The “Imperfect” project is a protest against the pressure to live up to the unrealistic standard of beauty that can only be achieved with the aid of photoshop. As a photographer, I am near-constantly faced with requests from clients to hide a blemish or “even out” skin tones or reshape a body part. I believe this dissatisfaction with our natural appearance is the result of being constantly fed with airbrushed, reshaped, photoshopped versions of the human body. We are inundated with these images of “perfection” on social media and in advertising. There is research showing that our exposure to these images has significant negative effects on our self-esteem and mental health.

This project is an attempt to remind us of what human beings look like! It is a celebration of the uneven skin-tones, bumps and scars, folds and stretch marks that are all part of what it means to be human. It is a reminder that beauty often comes with flaws.

This project will be carried out in two phases.

Phase 1 – Portraits
Every day in the month of November I will post beautifully taken portraits of men and women. These unedited portraits will challenge our desire to hide our flaws on social media.

Phase 2 – Advertising
I will create mock adverts with brands in every major industry. These adverts will feature people who don’t fit the stereotypical image used in advertising. The photos will not be airbrushed and no “flaws” will be hidden. These photos will promote the idea that it is possible to create adverts that don’t leave people dissatisfied with their natural selves.