Flawed Women Can Be Beautiful Too

In my Photography class we discussed how to make a portfolio better. One thing that came up where portraits of people and my professor said one thing that rubbed me the wrong way. He mentioned that the secret to having better photos is to take pictures of beautiful people. The industry stranded of what’s beautiful skinny, young, perky, flawless, people. This class has a majority of women in it, so this was a heated debate. The topic slowly transformed into woman in photography. I was disappointed in the teacher for advocating beautiful woman to enhance a portfolio. He is a white male who has had years of experience in the industry, so I can see why he is stuck in this sense of what’s beautiful portraiture.

However, as a flawed woman I must disagree…

I grew up hating myself because of what I thought was beautiful in media. I have always had issues with my weight, skin, eyes, and overall appearance. Its why I was so shy when I was younger, its why I always looked at the floor instead of at the sky, its why I never felt good enough. Over the years I have learned to have more self-love and confidence in who I am. Which makes me better at realizing that this standard is wrong because there have been times I do love myself and see the beauty in other flawed women. There are still times I feel like that little girl who doesn’t feel good enough. So, when this topic came up I was silent because I did not know how to contribute to the topic without bringing up those emotions I have. Now I have the opportunity to express this in my final portfolio that will be shown to my class and in a gallery someday.

I want to take photos of; curvy women, colored women, trans women, old women, non-binary women, disabled women, flawed women. I want to bring media out into the world that will make the little girl I was feel love for herself for being different and one of a kind. I believe everyone has beauty in them and that truth is radiant.