Ask Lindley: “Should I use the word ‘fat?'”
Many fat folks have reclaimed the word and are using it as a neutral descriptor, but to the world at large, “fat” is an insult. So should you be using it?
“When I started to use the word fat as a self-descriptor, people would actually gasp.”
“When I started to use the word fat as a self-descriptor, people would actually gasp as if I had cursed or said something self-hating. If I said, ‘I’m too fat to do that,’ people would interject and say things like, ‘No you’re not fat, you’re beautiful,’ and I’d be so confused. Being fat does not…
What is valuable and precious about fat bodies beyond being a comfort object
I recently challenged my Body Liberation Guide readers to answer the question, “What is valuable and precious about fat bodies beyond being a comfort object? How many things can you think of?” Reader Bee Gee’s response was wonderful and glorious, and they generously gave me permission to share it. Read the list at http://bit.ly/guestbeegee!…
In the Body Love Shop: Fat-positive soaps!
In the Body Love Shop: Fat-positive soaps! Get a little bathtime love in your mailbox with one of these fat-positive glycerin soaps. Each measures about 3″ across by 1″ high. Created by a fat, marginalized artist of color. Buy one or a selection, or get a random soap surprise! 🧼🧼🧼 Lindley Ashline | Body…
Giveaway: BodCon Tickets!
🎉🎉 GIVEAWAY DAY 🎉🎉 I’m excited to be giving away two pairs (four total) tickets to the BodCon’s Beauty and Body Confidence event (online) on August 31! I’m not affiliated with this event, but when they contacted me I was impressed by the range of body sizes, identities and heritages of their speaker lineup. Giveaways…
Ask Lindley: How can I live in a world that hates my fat body?
Ask Lindley: How can I live in a world that hates my fat body?
Hubby took these photos of me and I’m in love with them. (And him, too.)
Hubby took these photos of me and I’m in love with them. (And him, too.)
Bonny Chipman & Accessible Yoga at Yoga NW: Accessible Yoga | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Portland, OR
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…
Magical Tea Party Session | Body-Positive Stock Photography in Renton, WA
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…
Eron Huenefeld & Amanda Underwood of Fat Face Feelings | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
Fun Outdoor Portraits at Seattle’s Gasworks Park | Body-Positive Portrait Photography in the PNW
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…
Intimate Portraits with Ms. J | Body-Positive Outdoor Boudoir Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
Mermaids and Beach Babes Stock Photos at Seattle’s Alki Beach | Body-Positive Portrait Photography in the PNW
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…
Diverse Massage Therapy Stock Photos with Century Massage | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Seattle, WA
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,…
Author & Coach Thekla Richter | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
Intimate Indoor Portrait Session with Ms. M: Body-Positive Portrait & Boudoir Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
Wildest Dreams Session with Ms. D in West Seattle and Olympic National Park | Body-Positive Portrait Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
OHME Fat-Positive Jewelry | Small Business Product Photography in Seattle, W
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…
Intimate Fat-Positive Portraits with Ms. R | Body-Positive Boudoir Photographer in Seattle, WA
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…
Camp Heal Highlights 3: Eating Disorder Recovery Event Photography in Los Angeles, CA
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….
Fat-Positive Portrait Session with Ms. H on Camano Island | Body-Positive Portrait Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
KT Kusmaul & Body Home Fat Dance | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Portland, OR
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…
Mother & Daughter Portraits in Salt Lake City | Body-Positive Photographer in Seattle, WA
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…
Camp Heal Highlights 2: Eating Disorder Recovery Event Photography in Los Angeles, CA
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….
River Portrait Session with Ms. E | Fat-Positive Photography in Seattle, WA
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 of Fat Kid Dance Party & Queer Fat Femme | Small Business Branding & Visuals Photography in Seattle, WA
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…
Intimate Fat-Positive Portraits with Ms. A in Las Vegas | Body-Positive Photographer in Seattle, WA
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…
Gardening with Mx. O | Body-Positive Portrait Photography Sessions in Seattle, WA
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…
Camp Heal for Project HEAL: Eating Disorder Recovery Event Photography in Los Angeles, CA
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….
Beautiful River Portrait Session in Washington State with Ms. G | Body-Positive Photography in Seattle, WA
It’s generally quite cool year round here in the Seattle area, but in the summer it can get hot enough to make a dip in a nearby river refreshing. Ms. G and I spent her body-positive Confidence portrait session at Flaming Geyser State Park (named for a flame created by coal miners discovering a methane…
Wildest Dreams Session with Ms. D at Red Rock Canyon | Body-Positive Photographer in Seattle, WA
This plus-size beauty queen and Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon = magic. It was 95 degrees at sunset, but luckily Ms. D is used to the heat and I had plenty of water with me, so we took lots of breaks and it worked out fine. Better than fine, in fact. She’d chosen a sparkling sequin…
Park Rangers, Young Lovers, Fatphobia and Resilience
I went on a trip! It was lovely! At least, most of it was. People in small bodies go out in public and come home with lovely memories. People in fat bodies go out in public and come home with thorns among the roses. The Young Lovers This is the couple who wanted my spot…