Welcome back for another post about skin positivity 🙂
I recently viewed (online) Sophie Harris-Taylor’s photography series “Epidermis”, a work which displays images of different women with all their insecurities and “imperfections” laid bare, attempting to show who these women are without any make-up on.
Sophie Harris-Taylor aims to show that normality is “defined by the images we see all around us” and flawless skin is the goal encouraged by society- but in fact, most women do not boast “perfect” skin, and in actual fact we should be celebrating flaws instead of hiding them.
These photographs shine a light on conditions such as acne, rosacea, and eczema. I love how the photographs display these women with their skin completely uncovered, unashamed to be who they are.
Each of the photos in this series features a different woman, and she has her own “insecurities” or “imperfections”. These range from rosacea to acne, and really showcase the normality of skin conditions, showing that everyone has some kind of insecurity or skincare issue that they often try to hide from the world.
These were really interesting and touching photographs to view. By displaying the women in the photos as completely bare, Harris-Taylor makes an important point about female vulnerability, insecurity, and the intense beauty standards pushed by society.
As someone who struggles with acne, I found these photos touching and unique- it’s so lovely to see the arts appreciating different forms of beauty, tackling issues people are often too nervous to discuss. I love seeing the “imperfections” and “flaws” portrayed in the arts, showing that we’re all human.
It can be hard to feel completely confident in a world of make-up and intense beauty standards, especially when women in the media are constantly represented as perfect, with flawless skin. But Harris-Taylor’s work shows a different side to these standards, and her message of skin confidence is inspiring and relatable.
If you’d like to check out this gorgeous photography series, click here.
Have you seen this fantastic photography series? Would you consider checking out Harris-Taylor’s work? What are your thoughts on skin positivity?
Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂
Happy reading x
Picture credits here
Not-So-Modern Girl 
Wow what beautiful photos thanks so much for sharing them!
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I agree! Thanks for commenting 🙂
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It makes me sad that advertisements and movies make acne such a “rare” occurance when really we all suffer from some kind of imperfection. No one is as perfect as the advertisements. Have you seen the DOVE add where they take a picture of a model then do all the fixing that they do in their photoshop program and come out with what the ad looks like? It looks nothing like the original.
Thanks so much for posting this!
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Yes so true, if we actually had some better representation in the media of “imperfections” maybe they would no longer be seen as flaws 🙂 I’ve not seen that- I’ll look it up!
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Aw thank you so much Elle, I agree- I think that society’s idea of perfect is so hats to attain and it’s important to stay positive 🙂 x
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I struggled with acne as a teenager and all that really helped was going on medication. It’s actually a perfectly natural occurrence, I wish people wouldn’t make such a big deal out of it. You do you.
All the best, Michelle (michellesclutterbox.com)
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Yes I completely agree, it’s so important that we just accept that different people have different natural skin 🙂
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I’ve not seen these collection of photos before but will look further into it as I used to suffer terribly with acne. I went through years of treatment for it and finally had some hospital/doctor prescribed medication that did clear it up. These women look beautiful and their skin conditions do not detract from that — I wish I had seen this before now as when I was battling my severe and extreme acne I didn’t think I should go out because I thought I was so ugly. Thanks for sharing this!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post, as someone who suffers badly with acne I love finding places that promote a positive image about skin differences- and I’m glad you found that too 🙂 I agree, these women are beautiful and we should celebrate our differences!
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These are such amazing photos. I wish the world was different and self-shame was rare instead of showing your imperfections being rare. Thank you for sharing this
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Yes that’s so true, I wish the same! Thank you for commenting 🙂
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They’re so important I agree, just knowing that others are in the same position as you can be so inspiring x
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