Seven years ago I created the Naturally You Project in order to challenge the beauty “ideal” set by society and media, and to showcase the unique beauty found inside ALL of us. For this project, women trusted me to reveal their true (sometimes vulnerable) selves sans makeup. This project prompted powerful dialog during the exhibit surrounding the beauty norms set by media and entertainment, insecurities based on past treatment by others, and the way each participant views themselves as a result.
I think it’s time for another conversation. The Naturally You project has returned:
The Naturally You Project began in March of 2014 as a semi-photojournalistic look into how societal and media perceptions of beauty affect what we as individuals consider to be "beautiful". I had noticed an unfortunate trend of women being conditioned to feel that they should never be seen in public without some form of make-up or cosmetic alteration. For this project, my aim was to capture the beauty that women were born with; no make-up and no airbrush. This was something that I felt strongly about, because I was seeing far too few magazines or fellow photographers celebrating natural beauty. Everything is set to a certain standard of size, skin tone/texture, and shape. I felt the need to celebrate our perceived imperfections as examples of what makes us uniquely beautiful.
So I began this journey by asking those interested in the project to volunteer to allow me to photograph them...with NO make-up. The result was more than I could have asked for. It created a dialogue of what we as individuals feel the definition of beauty is. These women opened up about insecurities, epiphanies they had going through life, and issues that some still deal with...all based on the stigma of "beauty".
This project has transformed from a short term photo series to a crusade of sorts.After holding my 1st exhibit in November of 2014, I am welcoming more volunteers into the Naturally You Project.
If you are interested in being a part of this project, please fill out the form below. I will be shooting for this project December 2021 through June 2022.