Last year, The New York Times beauty columnist Bee Shapiro wrote about a sea change in the industry. Thanks to social media, inclusive brands, and pioneering celebrities, the public had started to embrace positive, diverse imagery. Finally, advertising campaigns featured a wide variety of skin tones, genders, and body shapes.
It was a significant moment in history, but it was just the beginning. And as Shapiro noted, photographers have a critical part to play going forward. As we head into the next few years, photographers will have the ultimate power to ensure inclusivity in the beauty industry is more than a “trend.” It’s a movement, and it’s here to stay.
We reached out to eleven photographers of various of backgrounds, from fine art to editorial and everything in between, to learn their secrets for creating inspiring images.
In these photos, you’ll find people from around the world. Many are professional models, but some are not. A few of these pictures can be described as conventional beauty images, while most are simply beautiful portraits. Despite their differences, though, they all share a sense of honesty and authenticity. And in the end, they all capture the enduring grace of the person sitting in front of the camera.