Photographer Substantia Jones is a photo-activist. She is trying to refine the concept of beauty and love by literally photographing bodies of every size, sexual orientation and origin.
Substantia founded the Adipositivity Project and runs both SmileSizeist.com and UppityFatty.com. In her popular photo series The Valentine Series, Substantia portrays intimacy between “fat” people.
“For this series, I photograph fat people of all genders with their partners, gay or straight,” she told Mic. “I hear from lots of folks who feel the photographs of couples validate their own relationships. But more than anything, the ‘Valentine Series’ is for the subjects of the photos themselves.”
She continues that the models in the images have a variety of motivations for taking part.
“Some are using the shoot to help them get to that place of self-acceptance,” she said. “Others just want to thumb their nose at a culture dominated by sizeist bigotry and weight-loss propaganda fueled by the angst industrial complex. In the case of couples, there’s also that element of romantic love that manifests as a need to shout it from the rooftops, y’know?
“I’m happy I can give couples the opportunity to revel on that rooftop. Naked, if they want. And without body shame.”
Check out her full portfolio HERE.
Photos republished with permission from the photographer.
