“It makes me feel like I have this superpower; to help women no matter their size, shape or age, to get them to see themselves with loving eyes.”
Marina Meier is an internationally recognised photographer, based in Brisbane with roots in Kazakstan and Germany. The passionate artist specialises in boudoir photography and artistic nudes inspired by her fascination for human body forms, curves and shapes.
Relatable first met Marina via a collaborative women’s Facebook group when she posted about an upcoming free shoot she was doing, Every Body Is A Beach Body, which follows on from her original photography initiative, the Naked Face Photography Project. We knew we had a common ideology and wanted to learn all about her love of photographing ‘real’ women.
What has fuelled your personal support for the Body Positive Movement?
I have had 18 years of daily interaction with women and their body issues; it has really been what my work is about. From the stories I hear, I have realised it’s not from within that the pressures come, it’s from the outside: society and social media; Instagram in particular. The Beach Body shoot was the natural next stage after my Naked Face Photography Project. The time was right and I was starting to see the next wave of advertisements for products to help you get a ‘beach body’. It’s so degrading, why do we buy into the pressure, year after year? All this weight loss chat for “summer bodies” fuelled my anger and boosted my energy, I had to act! Suddenly I realised I have the power, I have a super power! Why not work with women to change society’s perception of perfection and be all inclusive? I wanted to create a new beauty ideal that is inclusive and diverse.
Your first big campaign was your Naked Face Photography Project. Tell us about it and what inspired you?
The Naked Face Photography Project was raw, honest, no makeup, no filters, no editing. So liberating.
I felt that if we saw more everyday women and what they actually looked like, we would feel better about ourselves and relate. The response to my Facebook group question evoked such emotion from the women it reached; they expressed how overwhelmed they generally are with the perfect, flawless images of women and families on social media. The responses were that everything is staged, everything is filtered and they don’t want to be compared to that. In real life, we look completely different! They also felt that with age they became invisible. Such pressure to be seen and to compete with a certain size, shape and age.
I am not against makeup, I often use it if my clients choose, it is totally ok to want to wear it, but it’s the fact that we as women feel incomplete without it. I will edit but only for a pimple or maybe a bruise, anything beyond that erases the history of the soul. My craft is to show you who you are in all your natural beauty.
What was your favourite moment from the Every Body Is A Beach Body shoot?
Some women said it was the first time in a long time they had felt this comfortable in their swimmers without ducking for cover into the water or covering up. They now felt different in front of other people since the shoot; I had emails afterwards telling me that they were on their way to accepting themselves and that wouldn’t change.
What little things do you do to make these women relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera?
I schedule a meeting in person prior to the shoot, and then send them a questionnaire of positive questions about them personally before we meet. The introductory session can take up to 2 hours; I ask if they have any questions about me, I will share anything they ask, especially personal. This is what provides a safe environment.
I ask questions like “What makes you amazing?”, “What do you want to discover or rediscover about yourself?” and “What are the top 5 things you love about yourself?” It’s almost like women feel that it’s good manners to criticise themselves and their bodies. But there is no judgement with me; it is often so hard to be seen and I understand that.
Throughout all my shoots I continuously provide positive reinforcement and encouragement. I begin to learn their stories, they share their intimate details, health struggles, marriage breakups, they want to discover themselves as women, feminine and sexy. They trust me.
“Why not work with women to change society’s perception of ‘perfection?’ Why not be completely inclusive?” – Marina Meier.
“Let me show you what I see”. Can you describe for us in words what you do actually see from behind the camera?
What I see initially is stiff, awkward & vulnerable. Then, as the shoot goes on, I see energy changing, I see transformation, and by the end, these women are running circles around me in their underwear or swimwear like butterflies. It’s that change and ease of movement I notice.
Helping empower these women; how does it make you feel?
Gratitude. I just felt grateful and humble for their trust; they were all so brave.
