My responsibility to you.
Why. Why do I do what I do?
It comes from a sense of responsibility, that’s why.
Firstly to myself, as a photographer, I create images that are shared and used on media. I want to see people who look like me in my media. My feed. My magazines.
Secondly to my children, who are actively growing as teens and expanding their minds, forming their own opinions separate from our family and growing into the excellent humans they are. As a parent of children who are living their lives under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, I want them to see themselves represented in media, beyond the binary. I want them to see themselves and their peers identified and present in the media they consume.
The enormous rise in social media has made social photographers social curators. We are the media creators and image makers. And it’s a responsibility. A huge one. My motivation to create a photo studio for Every Body was to create a legacy of real people and all bodies.
As a photographer, I am part of the media because I create content for media. I have the responsibility to create responsibly. This includes a conversation with each person who steps in front of my lens about Photoshop and modifying their photos through computers after the shoot. Our studio position on Photoshop is
1. No body modifying post-production.
2. If something on your skin is there for less than 2 weeks, like a cut or bruise, we will happily remove it. Otherwise all the other parts of you are permanent and perfect as they are. The most common comment I hear when shooting is, “Can you just edit out my rolls-fat-double chin-gut- in Photoshop?’
It is at this point, even though I want to shake them and say” Absolutely fucking not.” But I don’t, I just say it with my inside voice. At this point I usually put down my camera and say “Tell me more about that.” And the incredible conversations that come from this simple statement are so healing, not to mention the photos; the real raw you.
Telling the truth about what it means to be you, to exist in this body, today. We discuss the belief that we owe society and the media only one lens of beauty, that we owe society a photo that is perfect. No. We owe ourselves and the people in our lives the power in showing up as ourselves! Our beliefs, our biases about our bodies get in the way, clouding the reality of who we are and placing conditions around understanding what worthiness and beauty is.
I am your photographer I want to help you change this perspective. Social currency is not your value. We are overwhelmed with images and words since birth of what bodies have value. And it’s the biggest lie ever told.
Photography at its essence is about documenting a moment in time. That’s it. Not even a second in time, more like 1/500 of a second in time.
To learn more about all the ways we can work together to get you closer to embracing your authentic self or wondering about a session but not sure what the next step is?
Visit us at www.lesleystedmon.com or call Lesley at 250.751.4347.