Note: This post was originally written back in February 2016, but I removed it. I've chosen to share it once again because I think it's worth commemorating, regardless of how (ironically) insecure it might make me feel.
Antho and I recently did a photoshoot with local photographer Marshall Bradford as part of his Bodyimage project. No photoshop, just us. He's done quite an extensive series now with a cornucopia of shapes, sizes and styles so we felt comfortable volunteering for it. While I doubt I'll ever feel 100% comfortable prancing around in the buff, it was a fun adventure and I'm glad we did it!
Rather than try to awkwardly word my way around it, I'll include Marshall's statement about the project as he wrote it:
"Image is everything. If you don't look like the media tells you to you will never make it in the world. Forget about finding love and happiness. That's what the pretty people get.
Or that's what we are told. I don't really feel that way. As a photographer in Las Vegas I have shot my share of high polish perfect modeling photos and I'm not saying I won't shoot stuff like that in the future. I am also an artist and to that end I have the need to try new things with my art.
My thought with this project I wanted to show what we really look like. I wanted to photograph people simply being themselves and being proud of that. People should love how they look and love themselves first. No matter the way you look you should remember that your happiness comes from within. That's the goal of this work. To allow the subjects own beauty to show. I have learned a lot starting this project and I'm excited to see where it leads me to.
The project is simple. Straight nude portraits and body scapes of anyone who wants to volunteer. I won't be telling you how to pose or nudge the shoot in any particular direction. My goal is just to let you be you. That's going to be the hardest part for me. All my training is telling me to control the shoot to get the look I'm going for.
In this world of photo editing and "fix it in post" mentality theses are going to be as close to pure as I can get them. Shot and edited for black and white then done. I'm not shooting theses in B/W only because I want a certain tonal range.
If you would like to be a part of this please message me and let's set up a day to shoot. I'll be working on this for the next few months. At first I thought this would be a quick project because I wouldn't get a enough interest from people. I thought I get a few and that it would be it. I am extremely excited at the response I have gotten and the number of people willing to come along with me on this journey. Its been amazing and I can't wait to see where it goes.
Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to be a part. It's a very brave thing to allow the world to see you as you really are. I could have not done any of this work with the trust my friends place in me. I'm on honored to be able to photograph the subjects in this project.
Marshall"
Without further ado, here are some of the photos:
My absolute favourite!
Antho in a nutshell.
I'd be lying if I didn't admit to feeling a bit self conscious, but it is what it is. The goal of the project is to capture reality, not perfection. There's nothing inherently wrong with being naked and the point of this is not to be sexually titivating, so I apologise if you'd hoped for something more scandalous.
How's your body image?
XOXO
Nau
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