There is beauty in everybody and every body

In our last newsletter, we got the chance to interview photographer Janna Marie Thurman on her A Study In Acceptance project, a series of photos she had taken of herself to bring awareness to body acceptance and diversity. A Study In Acceptance was a very powerful project and received a lot of attention – the images were beautiful and the message made an impact.

A Study In Acceptance inspired us to look for more projects that focused on body diversity and acceptance, so we’ve put together a collection of amazing bodies from different sources. We believe that exposing wider ranges of bodies allows us to look at the truth that exists outside of the media and advertisements – it allows us to look at ourselves and our peers with more accepting eyes and open minds. We hope you enjoy this collection of natural and real beauty.

Janna Marie Thurman Since A Study In Acceptance, Janna was motivated to keep the body acceptance theme going – this time using other people (men and women) as her subjects. We’re pleased to say that we personally were involved in this project and the outcome of all of the models’ photos was absolutely stunning. We’re showing only six images out of a set of twenty – so please go check out the rest of the gorgeous photos!

I strive to keep the composition of the piece simple, although the idea behind it is extremely intricate and personal. By incorporating my interest in body issues, my forever traveling journey with learning to love myself and my undying passion for photography, I am able to communicate this all at once. I hope to ignite something within the viewer to help them gain a sense of love for themselves and the others around them, if they haven’t reached this chapter in their life already. For those that may already be here, I wish to enhance their feelings about it and remind them that they are beautiful. I have always dealt with body issues throughout my whole life. I’m pretty sure everyone has. I think many people are never raised to cope with these problems properly. Things like advertisements and parental guidance can take a toll on the way we have learned to deal with them. Parents are misinformed and even unaware of how to address these issues to begin with. But really mainly, the media is the worst. It tells you how you should dress, what color your hair should be, and how you should look. This is all completely false. Sometimes you have to go against the grain from what you are told and be your own person. This is something that I’ve seemed to have done much in my life without even really realizing it. I am challenging the viewer to step outside of their perception of beauty and see that everyone is beautiful regardless of what anyone else has to say about it.

You can check out Janna’s facebook page here! The Nu Project The Nu Project is a series of honest nudes of normal women from all over the world. The project began in 2005 and has stayed true to the original vision: no professional models, minimal makeup and no glamour. The focus of the project has been and continues to be the subjects and their personalities, spaces, insecurities and quirks. To date, over 100 women across North and South America have participated in the project. This website is amazing – it shows women’s bodies for what they really are in real life, and not these idealized, photoshopped creatures that exist only in advertisements and fashion magazines. You absolutely must check the galleries out to see the rest of these gorgeous women! This Is My Body Project This is My Body Project is an internet sensation on Tumblr and Facebook, urging people young and old, of any gender specification, to accept their bodies the way they are and hold confidence in themselves. This Is My Body shows individuals of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages and ethnicities to portray that we have the power, courage and strength to show off the beautiful bodies we were born with. All photos come from submissions of supporters. There are also model comparison photos, which allow models and members of the network to submit photos that show the difference between their touched up photos and natural photos of themselves. It’s really powerful and a great reality check! We hope you enjoyed this collection of inspiring projects! Please check out these sites further and become empowered with the knowledge that YOU are amazing and WE ARE ALL representations of beauty!

About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.