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Depending on your personality and life commitments, the turning of the year may be a time for deep peace and reflection or a wild whirl of parties and celebrations. But as New Year’s Day approaches, many of us are becoming more aware of the day’s ever-present accompaniment: Resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are by their very…
Karl is a low-eye-contact autistic person, and prefers not to have to look right into people’s eyes. But who says everyone has to look straight at the camera, anyway?
One of the more joyful parts of my job is getting to be the photographer who gets it — who doesn’t push, who doesn’t rush, who has the accommodations and modifications ready so that capturing branding photos is a good experience for disabled and ill clients, not just something to be endured.
Here are seven quick resources to start learning about body kindness and putting it into practice.
I also love, love, love working with neurodivergent folks. Y’all are my people. (Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia and more, and depending on who you ask also includes mentally ill and mad folks.) At Kyra’s session, we cheerfully got distracted together by a hawk flying by and a rainbow, and laughed ourselves silly while getting Kyra covered in grass rolling down a hill.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
The words we use to talk about our bodies are so important, because how we describe our bodies dictates how we see our bodies.
Here’s something to think and write about in this coming week: Is it possible for me to consider my body as a partner, rather than an adversary? What might that look like? You’re welcome to share your answers here (as long as they meet the space boundaries in my pinned stories) or write them down…
Here’s something to think and write about in this coming week: If you were able to show up fully in the world, without body shame, what might that mean for other people in your world? You’re welcome to share your answers on the Instagram post (as long as they meet the space boundaries in my…
It was a pleasure to pair up with Bonny Chipman and her studio at Yoga NW to create a collection of inclusive yoga stock photos featuring folks with a wide variety of body sizes, ethnic backgrounds, skin colors, and mobility needs. Here’s a little bit about Yoga NW: “At Yoga NW, our mission is to…
One of the cooler aspects of my job is the privilege of not only capturing individual people’s bodies and lives, but their relationships. At this tea party-themed session, you can see the warm support of a circle of close friends shining through, accompanied by a gorgeous cake, lots of sweets and tea, and a beautiful…
Fat Face Feelings is made up of Eron Huenefeld and Amanda Underwood, two women on a journey toward fat liberation, and sharing that journey with the world via podcast. Their podcast is fun, funny and vulnerable, and they’re both a delight. For some sessions, my subjects come in with a firm idea of how they’d…
I prepared these two German pieces for an audition and they’re both so floating and lovely! “Die Lotosblume” (“The Lotus Flower”) is a poem written by Heinrich Heine, and published in his Buch der Lieder (The Book of Songs, 1827). Set to music by Robert Schumann in 1840, this Lied is part of Schumann’s Myrthen…
One vital skill I didn’t expect to develop so thoroughly as a photographer is the ability to read someone instantly upon meeting them and then tailor an entire session to not only their personal style, but their personality, the clothing they’ve brought, and any mobility needs or limitations they might have. It’s a process that…
One of the reasons my studio is located in my home: It gives me the ability to offer intimate, private spaces both indoors and outdoors. For Ms. J’s session, we took advantage of both kinds of spaces for lush, botanical photographs, starting with a sunny open space, then moving to leafy images that remind me…
This was one of my most memorable recital songs! Not only is the composer’s name (Engelbert Humperdinck) fun to say, but playing the Dew Fairy in this scene was a delight. I will happily wear fairy wings any time. The Dew Fairy Aria is from the opera Hansel & Gretel, first performed in 1893 in…
One of the factors of living in the Pacific Northwest is that the landscape tends to look like the Pacific Northwest — for better or worse. We tried three times (!) to have a sunny, summer beach photo shoot, and finally decided to roll with what Mother Nature gave us: low clouds, seaweed, chill, and…
I first heard the song Caledonia when it was covered by the group Celtic Woman (as it has been by many other performers), but Dougie MacLean’s original version (he wrote it in 1977) is enchanting, too, in a different way. MacLean says it only took him ten minutes to write this song, which sounds unbelievable,…
Lyn at Century Massage and I partnered to produce a collection of stock photos focused on massage by and for people of color. It was a privilege to help represent women and men of color while also working with a massage therapist who’s helped me and my body personally. Century Massage is located in Renton,…
