My last mini session theme with my Power Team '22 was Project Beauty. Project Beauty is a movement within the senior photography industry, started by a photographer in my hometown of Cincinnati, Thomas Nguyen. The purpose of this theme is to remove the stigmas of "beauty" that society and social media have imposed, and instead let beauty radiate from within our heart and soul. There is no makeup, no fancy hair, and no editing out imperfections. Being your raw self in front of a camera can no doubt be intimidating for anyone, but especially for high school girls.
My model team votes on which mini session themes we do throughout our year together, and I have to honestly say that I was surprised this one ranked high on their list. But when I reflect on the type of girls that are on my team, then it really does make sense. They ALL have hearts of gold, are independent, and have the confidence in themselves to go make up free in front of the camera.
Each of the girls had to come to the session with their definition of beauty to share with the group, and each one of the definitions was spot on.
"Loving yourself no matter what you look like"
"Embracing who you are is what radiates true beauty"
"Being able to be vulnerable, show your true self, be real and open"
"Being imperfectly perfect, and knowing that all your flaws make you beautiful"
"Radiating love and confidence from the inside and out, embracing your authentic and true self"
"Confidence in yourself is the beauty that shines the brightest"
"Being true to yourself, being kind to others, and not letting other people tear you down"
"Having no filter, being comfortable in your own skin, being confident"
"Beauty comes from the soul...being happy, encouraging others and picking them up when they need it"
I always say that my program is not just about pretty pictures, and this session theme is no exception. This one was definitely an emotional experience more than anything else, and the pictures were beautiful. I told the girls that I consider myself lucky to have gotten through our Saturday morning together without bawling like a proud parent. I was so, so proud of them! The experience of the actual session was amazing, but what followed after that was the absolute best part. My girls are not required to post their mini session images on social media (unlike other model team programs), so when they do post their mini session images it makes my heart happy. So when I started seeing them post their Project Beauty images, it was great. But more importantly, to see the captions they posted along with their Project Beauty images incredible. Their captions were thoughful, truly inspirational and uplifting. I have not doubt in my mind that their confidence to do this project, and sharing their stories on social media, will help build the confidence of their peers. They are excellent examples of young women whose life experiences have shaped them into the strong and determined individuals that they are today.
If you've been around me within the last couple of weeks, you know this is all I've been able to talk about! I'm so grateful to have had the Project Beauty experience with this amazing group of young women!
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