natural images for a change™ program

changing women's perception's of themselves and
societies' perception of women.

• newborn
• pregnancy
• projects
• weddings

• p r o o f s
• c o n t a c t
• a b o u t
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• contact
• about

• our vision
• natural images for a change™
• Koren Albright
• Joe Albright
• behind the scenes

• definition:
  Create images and artwork from everyday people and use them to create social awareness and change for how women are portrayed in the media.
• goals:
  • To inspire women to stop comparing themselves to synthetic advertising and Hollywood versions of what a woman is supposed to look like.
  
  
  • To inspire women to be content and comfortable as their natural selves and to realize that as the definition of beauty.
  
  
  • To change what society considers as normal concerning body size and shape.
  
  
  • To change negative stigmas about Breastfeeding.
• implementation:
  • Publication of books that combine our images with help, information, encouragement and inspiration about breastfeeding and woman's social issues.
  
  
  • Production of products such as prints, cards, calendars and more that combine images with messages of encouragement and inspiration about breastfeeding and woman's social issues.
  
  
  • Submission to popular magazines for cover and internal display to balance the mass media.
  
  
  • Licensing images to reputable companies promoting natural products and to companies that want to promote natural women in their advertising.
• benefits:
  • The opportunity to have an active roll in changing perceptions of woman.
  
  
  • Boost your self confidence.
  
  
  • Make a healthier society for your children and grand children.
  
  
  • Reduce the cost of your portrait shoot.

Photographers today, under pressure from the advertising industry, are altering not only their images but the subjects in them too.

Take a minute to look at this example.
And if that's not enough, do a Google search for "photoshop skin smoothing".

As a professional photographer I understand that every photograph needs minor adjustments. I have no problem removing a piece of hair or even altering a background object. Even in the good old days of b/w film and hand printing it was standard to adjust the contrast of your image and under or over expose areas of your picture to achieve the best look. That's why photography is an art. And I understand that we have always used our knowledge of light and body positioning to achieve the best possible look for the subject. But all of these adjustments are effects that could have happened in nature. They're still possible in the natural world.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with any digital enhancement / alteration made in the name of Art. When it comes to Art anything goes. But, enlarging breasts, shrinking waists and other digital structural alterations are stepping way over the line of fact and fiction.



Not only is this going on right now, it is already an epidemic. All major magazine and advertisement photos are altered. And the effects are leaving obvious scars on our youth in the form of cosmetic surgery and unrealistic dieting. Women of all ages are innocently basing their self-esteem on these fake images of unattainable shapes and sizes. As a photographer I am making a stand. I am placing myself between the runaway train of distorted media and the brick wall of devastated self-esteem.

The Natural Images for a Change Program simply strives to use images of natural, unaltered subjects to bring about awareness and change in how the media portrays women. Images of natural body shapes and sizes promote a state of well being and contentment with ourselves.