Thekla Richter’s small business branding photography session was so much fun! The weather cooperated perfectly, which is rare for Seattle in November: a beautiful sunny day with air crisp enough to keep us from getting sweaty. Thekla (pronounced Tech-luh — I was dying to know, too) writes middle-grade fantasy books (ask her about the space…
Content note: Contains artistic nudity I’ve started calling this kind of session a series of intimate portraits: not necessarily the intentional sexiness of boudoir, more vulnerable than a regular portrait session. An exploration of the body in a relaxed setting, guided but free to move in ways that feel good. This is such a good…
Recently, I talked a little bit about the risks of movement in a larger body. In Ms. H’s hula dance portraits, you can see that the reward for her taking that risk is a beautiful, skilled, graceful performance. Through her Instagram, Danielle Bex (@danielle.bex) also demonstrates daily how joyful movement can be. She often posts…
It was such a delight to work with Mia Stephenson of OHME shop for a recent small business branding session! I first encountered Mia’s at Curves in Bloom back in February, and I — and everyone else at the event — fell in love with the clean lines of her feminist, fat-positive jewelry. Mia, makeup…
Content note: Contains artistic nudity Major life changes can cause us to lose sight of who we are: our own needs and priorities, our values and goals, even our sense of self or self-worth. When you feel at sea, it can be hard to know what makes you, you. Ms. R was in the midst…
Lindley Ashline and Ann Duweke singing Patrick Hawes’ “Quanta Qualia” at the Hope for Japan Concert, November 19, 2011. I fell in love with Hayley Westenra’s rendition of this piece, and from there discovered all of Hawes’ mesmerizing music. It was such a joy to be able to perform Quantia Qualia. This isn’t a recent…
Some events are just events. Some events are transformative for everyone involved, and Camp Heal was one of the latter. Around a hundred people gathered in Angeles National Forest for three days to explore, laugh, cry, improve their body image, be vulnerable, move forward in recovery from eating disorders, and enjoy a body-safe camp experience….
As people who inhabit larger bodies, when we move those bodies, we take risks. We risk being stared at, made fun of or catcalled. Since often, no one has ever taught us to appreciate those bodies and the way they move, we risk trying to move them in ways that are unwise or not a…
Body Home Fat Dance, created by artist and performer KT Kusmaul, creates performance and offers dance classes centering our fat community. Their goal is to inspire joyful movement, connection with their bodies, and creative expression, while honoring their unique abilities and challenges with self-compassion. They’re co-creating a resilient community, building an empowering and nuanced dialogue…
I stopped briefly in Salt Lake City while traveling, and this session shows how much we can accomplish even during a very limited session. Forty-five minutes, one hotel room, and two generations of one family willing to be vulnerable and explore the stories of their bodies. Most photographers would have done things like “brought out…
Some events are just events. Some events are transformative for everyone involved, and Camp Heal was one of the latter. Around a hundred people gathered in Angeles National Forest for three days to explore, laugh, cry, improve their body image, be vulnerable, move forward in recovery from eating disorders, and enjoy a body-safe camp experience….
In this peaceful outdoor body-positive portrait session, Ms. E and I spent some exploring what it means to reclaim the right for our bodies to move in and enjoy public spaces. I’ve found that one of the best ways to support people in this is to give them lots of things to do where their…
Bevin is a study in contrasts. Bevin is best known for her work as the mind behind Fat Kid Dance Party, the nationwide (and now online) body-positive dance and fitness classes for all ability levels. For this session, though, she chose to explore the softer side of her nature. In addition to her work with…
I met Ms. A in a hot tub in Vegas. No, seriously. Those of you who know me know that Vegas isn’t my scene and are probably doubting this story already, but I swear it’s true. At the last @naafaofficial conference there was a delightful pool party after hours, and Ms. A and I met…
Environmental portraits — where the subject is involved in an activity or an environment they love — are some of my favorite photographs to create. Almost everyone is more relaxed when they’re doing something they enjoy in a place they like to spend time! For Mx. O’s session, we chose a topic together: gardening. I…
Some events are just events. Some events are transformative for everyone involved, and Camp Heal was one of the latter. Around a hundred people gathered in Angeles National Forest for three days to explore, laugh, cry, improve their body image, be vulnerable, move forward in recovery from eating disorders, and enjoy a body-safe camp experience….
