“So, I’m excited about the idea of a session,” she said, “but, do you shoot plus size?” I work with real-bodied people and real bodies come in all shapes and sizes. So yes, I do. I built this studio predicated on the idea that everybody and every-body is beautiful and worthy. That said, I get the question all the time. The funny thing for me is I have always said that I don’t think about size as a category like that. However, I realize that as a guy, I’m also not saddled with a lifetime of media and societal baggage telling me I am imperfect unless I meet some narrow body-type specification only attained by about 5% of the population.
To me, the question might as well have been “do you work with people with attached earlobes?” Ridiculous! But as a society, we are so absurdly hung up on size as a category, as a delineator, as a point of pride or shame, that we have convinced ourselves that somehow we have to ask if we are okay enough, worthy enough, or even “allowed” to celebrate ourselves in intimate portraiture.
Here is the problem. Just saying that “I don’t see size” as a category of judgment, would be akin to saying I don’t see color when it comes to someone’s race. On the surface, it may seem like that is being “equal,” but the reality is that it may not be equitable at all. Janice Gassam, Senior Contributor for Diversity and Inclusion at Forbes said in a 2019 article:
“How can you possibly fix something that you don’t believe you actually see? If you are conducting training to help individuals move past their racial biases, it’s important to understand that the goal is not to be color-blind. The goal is actually to see and recognize skin color [then] to control and regulate your innate impulse to make decisions based on such characteristics. Being able to first recognize this is critical.”
This is how I have come to feel about the plus-size conversation. I will not ignore the fact that you are a size 2 or 22. Rather, I will do my very best to honor the beauty that is inherent in both. I strive every day to create an environment where you, all of you, can be celebrated. However, that never includes dismissing the feelings you have about your self-image, which has been crafted over a lifetime and influenced by societal norms and stigmas. We will honor, work through, and embrace all of that, together.
I recently listened to a TED talk by plus-size model Ashley Graham, who has been working as such since her early teens. She spoke about shedding the plus-size label for herself and thinking of it as just “my sized”. It is an amazing piece, so I’ll put the link at the end of this article.
She talked about being labeled “beautiful, for a plus-sized girl.” The condition at the end of the sentence is the part we can’t gloss over. We have all heard someone say, “she’s a big girl, but she has a beautiful face.” It makes me cringe. Cringe to the point of feeling remorseful that the first time I heard someone utter those words I didn’t immediately retort with “you mean she’s beautiful, period.” Because you can’t even fathom someone saying “you have great abs, for an intolerant body-shamer,” right? I may be a little more diplomatic now, but my point will be heard.
https://www.ted.com/talks/ashley_graham_plus_size_more_like_my_size?language=en
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