Love Yourself
The handmade photobook features photos from hotel photoshoot on one side and the traditional studio photo shoot on the other side.
This photo book is an exploration of femininity as a trans-woman of Alex Diaz Sheppard. The photos explore Alex’s beauty ideals, looking and feeling beautiful. These ideals are reflected through her chosen clothing, makeup and hairstyling, and through the photoshoot location which she chose as a place that reflects her ideal of beauty. The goal of the project is to express the beauty of Alex, both as an experience through the photoshoot, and visually through the resulting photographs as a physical affirmation. These pictures could then be shared online and potentially help people to accept and view Alex as a beautiful woman.
Studio photoshoot explored themes of strength and beauty and vulnerability. Clothing styles explored Alex’s experience as a law officer, as well as one of her style icons (Lady Gaga album “Joanne”), and portraits with a more exposed / casual / personal style.
Hilton Netherland Hotel photoshoot, photographs are organized to alternate themes and give a sense of personality, exploring the experience of being photographed.