Three women I don't look like and why I don't want to.

I wanted to write this big grand post about society and their view of what a woman should look like but after writing and deleting several drafts I'm just going to show you some pictures:

These are three beautiful images. I love the expression, the gentility, the strength and the sexiness. I keep these images on my pinterest board so that I can look for these qualities in my photographs as I'm shooting. Sometimes I'll take a break in between outfits so I can peruse this board to get inspiration so I've seen them quite a bit. In looking at these photos over and over and over again I realize as a photographer than not everyone is going to be able to pull these poses off. Beyond that as a woman I realize I will never be able to pull these poses off. I was not born with the DNA of a small woman, I can be fit, healthy and lean and I will never look like this. It's the plain truth.

So, if I can't change these images and I can't change my DNA what can I change?

My perspective.

I can change the way I perceive my own beauty by looking at images and women whom I can be like, who I find sexy who look like me. Who have the same body type as I do, who are freaking ROCKING their bodies and then I can aspire to be like them. So here are three photos of women I find sexy and beautiful, confident and strong:

Jayne Mansfield, hands-down one of my favorite women. In her day and age this girl was drop-dead gorgeous, and who could argue with that? I just wish a little meat on our bones still made us as "sexy" as it did back in the day, but who doesn't?

Of course Marilyn Monroe. In this photo she isn't putting on a face, she isn't playing it up for the camera. She looks very introspective (which after reading about her I found out that she was very introspective, smart, AND well-spoken) but she looks like she's got my hips and she's wearing a bathing suit without fear. Granted there's no one on the beach behind her buuuut I'm willing to let that slide ;)

And this lady. I don't know who she is (I could probably find out if I were to read the fine print but...) she is making women look good not in spite of her curves, not because she's got "curves", she's not "sexy for a plus size model" she's freaking gorgeous for a woman plain and simple.

So after my search to find beautiful women and some beautiful photography of women who look more like my size that still look gorgeous and sexy I've added a few more photos to my pinboard. So if you want some beautiful, real, photography check out this board.

Who do you look up to as your healthy role model?

Live, love, and take LOTS of pictures!

Kirsten