The Initiative & Process
Click on the link to watch the film my friend and I created about the process and results of the first batch of photos for the Love the Pudge campaign.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Gallery
Curious attendees crowded the lobby of the Arazi-Ofer Building in the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzilya, Israel as the sun set last night. The 17 prints revealed featured a variety of body insecurities. What was most interesting for me to see were the reactions of the individuals featured in the photographs. A large portion were proud to point out which print featured their bodies--exposing what they once were ashamed of. This was a special moment for me because it perpetuated my strong belief in this campaign. When our insecurities can be acquired as a beautiful form rather than a fault, we can learn to accept and love ourselves and others. Another bonus to the evening was a screening of the documentary that a close friend of mine and I developed over the past few months that rippled inspiration through the venue. I am throuroughly impressed with the outcome of this event, and I hope that I can continue to inspire many.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Countdown Begins...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Gallery Reveal
All 17 prints are officially tangible and beautiful. It is surreal to see the body parts so much larger-than-life. I can hardly wait for the gallery debut in less than two weeks time! I hope that there is a big turnout. Right now I am working on getting a hold of a device on which I can show a documentary my friend and I filmed on the "Making of" the campaign. I also have to prepare a short introductory speech...(ahhh)
The 24th of this month is the date of the gallery, and the 25th will be the launch of the featured photographs online so my lovely blog-followers can take part in the revolution! So hang in there, I know you're all very eager to see the fruits of my labour.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
My Challenge
Love the Pudge is not only a blog. In two weeks time, there will be a full-out gallery exposing the first batch of individuals who have chosen to bare their insecurities to the lens of my camera. Seventeen shots will be printed and mounted for public viewing. The point of this, however, is to not only empower those photographed, but also those who observe.
I have recently finished my last photoshoot and am currently in the process of printing. Today, I went to the printing shop in the city where the employee spoke very little english. I printed a test shot that measured about the span of my outstretched arms. Something was off, but I couldn't put a finger on it. I spent a good half an hour staring at the print. Finally I concluded that the print was in fact wider...giving the photographed girl a bit more "pudge" than she actually has in real. I told the employee that he must print it again with different dimensions so that the image doesn't get skewed. He told me the pixels were fine. I told him it wasn't the pixels but the image itself--He didn't understand. Finally, after some back and forth choppy translations and frantic hand gestures, he proudly stated his revelation, "Oh! You don't want her to look fat?" I snapped. I immediately defended the girl in the photograph, explaining that she is not at all fat, and that is exactly why I don't want the picture to look wider than she really is-- and then I had a revelation-- he meant fat only in its synonymous meaning to wide. I decided to print the rest of the photos after stressing to him how important it is for the photographs to be as true to real life as possible--in my broken Hebrew. I hope they come out well.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Back To Basics.
I think that we have lost touch with our roots. We need to reconnect with our natural, unique selves. Listen, your innards are speaking to you. They tell you what your body needs and when it needs it. Most of us have lost the ability to hear this voice and instead drown ourselves in the sea of "expert" suggestions such as raw food consumption or daily elliptical binges. Although these methods may work for some, they certainly do not work for all. For instance, some beings are naturally lazy. Our bodies don't do well in high-stress situations. This may mean that this individual would do better with exercise such as yoga or tai chi. Some bodies crave red meat, while others crave more grains or vegetables. This being said, I don't suggest that you "listen to your inner being" and consume an entire box of Oreos because "that's what your body was craving". It's deeper than a surface craving, which is generally connected to emotion, or simply eating for fun. Once one has the ability to hear what they need, one will realize the innate ability our bodies have to balance, craving the foods that retain the certain vitamins or minerals one needs. It will tell you when you need to sleep and for how long, and even que you on when to engage in physical activity.
I bet there are a bunch of you reading this and thinking that I am a complete loon. But I promise you, if you take the chance to try it, you will believe it too. Listen to what your body wants, and you will have no problem keeping yourself healthy. I'm for sure not perfect, and am still practicing the art of listening to my inner self. Because of this, I have a few daily guidelines I follow that at least simplify the abundance of information we have been bombarded with, and are pretty uniform within most of the human-kinds' bodily health needs.
1. Sleep is your best friend! General rule is 8 hours + a night
2. Maintain good posture
3. Be active at least 30 minutes a day (stairs beat elevator. every. time.)
4. Eat things that have: ingredients you can pronounce or small ingredient list or (the best) no ingredient list
5. Surround yourself with positive energy. Being nice to others means they are nice in return and kindness brings smiles which ultimately creates endorphins.
Keep Loving the Pudge
Monday, May 2, 2011
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