Life is short. Perfection does not exist.
Screw society’s standard of beauty. Help me REDEFINE IT”

Rachel Stephens – Photographer

When I started my photography journey I started out wanting to shoot only boudoir. My reasoning for this was because I wanted to empower women. You may say no way would I ever get in lingerie and have my photo taken. Which for the record, I totally understand also. But let us take a different look at it.

When we say no way would I take my clothes off in front of a stranger, because when we look in the mirror we are very critical of what we see. We see lumps and bumps and shy away from actually seeing our true beauty. If we flipped that thought process and own our bodies, then what. Imagine looking in the mirror, with clothes or without, and saying I love you, I am enough. That is empowering.

• Yes my stomach has stretch marks, but that tummy grew my 3 children in it.
• Yes I have grey hairs, but they show me that I have wisdom as with age comes wisdom.
• Yes I have wrinkles, but I call them laugh lines, because over the years life has taken me on a wonderful journey.
• Yes I could lose weight, but instead of focusing on that I am working on being healthy, enjoying life and surrounding myself with love and happiness.
• I am perfectly imperfect.

Over the past 4 years my photography has taken me in different directions. But I made the decision as I approached 40 last year that I would focus on women’s portraits. It would be anything from boudoir to glamour and everything in between, but the main focus being women.

I want you to forget about society’s standard of beauty, or what you see in magazines and then compare yourself to. I want you to realise that you indeed are perfect just as you are right now. Stand in front of that mirror and own what you have. And in reality, your loved ones don’t see what you see. They love you because you are who you are.

So let’s change this perception together. Let us all step forward and say I am enough. I am beautiful. Life really is too short to have regrets, so live it to its fullest. Now I am not saying you have to jump in some lingerie and have your photo taken, merely hoping you realise how amazing you really are, right now, right in this moment.

xx Shelly