Mother Photographs Her Two Daughters To Prove They Are Enough Just The Way They Are

Image credits: Kate Parker

Society tries to tell little girls to base their self-worth on their looks. But Kate Parker, an Atlanta, Georgia-based photographer and mother of two gorgeous girls, decided to challenge that notion. She says strong is the new pretty.

Image credits: Kate Parker

Parker says the project was born from a simple desire to document her daughters’ childhoods. After shooting them for a year, photographer noticed that the most powerful pictures were the ones where her girls behaved as they normally do: messy, joyful, loud, fearless.

Image credits: Kate Parker

“The project became about capturing my girls and their friends as they truly are and how that is OK. Not only OK, but worthy of celebration,” Parker told A Plus.

Image credits: Kate Parker

Parker photographed Ella and Alice along with their friends at their soccer practices, pool parties, triathlons, skating lessons… Basically, every scenario that’s totally at odds with the stereotype of girls only being interested in playing with their dolls.

Image credits: Kate Parker

“Girls reach this age (9-12) where they lose their sense of ‘I can do anything’ and ‘I am amazing’ and I wanted to document the time in my girls’ lives where they did feel that way,” Parker says.

Image credits: Kate Parker

As an athlete herself, Parker says it was important to her to “showcase young girls showing individuality and strength over any societally-established beauty norms.”

Image credits: Kate Parker

“Whatever your daughter or son is, that’s good enough. Princess, tomboy, scientist, athlete, reader… Celebrate it,” Parker told A Plus.

Image credits: Kate Parker

Image credits: Kate Parker

Image credits: Kate Parker

Via A Plus