Myla Dalbesio

14th September 2015 | Alice Taylor

‘Myla Dalbesio on how to photograph real women’ featured in Dazed digital:

American artist and photographer Myla Dalbesio is mainly known as a model, or, more precisely, the girl from the 2014 Calvin Klein campaign who sparked the debate on whether a woman of a UK size 12 should be considered a plus sized model. Her courage to start a conversation and to take pride in who she is brought her well-deserved recognition from all over the world. But, more importantly, there is more to Dalbesio’s input in the contemporary visual manifestation of feminism than just her looks. She’s been exploring femininity, sexuality, American mysticism and high school aesthetics through performance art, collage, writing and photography for over four years. Her recent photographic project “Some Girls” is an answer to the two dimensional standards of the fashion and beauty industry, an enchanting example of female gaze and a love note to all the real girls out there.

“What I am aiming to show is something very real,” explains Dalbesio. “It’s a snapshot of current femininity, of beauty that other women can connect with, that has no artifice or pretension. It’s a portrait of a new generation of feminists!” We asked Dalbesio to take us on a tour of her creative universe and share the secrets of how to shoot real girls.

GRAB YOUR FRIENDS AND CREATE SOMETHING TOGETHER

“I had a couple girlfriends (also models) who had been asking me for a long time to shoot together. Once we finally made it happen, I realised how much I loved the experience. Going to a friend’s apartment, having a cup of coffee and catching up, creating something together. I wanted to do it again, so I started shooting more friends, and the project began to evolve and take shape.”

CREATIVE PROJECTS ARE A GREAT WAY TO MEET NEW AND INSPIRING PEOPLE, AND VICE-VERSA

“Most of the girls are friends, someone I know and love, who inspire and understand me, although some of the girls are (or were, I should say) strangers, girl crushes I found on Instagram or knew of from the downtown NY scene. I like that I can use this project as a path to meet and interact with more interesting women. It’s really important to me that the girls I work with are multi-dimensional. I need to be able to talk to them while we shoot, I want to be able to connect with them on a personal level. That kind of connection plays a big role in how the photos turn out. If we aren’t vibing it will show in the photos. When I’m casting I look for confident girls that have something going on, something to say.”

RESPECT OTHER MODELS AND THEIR BOUNDARIES

“I try to never pressure anyone into doing something they are not comfortable with, I always ask permission, and if anyone shows slight hesitation I let it go and move onto a different shot. Because I shoot on film and the girls can’t see what it looks like until later, sometimes I’ll take a quick picture on my iPhone to show them what it looks like. If they don’t like it, I don’t shoot it. I also try to be very vocal about what I like about them, what I think looks beautiful. I have an advantage with that though, because I am a woman. Sometimes those kinds of compliments can come off in a different way when they are coming from a man.”

To see the full article hop over to Dazed.

Tales of Beauty

6th July 2015 | Alice Taylor

‘Tales of Beauty’ by Marco Guerra and Yasmina Alaoui addresses questions surrounding beauty. The duo, who has been collaborating together for the past few years, combined their experience in fashion photography and contemporary art, and tried to answer these questions through the bodies of four curvy women.

The sculptural forms and soft lighting create abstract shapes that are reminiscent of modernist nudes.

Via: Art Sheep

 

Quite Lovely

5th May 2015 | Alice Taylor

Self-portrait photography by Jen Davis in Quite Lovely, the second issue of the The Quite Delightful Project’s luxury erotic magazine.

To see the full essay, pre-order a copy of the magazine; which, along with its accompanying publications, you can enjoy a pre-publication discount if you order online (which you can do here).

The Full Body Project by Leonard Nimoy

2nd March 2015 | Alice Taylor

Leonard Nimoy, who died Friday at the age of 83, was known by fans for his iconic character in Star Trek, Mr. Spock.

Those fans may not have known that Nimoy was also a photographer who championed full-figured women.

Via Mashable:

In 2007, Nimoy published The Full Body Project, a collection of photos featuring nude women of many shapes and sizes.

Nimoy’s previous book of photographs captured images of nude women as well, though the models’ slim bodies hewed closely to the conventional standards of beauty.

The inspiration for The Full Body Project struck when a full-figured woman approached Nimoy and asked if he might photograph her and her friends.

Natalie Angier, an author who wrote the introduction to The Full Body Project, told Mashable that Nimoy was deeply troubled upon hearing that most women felt some degree of body shame.

“It really disturbed him that women who considered themselves overweight had this terrible feeling about themselves,” Angier said. “He wanted to show the world that there’s beauty to be found in different body types.”

Nimoy’s images portrayed the women as powerful and engaging, qualities that moved Angier.

“I admire the way he presented the women as standing there looking the viewer full in the face,” she said. “Saying look at me — I’m entitled to stand here and present myself to the world. I don’t have to be ashamed and cower in the corner.”

Despite Nimoy’s efforts, Angier said that the book did not find a broad audience.

“It was too bad, because I think it was a good idea,” she said. “He considered this as a mission, that he thinks women should feel good about themselves and their bodies.”

Via: Mashable

Leonard Nimoy, we Vulcan Salute you.