared in Life, Town&Country and Holiday magazines. His lovely and peaceful nature allowed him to hung out with the highest of socialites, making them feel safe and act natural around him. He knew everybody worth knowing, was invited to the most glamorous parties and enjoyed the likes of icons like Gary Cooper and Clark Cable. Aarons died on May 20th 2006, leaving big archive we can feast our eyes upon.

Slim’s eye and attention to details gave his work such symmetry and order, that make his art ethereal. His photographs depict a perfect moment, captured in a perfect light with perfect people, wearing perfect clothes.

While looking at his photographs one does not think, but enjoy. They have the power to take you at the scenery, and remind you that life is joyful and every moment is serene. Each picture one person takes is his way of seeing the world. I’m lucky to live in a world where there was Slim Aarons and his sublime perspective.