Naked Face Photography Project

A couple of days ago I posted a research question in a few Facebook groups I am a member of. The question was: Why do you avoid having your photos taken?

The number of replies I received was incredible. I was reading the comments and tears were running down my cheeks. I don’t know what I was expecting, I asked a question and I received honest answers. But some of them were quite painful to read, the urge to help, to comfort, to fix was there, but I could not. I do not feel I have the right for that. All I could do was to acknowledge and thank them for their honesty and openness. 

The overwhelming part was how many women felt intimidated by the pressure of social media and societies standards for beauty. 

Here we are juggling our work or business, family, social life and social media… and we are bombarded with images of perfect bodies, flawless makeup, ageless faces, styled homes, perfect holidays…

We look at them we look at our own life and we compare…

Can we all have this picturesque life? Well at least on social media we can, with a little help in form of editing apps and filters. 

We know that not much of it is real, not even models in the glossy magazines are real. The amount of Photoshop used in advertisement and fashion industries is not a secret anymore. Yet we still compare and feel like nothing about our life is good enough. We need to make tons of money to buy tons of products and change everything about our appearance, or at least fake it. As a result, we suffer from anxiety, negative body image and depression.

Ok. You could say: don’t compare, don’t use social media! 

It is easy to say, not so easy to do. It’s not just a matter of making a decision, there is so much more to it. The way we were raised, the messages we received from our mothers, sisters as well as social media. I don’t think avoiding social media is the solution. Hiding your head in the sand like an ostrich is not the best practice, is it? 

 I am a boudoir photographer, and I am a woman. Even I who preaches Self Love am not immune from comparing myself to others and not feeling good enough. The reason I was crying reading and replying to each of the comments is that I could relate to most of them. 

One of the ladies commented: Yes, how come documentary photos of craggy-faced old men is “art” but women need to be made to look more beautiful?
The other said: Would it help if we all saw more images in the media of people and bodies that looked like us? Looked more like the norm? The average? As opposed to the flawless, airbrushed and photoshopped images we are comparing ourselves to and are bombarded with?

I am not against makeup, I use it myself, but I am also all about self love and acceptance. My job is to help women to accept their bodies and love them as they are, no matter age, size or shape. I do it because I also want to be accepted as I am. I do it because it makes me feel good when I can show another woman their beauty even though they don’t quite fit into the beauty norm of modern society.

I do it for my nieces. I want them to grow up and feel good about themselves and about their bodies. I want them to be enough, to feel enough, without trying to change their appearance. I want them to see their inner beauty instead of trying to reach those unrealistic beauty standards. 

Then I remembered a friend telling me about a naked face project and I decided spontaneously to create my own Naked Face Photography Project.
I can only do it with your help because humans are herd animals and we are in need of acceptance from our flock. It’s the majority that creates rules and trends. Let’s create a trend that respects natural human appearance in all stages of life in all shapes and forms. 

Here I am on a mission to create a new standard of beauty. Create a new normal and embrace natural beauty. Raw and honest. No makeup, no filters, no editing, no artificial colours. Organic beauty.

Would you like to be part of the Naked Photography Face Project? Would you like to be photographed with no makeup on? It is FREE! Let’s create a movement! Let’s create a new beauty ideal! 

I am looking for:
Who: Women 18+
How: One black and white head and shoulders portrait of the participant without makeup, bare shoulders. 
Where: Kelvin Grove
How long: 15 min
When: 8 & 10 June 

If you would like to be part of the project click here to secure your spot: 
https://nakedfacephotographyproject.as.me/ I am looking forward to meeting and photographing you!