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JCSchneider 1 year, 5 months ago.
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Some friends here have been very supportive of the work I’ve done with Breast Cancer Survivors – helping them share their stories through portraits and written word. My wife and I call it The Reveal Mission and it continues to expand. I thought some here might be interested in a new project that is growing out of this work. I would have never have been able to follow this line of photography and storytelling wile in the mortar and brick church. I am loving the freedom to pursue this! I’d love to hear any feedback you have.
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In the process of getting prepared to shoot portraits of Breast Cancer Survivors bold enough to reveal their scars I asked some female friends to pose in various stages of undress. Not only did they provide some very valuable photography experience but they also shared a great deal with me about vulnerability and body image – in fact, it was the number one reason that almost two dozen of my friends agreed to pose for me.In our culture a woman’s body is subject to judgement at a very young age – television commercials and magazine advertising set a standard that few, if any can achieve. Even the models that are featured in the ads are highly photoshopped so that their actual bodies look quite different from their images. In actuality, some of my friends who are professional models suffer some of the worst fears about body image. The scrutiny on them to be picture perfect is something very difficult to healthily maintain. While other ladies, without the ‘perfect bodies’ long to switch shapes with them, being known and accepted primarily because of your body shape creates issues when it comes to a woman’s identity.
In this process I photographed friends who had been abused because of their femininity and wanted to claim their bodies back for themselves. I photographed women whose bodies and identities had changed in the course of pregnancy, motherhood, and age. I photographed women who had faced different health issues and wanted it documented. I photographed women who simply wanted to take un-sexualized photos of their bodies and celebrate a certain time in their lives. The results were significant and I value the feedback that these friends had of their experience. (While I imagine this has piqued your curiosity all of these photos were shot with the promise that they would remain private. The only people who will ever share the photos are the women themselves.)
At the end of this project my wife and I were discussing what we had learned. She prophetically told me, “I don’t think you are done working in this area of body image. I think there is more for you to pursue in this area of body image with women in both your photography and storytelling.” She only made one request of me. “Please promise me that you will never charge a fee to a woman who is working with you in this area.” It was an easy request to agree to. Many people make a lot of money with images of nude women. I am not one of them.
As a part of this journey we bought a copy of a short ten-minute movie called “Fifty Nude Women.” Every time I watch it I laugh with with freedom that it brings. Here is a description from their own website: http://www.fiftywomen.com/what.html
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“Fifty Nude Women” is a short film montage, set to music and featuring hundreds of images of women’s bodies—all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors. Breasts, legs, bellies, hips, backs…wrinkled skin, bulging muscles, stretch marks… all are represented in a lively montage meant solely to show what women’s bodies actually look like. The women in this video are not professional models. They are fifty regular women from all walks of life, who volunteered to be photographed for this project. The women range in age from 21 to 95 years old. The women were filmed by an all-female crew in a New York City studio over a 3-day weekend.This video was made as a resource for those interested in seeing realistic images of women’s bodies (or who think they could learn a little something about them).
It may be especially useful…
• For women or men with concerns about what’s “normal” or “realistic”
• For classroom use, to instigate dialogue about body image & representations of women in popular culture
• For parents to share with their children as a reference tool to promote healthy body acceptance
• For adolescent girls, to offset unrealistic media stereotypes of women’s bodies before they sink in as a damaging personal standard
• For adolescent boys, who have a natural curiosity about women’s bodies: Parents may wish to share this ‘alternative’ resource to balance the types of ‘references’ they may already be checking out. (ahem)
• As a tool to promote a healthy acceptance of aging
• For doctors, therapists, and counselors: a visual aid to provide patients struggling with body acceptance and eating disorders
• For people who like naked ladies
***I love this video project and I’ve shown it to many friends who have responded to it the way that I have. It has also created in me a desire to create something similar with my photography and storytelling.
For the last year I have pondered over the project, wondering if anything would come of it. One day I saw an amazingly beautiful woman in the parking lot of a strip mall. She radiated confidence. I realized I was staring at what I hoped that all women would feel about themselves. It made me wish that I had already started the project and that I had something concrete to invite her to participate in. Instead I enjoyed watching her walk across the parking lot, get into her car and drive away. The woman was in her 70’s. I didn’t get to take her photo, but I remember her raw beauty. She inspired me!
I’ve decided to move forward with this project.
What I want to create:
A public, hard-copy coffee table book of real-life women in their bodies. The purpose would be to show what real women look like and honor them in whatever stage of life that they are. This book would incorporate both images and stories of the women participants.Some of these portraits and stories could be used on a website in order to provide examples of what we are creating with this project. It is up to the participants whether or not their stories and portraits will be used.
Who I am looking to participate:
Women between 18-100, with no discrimination in regards to height, weight, color, age, background, religion, sexual orientation, curves, lines, sags, wrinkles, enhancements, tucks, gains, losses,
What is the process?
We would start with an interview for the purpose of discussing the project and collaborating together on a photo shoot. It would be followed with a photo shoot with the participant in an agreed upon location. Once the photos are processed the participants will sit down with the photographer and agree to which images can be published (no contracts will be signed before this time). This will be followed up with a meeting to finalize the participants story that will be published alongside her photos.
Who will benefit financially from the project?
As a promise to my wife, we never will require any money for the participants of this project. Hopefully though we will make some income with the sales of coffee table books from this project. I have met with local friends in the Boise area about using any proceeds from book sales to help benefit abused women in this same geographical area as the participants live.If we do future projects in other geographic locations we will team up with local women’s agencies to help find a project that would benefit from the support of this kind of project.
What kind of photos will we shoot?
As much as possible I’d like to capture the women in their own environment because I think that best helps capture their story. If this is impractical we will discuss other locations that will work best.Although we are shooting artistic nude photos to fit with the stories, we will not shoot lewd, pornographic, or sexually suggestive material. Our goal is not to objectify women, but honor and personalize them.
Again, the participants have the final say in the photos that will be published of them.
Will you incorporate men into this project?
Not this particular project, as I want to focus on women, but yes, in the future I am certainly open to working with men’s issues with their bodies.
Is this project for everyone?
No, I am sure it isn’t. There are certainly those because of their jobs, political aspirations, relationships with significant others, and religious beliefs that won’t fit well with this project. I have no judgement against them, I just know that there are others who need and/or could benefit from this expression of freedom and courage. There is also an audience out there who need some brave women to stand up to the world and say, “This is me! I’m beautiful!”
What a wonderful project. It has the potential to be a tremendous help to many…both those who participate and those who may benefit from the proceeds. I wish you all the best with this inspired project!!
I love your work @starrynight and totally believe in it. Thanks.
Wow. Chad, you go!
Amazing, Chad! If I lived closer, I’d happily be one of your participants!
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