Three women I don't look like and why I don't want to.

I wanted to write this big grand post about society and their view of what a woman should look like but after writing and deleting several drafts I'm just going to show you some pictures:

These are three beautiful images. I love the expression, the gentility, the strength and the sexiness. I keep these images on my pinterest board so that I can look for these qualities in my photographs as I'm shooting. Sometimes I'll take a break in between outfits so I can peruse this board to get inspiration so I've seen them quite a bit. In looking at these photos over and over and over again I realize as a photographer than not everyone is going to be able to pull these poses off. Beyond that as a woman I realize I will never be able to pull these poses off. I was not born with the DNA of a small woman, I can be fit, healthy and lean and I will never look like this. It's the plain truth.

So, if I can't change these images and I can't change my DNA what can I change?

My perspective.

I can change the way I perceive my own beauty by looking at images and women whom I can be like, who I find sexy who look like me. Who have the same body type as I do, who are freaking ROCKING their bodies and then I can aspire to be like them. So here are three photos of women I find sexy and beautiful, confident and strong:

Jayne Mansfield, hands-down one of my favorite women. In her day and age this girl was drop-dead gorgeous, and who could argue with that? I just wish a little meat on our bones still made us as "sexy" as it did back in the day, but who doesn't?

Of course Marilyn Monroe. In this photo she isn't putting on a face, she isn't playing it up for the camera. She looks very introspective (which after reading about her I found out that she was very introspective, smart, AND well-spoken) but she looks like she's got my hips and she's wearing a bathing suit without fear. Granted there's no one on the beach behind her buuuut I'm willing to let that slide ;)

And this lady. I don't know who she is (I could probably find out if I were to read the fine print but...) she is making women look good not in spite of her curves, not because she's got "curves", she's not "sexy for a plus size model" she's freaking gorgeous for a woman plain and simple.

So after my search to find beautiful women and some beautiful photography of women who look more like my size that still look gorgeous and sexy I've added a few more photos to my pinboard. So if you want some beautiful, real, photography check out this board.

Who do you look up to as your healthy role model?

Live, love, and take LOTS of pictures!

Kirsten

This has been photoshopped...

Wait, wait. That's the original. This, this is the photoshopped version:

Recently I got into trying to figure out just how much photos I see have been photoshopped. I was inspired by a UK newspaper article (don't think I'm actually in tune with world news, someone forwarded it to me here is the article). It talks about the United Kingdom's "Self Esteem Act" that makes advertisements label when they've photoshopped images. I did this partly so I could learn about photoshopping and mainly because I wanted to know how much of what I see is real. In doing so I came across a few photos that genuinely shocked me.

Clearly they've changer her skin's natural texture, removed signs of aging, and brightened her eyes to say the least.

Here's another example:

And another:

The point is, why can't Jessica Alba have hips? And why can't Kim Kardashian have a real woman's skin tone on her thighs and normal sized thighs for that matter? She's a real person, no?

I'm showing you these images in the hopes that you and I will be better able to recognize what is real and what has been altered. When I get behind the wheel of photoshop I admit I use things like skin smoothing and brightening eyes and such. But what makes my approach different than these advertisements is the recipient. I know that these photos are going to a woman who wants to feel good in her own skin (and who is already gorgeous), so why would I alter it to make her see something different than she sees every day in her own mirror? What does that tell her? What does that tell you? It says "you're not good enough", "you need to be perfect to be admired" "this is what 'normal' should look like." And men are no exception:

Poor Justin, his package didn't deliver apparently.

I use photoshop to make you look like you would on your best day. That means no acne, great lighting, no random hairs in your face, etc. so that when you look at them you'll feel good about yourself--not worse.

Anyway, I know this was a bit long but in writing this I'm reinforcing my own ideas in my own brain that what you see isn't always what you started with. It makes me a little less hard on myself.

Have you seen any photos online or in a magazine that you could swear have been photoshopped? Link them in the comments section, let's compare notes. :)

Live, love, and take pictures!

Kirsten