photography, life & everything else

Body Image II.

Body Image is a project where I go home to people, either friends or strangers, and they undress as much as they’re comfortable with and expose what they want of both themselves and their home. And once the photograph is taken my models write a text about their own body image.

This project for me is honest and real, it is without any photoshopping, it’s just me portraying real people just the way they are. I hope people will take the time to read the text the model has provided and that this project will affect someone out there.

“I have an hourglass figure and that’s makes it hard to dress since that is not the look the stores wants. To go in to a store and try everything they have on only to maybe if I’m lucky find one thing, does not help me to look at my body and be proud.
Before I got my curves I used to have no problems finding clothes and was more comfortable with my body. I love my body don’t get me wrong I just want the same as every other girl does and that is not to be invisible.
I have my small issues that I would like to fix but what I most want is to love my body the way it is. To be proud of having a body as a real woman is supposed to have. And not feel like many other teenage girls where everything around you seems to be screaming “you’re not pretty enough!” “You’re not thin enough!
I am short at just over 5 feet. My legs are quite stumpy and my thighs are plump and round; they jiggle when I walk and rub together where they meet at my groin. I have the little pouch at the end of my tummy and love handles that shake. That makes it hard wearing tight fitting clothes, But then again I have big perky breasts and arm muscles as a man that I just love.
I sometimes have my days where I wish this was different or that was different. Wouldn’t it be nice if I didn’t get pimples? Or if I were taller I’d be able to reach those cookies on the top shelf. And these jeans would fit much better if I didn’t have this pot belly. But I’ve learned to keep such thoughts as they should be—fleeting. I can see them for what they are to me now, as a grownup—a fantasy. Like wishing for my body to be different is a momentary emotion and I appreciated how unrealistic it is. Most importantly though, I’ve learned to focus on the things I love about my body—I love my round tooshie, my womanly hips and perky breast, because these things are beautiful to me, even if they’re not supposed to be.
I think it’s better to indulge in the life I do have, we only live once right? Why would I want to add completely unnecessary stress to a life that really is perfect? Hating my body has, after only 25 years, become somewhat of an inconvenience that I would like to shove bake in to the closet and never take out again.
Because when it comes to my life, the people I want in it aren’t going to want to be in my life because of the way I look naked (and if they do, kudos to them, because all my “weird” bits are actually really sexy).”