Today we did a fashion shoot as a public service So, weve mentioned we did this shoot, but havent mentioned why. While browsing Tumblr, I saw Sophia mention she was a little low in the self-love department. I messaged her to ask why, and the conversation boiled down to this: She felt bad, because she didnt look as good as all the girls she scrolled by. Being a professional photographer, I could tell shed be beautiful in front of an experienced lens, and I knew a lot of trickery went into even those phone selfies--beauty secrets I knew she hadnt been exposed to yet, because everything she told me was hurting her self-esteem was easily fixed by styling. So, being good friends, we rallied the troops: Mel Mariano gave her a haircut, Daria Roud got her some makeup (and a lesson on how to use it at Sephora), and Dallas Nagata White did a bikini model test where I gave her tips on how to control her expression for maximum impact. The result? My own jaw dropped, Sophia said when we showed her in chat. Shes excited beyond words, and is now aware shes just as beautiful as (if not more than) the girls on her dash. This Dallas preview shot. Youll probably be seeing more in the next few days, especially on Sophias Tumblr, where she is now devoted to the pursuit of using the photos to become a Tumblr Girl :P (only half-kidding). When you see them around, Id like you to remember youre looking at a girl who thought she looked below-average. I like to think weve gotten past the point where young girls dont understand there is a lot of artifice behind even casual selfies (you dont see the 100 bad or boring ones), but the experience with Sophia has made it clear to me were not. I dont think this is a bad thing, but I do think we should be proactive about teaching those who are growing up, not only that the photos they see are idealized, but also how to get closer to that ideal in a healthy way while making them feel good about themselves. I think we did a little of that today, and I hope this will inspire others to help awkward teens figure out that theyre alright after all.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 02:12:22 +0000
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