Auburn Phat Calves & Platinum Cankles

How can I help women curb their urges to be so hyper-critical of themselves while continuing to work at strengthening my artistic glamour and beauty portfolio?

We all know that the imagery presented by the fashion and beauty magazines of the world is unrealistic to the extreme.

The Nose

In general, bodies aren't built that way, skin isn't that clear, hair isn't that silky magnificent, and no one has the budget for that kind of wardrobe.  And yet, the vast majority of readers spend an inordinate amount of time comparing their own bodies and features with those of the teen-and-twenty-somethings showcased on those glossy, highly-photoshopped pages.  Even though we've recently been introduced to more public awareness of the lengths to which a publisher will digitally distort the image of a model to suit their needs (or some of the shocking transformations of celebrities for the sake of seemingly ageless beauty), there is still a common and constant comparison taking place on the part of society's women, and that's exactly how the fashion and cosmetics industries like it.  "I want to look like her, dress like her, be firm and fit like her, etc."  It makes those companies massive amounts of money and keeps our culture perpetually awaiting new creams that take ten years off our faces, ointments that hide our spider-veins, and technologically-advanced fabrics that, when worn appropriately, can hide that roll that's been developing at the waist.

When I started shooting, one of my biggest surprises was the level to which the models or clients with whom I was working would critique themselves before our shoot. I typically like to ask the subject of the shoot what her favorite and least-favorite parts of her body are, so that I can focus attention on the positives, and be more creative with the poses and angles to avoid those areas that might cause her some concern.

Tiny Dancer

It wasn't long before I realized that these women were warning me about physical flaws that were seemingly invisible to my eyes, yet glaringly apparent to theirs, and it quickly became a source of frustration for me.  While the need to find and focus upon what we believe are weaker features appears to be a common trend in both men and women today (including myself), the minute dissection of assumed "perfection" has been taken to a ridiculous level for women.

It's therefore tricky when confronting a woman who has a personal critique of her own body.  On the one hand, you want to be realistic and help her to see her body in an unbiased manner.

The Old Lady

On the other hand, you also need to call them out when the feature over which they're obsessing is non-existent.  No one is perfect -- there's just no such thing.  And what some may refer to as "flaws", others might view as a unique feature that brings character to the individual.  Beauty, after all, is relative, subjective, and can be unique to every living being.  Sure, our culture has made some assumptions and declared a specific group of people to fit "the mold", but I'm here to tell you that there is beauty found in everyone.  No matter the size, shape, color, texture -- I have witnessed individual beauty blossom within every woman with whom I've worked.  The hardest part of my job is to convince them of what I'm seeing, and to work together to capture it.  Those clients who are open to this process are much more likely to love what they see when the final edits come through.  Those who have difficulty appreciating their bodies or look and choose to frown when looking in the mirror will have a much harder time enjoying the photography process.

I worked with a pair of models a few years ago, both in their late teens, both with long, beautiful legs highlighted by short, fashionable skirts and ridiculously high heels.

The Giraffe

One was a platinum blonde.  The other was an auburn-haired beauty.  We were halfway through the shoot before I heard them both complaining about how their legs looked to themselves.  I was stunned.  The legs in question were perfect from my perspective, but they were both speaking in a fashion that made it clear they really hated what they saw.  So for the rest of the shoot, I called them by new nicknames that I created on the spot -- Auburn Phat Calves and Platinum Cankles.  They were surprised by the monikers, but immediately broke into laughter, realizing the uniqueness of their perspectives.  I understand how we, as a society, have created such an environment of critical observation, but I find it tremendously unfair to women and their happiness and contentment-of-self.

Auburn Phat Calves & Platinum Cankles

Confidence is beautiful.  Strength of self and character is beautiful.  The ability to share of yourself is beautiful.  Everything else will shine through if these are evident.  Above all, I don't ever want a woman to look at my work and say, "I wish I was beautiful like that."  I'd much prefer to hear a woman ponder, "What beauty would this photographer bring out in me?"