Talking Bodies: I Explore People's Body Image Issues Through Photography

What forces guide our judgment when deciding upon the beauty of another individual? When singled out, are some physical traits preferable to another?

Talking Bodies is a photographic investigation of our perception of body image. The photographs are a series of three images of one person: one full body portrait, coupled with two details - one detail of a physical feature that the individual enjoys most about themselves and one of a feature they like the least.

I decided that photographs alone would not be enough. I created a list of questions for the subjects to answer after we had finished taking the photographs. The questions were mostly open ended as I wanted to investigate the volunteer’s personal perspectives about body image and how it affected their daily lives. After the answers were given, I would review them and couple the one that I felt exuded the person’s perspective the best and paired it with the photograph.

The models chosen for this project were not selected under any predetermined criteria, they were simply people that were immediately willing and available; i.e. friends, family, college students and colleagues. The models were easy to come by. Once I explained what I was doing, it was easy to find people who were onboard with the idea. The lighting set-up and setting were kept to a minimalist style.

By the end of this first segment of the project, I have realized that the objective I was reaching for was not to answer particular questions, but to simply raise questions as a means to create discussion. It is clear that there is a natural urge to care about our physical appearance, but how much attention does this urge deserve? It seems that a large portion of positive body image is related to our own personal perception. What makes a trait more desirable than another? When singled out are we able to tell at all? How do we arrive at these answers?

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