Feminine Transitions: A Photographic Celebration of Natural Beauty

Alyscia Cunningham

Description

Feminine Transitions: A photographic celebration of natural beauty is a refreshing and inspiring, full-color photography book. Its pages present a series of portraits that reveal the elegance and subtly honest beauty of female faces between the ages of 7 weeks and 103 years.

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 12 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781622873883
• Langue: English

Extrait

Feminine Transitions
Alyscia Cunningham


First Edition Design Publishing

Feminine Transitions
Copyright ©2013 Alyscia Cunningham
ISBN 978-1622-873-14-2 EBOOK

September 2013

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
Sample of Interior

Altovise 37 “The older I get the more I realize that I cannot love and appreciate the things in my life until I truly love and appreciate myself. Falling in love with myself has made me a better mother, sister, daughter and friend.”
Altovise
This book is dedicated to my two daughters. You are beautiful!

Photography by
Alyscia Cunningham
of females from infancy to seniority

A&CBOOKS
“I know for sure that only by owning who and what you are can you step into the fullness of life.” Oprah Winfrey
The beauty of Feminine Transitions… On the early morning of August 16, 2009, I awoke with the name of the title for this book. After reaching to the side of my mattress and grabbing my notebook (it was kept close by to write down the details of deep dreams and ideas as arising from sleep) I wrote down, Feminine Transitions. The concept and flow of images came to me a few months prior to this particular morning. Clearly envisioning a photography book compiled of portraits of females at distinctive stages of life accompanied by their As the weeks went by, I thoughts, the concept and title were a perfect fit. fine-tuned the details about my book concept. Not only was it important to me to create a compilation of images, it was also vital to include a thought from each model that would serve as an interpretation of the change in psyche as we transitioned though life. I wanted to bring to light that as we evolve in age we also mature mentally. To sharpen my focus on this project, I enrolled in a personal-assignment photography class at Montgomery College in Maryland and immediately began my search for models. In the beginning, I photographed women that I knew personally. But as word spread about the book project I started receiving calls from all across the state. I happened to start off by photographing younger girls before moving on to increasingly older women. At the beginning of each photo shoot, I asked the models to pose without accessories such as earrings and necklaces, with the exception of one, since she recently pierced her ears. My objective was to truly express the bare beauty of each model without distractions. I vividly remember the feeling of looking at one of the older women through the lens and feeling displeased. I knew then that the photo was not going to work, but I wasn’t sure what my hang-up was. It took me awhile to realize that the problem was with her makeup. I couldn’t see… her skin.
“ We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty .” Maya Angelou
It filled in the natural lines on her face, and gave her an unrealistic appearance. Realizing that her makeup hid her face, I asked her to remove it so that I could see her authentic beauty. From that point on, it became a requirement that all models remain bare, without makeup, accessories, or wigs for the photo-shoot. Unfortunately, this prerequisite became the deciding factor to those who chose not to participate. It was then I realized many women had serious issues with their self-image. For many, not being able to put on their “face” was a huge problem. My intent was not to cause any discomfort. I simply wanted to create a photographic celebration of womanhood in their natural state. For those who decided to participate despite their hesitation, seem to discover a part of themselves on a deeper level. As they took off the mask they had been wearing for most of their lives, they felt the sensation of freedom. To make each woman look as subtle as possible, it was necessary for them remain simply bare. So I requested that they pull their shirts down below their shoulders. Some of the models felt open enough to take off their top completely. When they did, they felt a growing sense of release. Many of them said to me, “I felt like I took a load off my back.” There was an emotional significance attached to the bareness in the photographs. The women became vulnerable. There was only the individual and the camera — nothing in between. I also decided not to alter the images in any way. What you see is what you get. It is quite obvious that our society plays a major role in perpetuating a negative attitude towards aging. Commercials, magazines, advertising, and even doctors do an effective job of marketing “age defying” products. I will never understand why growing old is considered taboo. Even while being bombarded with such negativity, we must take responsibility for embracing our true selves. When we do, we will be helping the younger generation develop a healthier view of aging. As the project progressed, I noticed a distinct difference in the emotions between the age groups. The young girls were excited to be included in Feminine Transitions.
“ For the unlearned, old age is winter; for the learned, it is the season of the harvest .” Hasidic saying
Women In their 20s were also excited, but they were much more aware of how they “should” look. “Where’s the mirror,” they asked. Women in their 30s and early 40s were also self-conscious about their appearance, but they were also clearly aware of the physical changes they’ve experienced as they aged. Their hair was graying. Their skin was not as firm. The shape of their body was changing. Still, the older women had developed wisdom and felt a greater sense of identity. There was a sense of unfolding of self, and that alone was beautiful to me. Being 30 when I started this project, I identified more with this age group. I knew who I was and what I wanted. The largest number of women who chose not to participate after being told that they were not to wear makeup was in their late 40s, 50s, and 60s. That’s why there are fewer portraits in the book of women in those age groups. They were much more hesitant about being so vulnerable. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with the transformations that came with growing older. It was as if they were in denial about their ageing. I most admired the self-perceptions of the women above the age of 70. Although some voiced their feelings that their wrinkles were unattractive, most had the highest level of confidence across all of the age groups. These women had a wonderful sense of self and a positive outlook on life.