Week 27: Beautiful ME (Member Photos)
I asked a group of women to take a photo of themselves in which they felt beautiful, and then having those women not only do just that, but do it in such amazingly brave, honest, and vulnerable ways just makes me proud. Proud to be a woman, and proud to know each of these lovely ladies. These women make it clear that a woman of any nationality, shape, size, or age can be beautiful. Long hair, short hair, gray hair, glasses, curvy or not curvy, tattoos, piercings, freckles, "post birth belly", smooth skin, wrinkles, muscles... it seems the only thing holding us back from seeing our true beauty is our perceptions! The outpouring of support, encouragement, and love these women gave each other this week... well, that is what the definition of beauty is to me. Each of you amaze me. Thank you. Jen
Kortney Fox - I have never found myself to be sexy (though my husband would beg to differ). I always thought I had the more cute little 12 year old kind of look. Maybe it's my glasses? Maybe it's my hair? Maybe it's my lack of curves? Whatever the reason does not matter. I am beautiful and should be proud to be who I am.Today I came out of the shadows. Today is the first time I have ever felt that I could be sexy. While taking these photographs, I felt silly at first but then I got over it and now have a collection of images I am so proud of, that truly make me feel like a woman.
Vivien Stembridge - I am a feminist and for a while, I thought it was important to stay away from makeup and show my children that it isn't a necessary part of life. However, I have now come to realize that makeup makes me feel a lot better about myself. Even if it's hardly noticeable to others, when I put on some mascara, straighten out my scraggly eyebrows, maybe apply some lipstick, I feel more beautiful and like I somewhat have my life together.http://vivienstembridge.com
Jennifer L. Bruce - Today we drove up to the top of Murphy Dome, above the clouds. We were surrounded by mist and mosquitos, but who am to let a little thing like that stop me from setting up a tripod and snapping a selfie? The air was cool and fragrant, in a way that only an Alaskan knows: that summer-is-nearly-over-but-it's-too-early-for-bluberries smell. Everyone else sought shelter in the car, but I reveled in it.
Cai Vail - Not so long ago, you could find me flirting at parties over whisky, my size 4 frame dolled up in some fitted little dress, my long blonde hair reaching halfway down my back. Living in the city, I would get catcalled some days only minutes after leaving the house, no matter what time of day, and I hated it. I would spend two hours getting ready to go out, I would drink and drink and pretend to be an extrovert, and censor myself and try to sound more interesting than I really was, because I didn't believe I was *truly* interesting or worth anyone's time. I wasn't healthy, I wasn't happy, and however pretty I appeared on the outside, I never felt beautiful. Fast forward five years, and you can find me walking my kid back from playdates or the gym, in no makeup, my size 10 frame drowning in loose, baby food stained workout pants and t-shirts, my short red hair unwashed and in my face. No one is catcalling me (and I sure as hell don't miss it). My body is nearly unrecognizable from the skin I lived in five years ago, soft and stretched and scarred. But I am healthy, I am happy, and these days, no matter what mysterious bits of dried up food I pick out of my hair, I know I am beautiful.
Diana Sherblom - I thought a while about how to shoot this one. I decided that it would be about my body and about finding a way to feel beautiful even when you don't. For most of my 44 years I've appreciated my body and the way it feels and looks--I'm athletic and have a few curves--even when my body type wasn't appreciated by fashion or culture. For the last few years, after Lyme disease, I haven't been able to lose weight, among other annoying issues--something's off--and the medical community is less than helpful. In my head, I'm 20 pounds lighter and still able to do just about anything physical. My joints don't hurt. I'm not tired. I don't feel like I'm wearing a bulky winter coat that I can't take off. It's hard for me to feel beautiful under these circumstances--I don't feel like me at all. This is my attempt to find my beauty in the moment, in a beautiful place. Because appreciating yourself as you are right now is so important.
Elena Pendell - I feel the most beautiful playing in the backyard with my family. Soaking up some late afternoon summertime rays. Hair going every which way. Cheap Hanes tank top on. Surrounded by those that love me unconditionally.
Shanna Aitken - I'm trying to learn to love my body as it is. I'm trying to learn to take better care of my body too. I'm trying to feel beautiful and loved.
MacKenzie Gilliam - I feel beautiful, when I am with my husband. He makes me feel so good in general and about my self. He saves me in everyway I never knew anyone could, and it makes me feel really good.
Tausha Coates - It's so much easier for me to get in front of the camera with kids! Those photos are so meaningful as well, so it's easy to not do shots with just me in it.
Yehudis Goldfarb - Hello all! First time posting...I've been petrified to take photos of myself cuz of all my weight gain. But I kinda of like this one...was laying outside with my kids...hence the baby's blanket over my shoulder.
Emily Ingalls - It has taken me quite a few years, but I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. I was always the wallflower or the 'cute' one. I went through a serious ugly period during my teen years which was enhanced by a bad perm, glasses, and braces. I was nicknamed 'frizzy mushroom head' by my dad and brother (and am still called it from time to time). It took me a long time to be proud of myself and who I've become. I'm a strong woman. I'm determined to reach goals I've set for myself, but that doesn't diminish just because I don't fit in with the 'ideal' of beauty these days. I'm short (5'1"), have muscle definition and am definitely not 'skinny', and I'm perfectly OK with it. I'm proud of myself. And just because I'm a mom, doesn't mean I had to lose my femininity. I can still be sexy and strong! I'm me, and I'm beautiful just like every other woman out there! And as a bonus, I've finally learned to tame my wild hair! www.emilyingallsphotography.com
Sara Lowing-Wright - When contemplating this week's theme I tried to think of times when I feel beautiful, which doesn't have to mean 'look' beautiful. One of those times is when I am getting done with a workout, but since I didn't want to be the weirdo with a camera taking a selfie at the gym, I chose my post shower bliss. This time is probably more of a sacred beauty for me. It is me time. It typically happens at night, after the children are sleeping, but I chose to shower during the day so I could take this shot with light. I love getting warm, clean, and knowing the day of duty is done. I love applying my creams and replenishing my skin. It always looks its best when well hydrated. I feel accomplished and beautifully ready for bed.
