(R5) The Weight Debate (part 2)

Many thanks to Scott Church for his kind permission to feature the following aptly named and beautiful image. Scott has a new photo blog, which you can view here.

The Complex and the Simple, by Scott Church

Would you photograph this model?

Now of course each of us will have a different, very subjective answer to this question, depending on how we personally feel about shooting larger models. Is she "plus-size" or is she "fat?" Does the language really matter? Yes, I did use the “f” word, deliberately. I can feel you all flinching already.

Size-ism and weight bias rules Western culture. It is the reason that many women (and men) have eating disorders. I frequent a lot of nutrition forums, and the bitchiness between the women is eye-watering. You really wouldn’t believe how nasty people can be about size. In the fashion industry too, thin is equated with perfection. A typical example is Carine Roitfeld (editor of French Vogue) who believes that models can never be too skinny, that only thin is beautiful. The media and entertainment industry’s obsession with rake-thin clothes horses and the Barbie-doll look has done a huge amount of harm to woman-kind in general. It has wrecked our self-esteem, and racked us with self doubt.

Weight bias is even virulent amongst the less educated members of the photographic community. One of the main reasons I left the MM forums was because of the constant vicious attacks on models about weight. One of the worst things a photographer can EVER say to a model is “you’re fat.” And yes, I have seen it happen too many times to count. How rude, how ignorant, but it still happens all of the time. We all know it is wrong, unjust, and I bet all of you reading this agree with me. So, if this is the case, why does seem that the vast majority of nude photographers only photograph thinner women? And by "thinner," I mean size 14 (size 16 in US speak) or under. I’ve no idea if it’s because they can’t find plus size models, or because their personal taste in women is for thinner body-shapes, or simply because thin women are more socially acceptable and sell more images.

I know of at least one photographer who never ever photographs over a US size 4 (UK size 8). He makes no apologies for this, and he’ll freely admit that he just doesn’t find anyone over that size attractive enough to photograph. He subscribes to the “thin is beautiful” regime, and to his credit, he does photograph these svelte ladies extremely well. Of course he could photograph larger women and make them look stunning too, but he doesn’t want to. (He’s a charming chap, BTW.)

Rich, on the other hand, is a personality junkie. He genuinely likes all different body shapes and sizes, and he considers all women potentially good photographic subjects providing they are prepared to “emote” to the camera. In some respects, this is a bad thing as it’s easy to find models who will pose nude, but incredibly difficult to discover models who can express passion in front of the lens.

And then there’s the problem of actually finding a plus-plus size model who will pose nude for us (I mean size 20 or above.) Extensive casting calls on my part have met with abject failure. Unlike the awesomely talented US model Shyly, most larger models in the UK are deeply ashamed to be photographed naked. Although they love art and modelling, they confess to hating their natural bodies, so no nude modelling under any circumstances, which I find immensely sad, albeit predictable. In my teens I was a size 20 (US size 22) and there’s no doubt I hated my body. I wanted to look like the women in Vogue. I wanted to be skinny. Thin = beautiful, acceptable, desirable, LOVED. Even twenty years ago, this was the case. Why? Was this Vogue’s fault? If there had been a fashion magazine for empowered gorgeous larger women, would I have bought it? Hell, no. I would have still bought into the glossy fantasy fashion world. I wanted the dream. I wanted to look like a Barbie doll. I wasn't remotely interested in reality.

The grand irony is, of course, that it goes the other way too. Once you have achieved your ultimate dream of being skinny, you might be absolutely delighted with your new body shape, but I can tell you truthfully that practically every other woman will hate you for it. Very thin women are constantly reviled and demonised by those larger than them. A couple of years ago, just as I was starting modelling, I was a size zero (U.K. size 4.) I was accused by other models of being unhealthy, a traitor to womankind, ugly (apparently my ribs stuck out), emaciated, and one unenlightened photographic critic even thought I looked dead. Mmm…as you can imagine, this did not make me feel so good about my self-worth at the time. Nor did it make me feel desirable, nor more loved. Thank God for Rich, who took some great piccies and really boosted my self-love quota. The more you model nude, the more you learn to love your body. It does wonders for self esteem, and it's great therapy for those with negative self-image issues. If only every woman would do it.

So I’ve been fat, I’ve been thin, and through my experiences as a model, I have since realised that weight should be irrelevant to photography. It's the personality of the model that counts. I mean, who gives a rat’s ass how fat or thin you are, as long as you’re really, genuinely happy in yourself, and you care passionately about your art? That's what produces great photographs, because your emotions are reflected in your work.

Am I crazy? Is nude photography all about selling a fantasy of “the perfect woman?” Why should it be all about making money and what society considers beautiful? What about personality? What about reality? And most importantly, just HOW do we change things? How do we educate women out of the glossy fantasy, and should we even try?

IMHO, the answer might just begin with the image creators. YOU, the photographers, can help challenge the social stereotypes because you are the ones who make the images. YOU are the ones who create the fantasies. The media follow your example, they look at your work and this influences their opinions and shapes their reactions accordingly. The power is with you, the gifted artists, who know that you can reflect the real beauty of ALL women, regardless of whether they are a size 20 or a size zero.

Society will never break this destructive cycle unless you, the artists, help to make it happen.

It’s up to you. You can start to change the way things are. You just have to want to.



Lynx. Perpetuating the fantasy of the ideal size zero perfection? Or just a talented and passionate art model?