Why all the pictures of women? They’re not from recent photoshoots (actually, a few of them are, but not all), there’s no common theme running through the photos (apart from all the models looking totally gorgeous), they’re not all fashion photos, fetish photos, spontaneous backstage pictures (although there are a few of each). So why? First, a little background.

One thing (ok, one of the many things…you know I love to rant) that drives me nuts is the use of the word ‘real’ to describe women who aren’t the fashion-industry-mass-media-standard size. I put a picture of a 5ft size 4 (I’m in the UK so I’ll be talking in UK sizes throughout this entry) fetish model online and the amount of “She’s so TINY!” comments it receives is shocking. Never mind that the model is a beautiful woman with a perfectly in-proportion (although yes, tiny) body with performance and modeling skills that never fail to blow me away. She’s thin. I put a picture of a 5ft10 size 16 pin-up model online and she’s ‘real’. Comments of the ‘curves are sexy!’ and ‘it’s great to see a REAL woman modeling’ type are plentiful. And those are lovely comments. But you know what? The talented, intelligent, stylish, fabulous size 4 chick is just as real as the talented, intelligent, stylish, fabulous size 16 chick. AND she does have curves, they’re just smaller (but in very similar proportion – both looking stunning in their corsets, stockings and high heels or in their regular clothes).

See, a woman’s ‘realness’ has nothing to do with her size. A woman’s beauty is not size-specific either. Every lady over a size 16 who models is not taking a stand for the big girls or BBWs or whatever the mot de jour is. Every girl under a size 8 is not starving herself or being exploited for the gains of some evil industry. Something I’ve learned from all the wonderful models, dancers, singers, fashion designers, mums, students, IT professionals etc that I’ve worked with is that they all have something I admire, one thing that inspires me every time I look at their photos or talk to them – they have confidence, and the (metaphorical) balls to get in front of a camera and allow their own special brand of gorgeousness to be captured on (again metaphorical, since I shoot mostly digital) film.

I’ve photographed women in expensive clothes, second hand clothes, home-made clothes and no clothes, with faces painted expertly by make-up artists, by themselves and sometimes not at all. In front of my camera, these women have smiled, laughed, screamed, shouted, stuck out their tongues, winked and looked alluring, and every single one of them has brought something to the picture that is unashamedly, undoubtedly unique. The women in the photographs above range from age 18 to age 50-something, from size 4 to size 20, from professional model to ‘would never describe myself as a model’. And they are all REAL.

Thanks to Susan, Missy, Corinne, Holly, Lark, Fuchsia, Bambi, Vendetta, Kitty, Leyla, Amy, Elisabeth, Niki and Cathy for MAKING these photos. Sometimes when I’ve spent a day photographing a woman of jaw-dropping beauty, I come home and catch sight of myself in the mirror…smudged make-up and messy hair (photography can be sweaty work sometimes, with the lights, climbing up and down off stepladders, rolling on the floor, carrying equipment that weighs more than me etc), comfy clothes (I always dress for comfort when I’m working), walking stiffly (like I said, sweaty work) and tired. It’s hard to see that reflection and feel good about myself every time. I’ve been close to both ends of the size scale of the ladies pictured above and I’ve never felt particularly good about my appearance. But I have never been any less real.

But when I’m working, taking photographs, doing something I love and dammit, something I’m GOOD AT, I feel pretty fucking happy with myself. I smile, I laugh, I drink too much coffee and get a little bit lost driving to shoots and put my back out setting up lights and spend time with some of the most amazing people I’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. And maybe that’s the secret. The women in these photos look beautiful because being in front of a camera is something they’re good at, something they enjoy doing (believe me, it’s only one of the great many things all the ladies above are good at). They look beautiful. They ARE beautiful. And they are absolutely, definitely, completely REAL.

And sometimes, when I allow myself to think about it rationally, when I force myself to take a break from counting calories and grams of fat and carbohydrate, when I stop assigning myself acceptability points on the scale of size 6-8-10-12-14-16, and let myself look in the mirror without a critical eye, I remember that I too might just fall into that category