Dana Overman - After having a crazy difficult June I decided to jump back into this amazing group. I will admit though this was the most difficult theme for me. I struggle with the definition of beauty in identifying characteristics for myself. I have always had a strong, lean and healthy body, was always told I looked younger than my actual age and felt confident in my skin... but last year changed all that... hormonal crashes, physical trauma and emotional chaos took its toll. Honestly, I forget that I have gone through these changes until I look in the mirror or see a photograph of myself which I avoid like the plague - but the weekly themes of this group gets me looking at myself through a different kind of lens (no pun intended) and that in and of itself is empowering.
Jenny Parker - One week postpartum...My beautiful, round, perfect baby bump is gone, and I'm left with what my mother-in-law lovingly calls my jelly belly. It bothered me when she said it with my first, but it no longer bothers me. This is all part of motherhood, and I think it is beautiful.
Jen Ostler - Beautiful Me. I've stopped worrying so much about how I look. I know I need to lose weight for my health, and I wish my clothes fit better. But being a mama makes me forget, and I needed that.
Adriana Meixner - I remember as a child I use to laugh a lot and giggle and think everything in the world was fascinating and new but somewhere along the way I lost that spark and the realities of life kicked in and at times kicked my butt. But I always picked myself up and knew I had to be my own champion first before I could rely on others around me. I always had a strong internal voice (so thankful for that) that never let me give up and always made me push thru the hard times and figure out what I needed to do to come out on the other side a better person. Now that I am a mother of two amazing children, each with their own personality and temperament and opinions, I wonder how life will shape them and what hardships they may have to go thru and more importantly I worry how they will try to hold onto their own 'light'.These days I'm trying to smile more, be less serious, be more present, be happy. It's not always easy, I do have to constantly remind myself throughout the day to take a moment for myself and just breathe and even better smile, smile big, smile wide but just smile. Sometimes I even catch a glimpse in a reflective window or a passing mirror and I see that little girl that use to laugh and giggle a lot and was so silly and always smiling...that is how I want to remember beautiful ME. www.adrianameixner.com
Briar Marie - I have never felt sexy, but I have also always felt attractive. Is that a strange combination? It's hard to be objective about yourself so I always put myself somewhere above plain but not a stunner or anything. It always irked me to hear songs about how the most beautiful women don't know they're beautiful. It should be okay to know you're attractive - it doesn't have to make you a horrible person. And I've always been very comfortable with my appearance. Because of this lady. This is my Mom and she is the best. She always made me feel so comfortable just being myself. I'm a social misfit ... but not here. Not in my Mom's home. Here I don't need makeup or hairstyles. I don't have to worry about saying the right thing at the right time. I can just be myself and not overthink it. There's nothing that feels as beautiful as not thinking about it at all.
Manjula Prabhu - I have a hard time being in front of the camera, more so when i am being posed. I enjoy candid pictures of myself, since i feel that is when it captures the 'real' me. Beautiful is not a word i would use for myself, as i like most people have this preconceived notion of beauty. When that notion formed or what brought about it, i have no clue, but it exists.Every time i dress up, my sweet little 8.5 year old son tells me i look pretty/beautiful. It makes my heart swell to see his eyes genuinely lit up with a big smile. We were at the beach these past couple of days and though i am afraid of the enormity of the ocean, i also find peace and comfort when i walk by the water. The gentle breeze and the whoosing sound of the waves calms me down enough to make me feel my beauty. No one thing is beauty or ugly. It all depends on your mind's eye. What i am afraid of, also soothes me. Similarly, each one of us are beautiful even if we do not see it for ourselves.I spent the wee hours of the morning by the water, watching the sunrise. We had rain come a little later in the morning and there was not a soul on the beach. I took this opportunity to go back and sing my lungs out. When i came back and uploaded these images, my son told me, "mama, you look so pretty in these pictures" even though he could not see my face. The ocean calms me down and my little one makes me feel beautiful. Incidentally the meaning of his name is OCEAN. www.urbanhuesphotography.com
Tricia Machel - My strengths and abilities almost seem contradictory. One the one hand, I enjoy math and science and spent 9 years working as an engineer. Many engineers are not known for being artistic. However, I have an artistic side that screams to be expressed. I love photography. I enjoy playing my guitar. It is at those times I often feel the most like who God created me to be. And as I'm trying to teach my little girls, there is such tremendous beauty in being who you are. So although I'm not wearing makeup and am not dressed up, I'm standing in a beautiful pocket of light (a small basement window), simply being me. And that is beautiful.
Loren Haar - Feeling beautiful is not something that has been on my radar -- for a very long time. Feeling healthy, feeling strong, feeling emotionally stable, feeling like myself again... these have dominated my consciousness; beauty and feeling sexy have been pushed back in favor of full range of motion, no more side effects, just feeling normal again. So I guess that explains why this week was the hardest yet for me. I realized that this entire time I haven't done any self portraits of my face and hair. I'm happy to say that I have a full head of (short) hair now and I've been working out 5 days a week so I'm almost there! I tried to make this image look like an old school painting, but I don't think I got the light quite right. (Oh, and this is the side of my face that resembles my father!) www.lorephotography.com
