A photographer wants to prove that thereโs no such thing as the โperfect womanโ by photographing women in their underwear.
Emily Laurenโs โAverage Girlโ project aims to promote a culture of body positivity to combat the one-size-fits-all idea of beauty often promoted by the media.
โI started this project because I was tired of seeing only one type of woman represented in the media,โ the photographer tells The Huffington Post UK.
โThe reality is the perfect woman isnโt even real because she is Photoshopped, manipulated and changed by the media.
โWhen I finally realised that the media profits off of our dissatisfaction with ourselves, I realised that the only way to combat this was to create and put out more sources of body-positive media.โ
To date, Lauren has photographed more than 40 women for her project ranging from the ages of 16 to 39. The women are from all walks of life, from students to stay-at-home mums and business women.
โSometimes I get asked about why I called the project โAverage Girlโ, as if I am referring to only one type of woman,โ Lauren says.
โI think โaverageโ is a place where we all fit, [but] we all feel that we donโt fit in. Thatโs normal! Hence, โAverage Girlโ. Skinny, medium, large... it does not matter. We all face the same kind of pressures in society.โ
Lauren says the majority of women in the project chose to keep their names anonymous, but the most memorable person she photographed was a teenager she refers to as โMiss Jโ.
โShe was only 16 and had got her parents consent to do the photo session with me,โ Lauren says.
โAfter interviewing her, I realised how much she was going through on the inside and how badly this book is needed.
โThe teen years are especially hard and itโs crucial that we teach young women how to identify and challenge the things that make them feel bad about who they are and what they look like.
โWe need to get these women healthy again, in mind and body.โ
Lauren is currently crowdfunding to publish a book featuring the images, titled โAverage Girl: A Guide To Loving Your Bodyโ, but says her main priority is promoting body positivity.
โI donโt care to make a profit off of this book, I only want to raise enough funds to get it in the hands of the people that need it most,โ she says.
โI want to make this book because I needed it so badly when I was in my teen years.
โMy goal is that every person that reads it will see someone who reminds them of themselves and this will remind them that they are not alone.โ
See more images from the โAverage Girlโ project below or donate to Emily Laurenโs Kickstarter page here.
