When Jade Beall, an Arizona-based photographer, took candid photos of herself with her son just five weeks after she had her child, she shared it with friends and family online. But she had no idea then that the photo would go viral and that it would be shared tens of thousands of times. And guess what, it completely changed her life.
The picture showed Jade holding her son completely bare and breastfeeding. Becoming a mother had completely changed her body, she had rolls in places she never thought she would, she had dark under-eye circles, yet she did not want to photoshop any part of the photos to look different. But the positive response online prompted her to start A Beautiful Project .
As many women identified themselves with the photos, they too wanted to be photographed. Here’s what made Jade realize that she could help more and more mothers to love, celebrate, and be proud of their post-pregnancy bodies. The 35-year-old photographer took photos of hundreds of women and featured them un-photoshopped with their personal stories in the project. The stories go on to tell how these beautiful women built their self-esteem. They may have thought that they were fat or wrinkly but came to accept themselves, just as they were.
Beall has not only photographed but also made friends with these women all over the world. She has helped hundreds of women to practice self-love while bonding with them in sisterhood.
You can read more about the project on Facebook and the Beautiful Project website.
