Most millennials are in the same boat when it comes to the trials and tribulations of social media. We take countless selfies within 2 minutes, slightly changing angles and lighting in the hopes of finding the perfect image. Then we'll look at it for so long that we end up thinking we look a bit odd in it, then either delete or post it only to end up deleting it when it doesn't reach a certain amount of likes. It's a routine carried out by millions of teens.
But when's the last time we took a photo just for ourselves, just for fun? We often think about what will please other people, but I think it's so important that we capture our authenticity so we can learn to love and embrace it. Who cares if you look cocky or vain? Plan out a whole photo-shoot to yourself if you want!
Bex Saunders is an artist who has reclaimed the art of the selfie. A multi award winning photographer from the South of England, Bex shoots self portraits to 'raise my
confidence and make me feel good about myself'.
Your most recent
project focuses on self-love and empowerment; how did you come to this subject
and why do you find it important?
I realised it had been
a while since I had shot any self portraits, and so I decided to go all out. I
brought a lot of props, new equipment and backdrops. I really just wanted to
push myself as an artist. Not only as a photographer, but as a model and
stylist. I shot hundreds of photos and several concepts within hours. It made
me feel so accomplished as an artist, and I think that shows in the final
images. It is an important subject, as it is easy to fall into a creative
block. This can then in turn effect your self esteem.
What’s your creative
process?
I normally begin by
writing my ideas down in a book. Then once I am ready to shoot, I set up the
lighting, backgrounds, wardrobe and styling. If it is a self portrait shoot,
I'll probably end up shooting for 40 minutes or so. I then always begin to edit
immediately, as it is my favourite part of the creative process. I probably
spend around 30 minutes per image editing in Photoshop. Once everything is
edited, I will upload the photos to my social media over the period of a few
days. I don't like uploading too much at once.
Where do you find
inspiration?
As cliche as it sounds,
there is inspiration everywhere: words, colours, clothing, location or songs.
The list is infinite. I have based entire series around a single colour, or a
single sentence.
Have you ever felt
pressure to look a certain way due to social media culture, and how did you
overcome it?
Strangely, no. I have
always been very confident and secure in myself. Other people are not
competition when it comes to looks, as their beauty does not detract from my
own. I have all of the editing skills necessary in order to make myself
look like the conventionally pretty insta girl, but I don't feel the need to do
that. When it comes to editing self portraits, I'll perhaps cover any break
outs that I am having but I won't change the way I look. I like my self portraits
to be authentic.
When do you feel
most beautiful?
I feel most beautiful
once I have completed a successful series of self portraits. I think that is
because it makes me feel accomplished, as well as beautiful.
What would you tell
young people reading this who feel like they have to look a certain way and
rely on likes for self-esteem?
Using likes as a
measurement of self worth is dangerous and bordering on pathetic. Self esteem
comes within, and not from external sources. You will never feel content, or
happy, if you rely on others to validate your existence. You, and only you, are
in control of your self esteem. It might be a long journey to high self
esteem, but it will be worth it. You should start with realising that social
media is fake for the most part.
Do you have any
other exciting projects in the pipeline?
Right now I am focused
on shooting editorials, as that is new for me. I normally
only shoot single images per concept, but I want to expand that to 7-15 shots
per concept. I want to be able to tell a story with my photos.
I am also experimenting
more with film lately. Whilst I have been shooting film for years, I have been
using the same film camera the entire time. I have recently picked up a camera
which takes 110 film, as well as an original Polaroid. I have an ongoing series
which seeks to explore how poverty has changed my home town. There are several
hundred images in the series so far, but I don't see it ending any time
soon.
Keep up with Bex's work:
Instagram - @bexsaunders photography
