Mum's Powerful Photo Project 'Strong Is The New Pretty' Proves Girls Are Fabulous Just As They Are
Mum's Powerful Photos Of Young Girls Show 'Strong Is The New Pretty'
Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK
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From pink princess toys as toddlers, to beauty blogs as teens, today's girls are bombarded with images that tell them how to be "pretty".
But in a new project titled Strong Is The New Pretty, Atlanta-based photographer Kate Parker shows that, in reality, girls are "loud, athletic, fearless, messy, joyous and frustrated".
"I wanted to celebrate these girls as they are, not how females are expected to be," Parker tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle. "Being pretty or perfect is not important. Being who they are is."
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Parker didn't set out with an agenda when she began to photograph her daughters and their friends - she just wanted to document their childhood and practice using her camera.
But she soon realised her pictures showed something special about what it really means to be a girl.
"After about a year or so, it organically grew into something different. The images changed," she says. "I started to see patterns and recognise that the images where the girls were authentically captured were the strongest images.
"The images that showed the girls as they genuinely are were my favorites. After seeing this, I started to shoot with that in mind."
The project now aims to show the girls involved, and other women, that they don't have to confirm to society's beauty standards.
"There's a lot of pressure for girls and women to look a certain way and act in certain manner," Parker says.
"I wanted to let my daughters know that who they naturally are is enough."
Late last year, Tesco removed a sign which singled out a superhero alarm clock as a "fun gift for boys" in response to a complaint about gender stereotyping.The author of that complaint? Seven-year-old Maggie Cole, who proved you're never too young to make a change. (credit:Karen Cole/Twitter)
Malala Yousafzai(02 of11)
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No inspirational women's list would be complete without Malala Yousafzai.
The 17-year-old education activist, who was shot by the Taliban for her support of girls' right to education, has gone far beyond campaigning for just her Pakistan homeland.
Dominique is a pretty last minute entry - but we couldn't not include her.
The UCLan student has raised more than £30,000 for homeless people after Robbie, a man who slept on the streets, offered her his last change so she could get home safely.
So touched by his generosity, she decided to return the favour and spent 24 hours with Robbie raise the money. Dominique is an inspiring example of how charity really does start from home. (credit:Facebook)
Jack Monroe(04 of11)
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Jack Monroe is a 25-year-old single mother from Southend on Sea, who started a blog when she was unemployed and looking for work.
She charted the realities of life on the breadline, and the difficulty of finding work as a single parent in an economic downturn.
After being referred to a food bank last year, she cooks budget meals for herself and her three year old son for less than £10 a week, and recently spoke to a group of MPs in Parliament about food poverty and food banks in Britain. She also won the 2014 Women of the Year Enterprise award. (credit:PA)
Aisha Abdulsalam(05 of11)
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Meet Aisha, who is set to be the world’s first Kurdish female Pilot.
After achieving A-levels in Maths and Art & Design, she has gained a place to study Aviation Pilot Studies at Buckinghamshire New University.
“In my country as well as in Iraq, there are no women pilots," she says. "So if I do become a pilot, I will be the first Kurdish woman to become a pilot.”
On top of taking her A-levels, Aisha also had to care for her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
She might not be Britain's first female pilot, but she's certainly an inspirational figure for British youths. (credit:ARK Putney Academy)
Rosie Corrigan(06 of11)
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21-year-old Rosie became the youngest woman ever to be elected as Mayor after first entering politics to campaign about tuna paninis.
Labour party member Rosie Corrigan was elected Mayor of Selby, a market town in North Yorkshire in May.
Corrigan plans to use her year in office to further encourage political awareness in the youth of Selby. (credit:Twitter)
But the 23-year-old refuses to be ashamed of her naked body.
Emma decided to reclaim her body by taking and sharing topless photographs of herself.
A new photo series featuring Emma nude, shot by a photographer of her own choice, allow the activist to show her body on her own terms. (credit:Emma Holten)
Scout Willis(08 of11)
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The child of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Scout had some big boots to fill.
But instead of going down the usual perfume-cosmetics-model route, Scout has used her fame to campaign.
"No woman should be made to feel ashamed of her body," she said at the time. Scout also protested Instagram's ban on female topless photos by posting topless photos along with the caption #FreeTheNipple. (credit:Twitter)
Fahma Mohamed(09 of11)
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Bristol schoolgirl Fahma Mohamed (pictured) and Muna Hassan teamed up with a group of young women from youth charity INtegrate Bristol to campaign against FGM> They successfully persuaded the then education secretary Michael Gove to contact every school about FGM, as well as winning the backing of UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
It's not even her work as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and HeForShe advocate which makes her one of our favourite women, it's the pride she takes in being a feminist we love.
While many other female celebrities are afraid to declare themselves feminists so they don't damage their brand, Emma is out, loud and proud - just take her recent response to those Prince Harry rumours. (credit:Pascal le Segretain via Getty Images)
Rowan Hansen(11 of11)
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11-year-old Rowan Hansen was turned into a superhero after complaining to DC Comics about the lack of female role models in their graphic novels.br clear="all"> Rowan, from Illinois, wrote "I love your comics, but I would love them a lot more if there were more girls.br clear="all"> "There are Superman and Batman movies, but not a Wonder Woman one. You have a Flash TV show but not a Wonder Woman one. Marvel comics made a movie about a talking tree and raccoon awesome, but you haven't made a movie with Wonder Woman. Please do something about this. Girls read comics, too, and they care."