How to look good naked, in pictures

Jay Clapp is hoping his body image project, running throughout March, will go some way to making local ladies feel more comfortable in their own skin – literally.

He is offering free “lingerie or less” photoshoots for women young and old, of all shapes and sizes, who want to become more accepting of themselves or their bodies.

Jay said: “I have had Asperger’s Syndrome all my life and had problems socializing and making friends. Naturally, that created quite a negative self-image.

“Recently I was watching a documentary about an Australian female photographer, who had put on weight after having kids and developed body confidence issues. She had a photoshoot, where she bared all and thought to herself she needed to accept who she was. I thought this was a great idea and decided to try and do some good.

“Usually I like to do March madness and offer discounts, but I decided to offer lingerie or less shoots, free to any woman who wants to say ‘this is me and I am okay with it’.

“I don’t think for a minute I can solve a woman’s body confidence issues in one shoot, but if they are on the road to accepting themselves and these shoots help with one more step, then my job is done. Women are under a lot of pressure to look good and body-shaming has become a norm. They deserve better.”

Michelle ‘Mimi’ Ramsey, 43, a dance and yoga teacher and blogger, from Layton, was one of the women to sign up.

She saw the advert on social media, and after sharing it and wishing she had the confidence to do it, took action.

She said: “I’ve never been a body confident person. Baring all is a huge deal for me. Growing up, I was always the little one at school, the kid still wearing a vest when the other girls were wearing bras.

“I felt it was time to face my fears, and bare all – for me, stop caring what others may think if they judge me. It was the fear of being judged, criticized, learning to love myself, love my body.

“In the week leading up to the shoot, a million-and-one thoughts went through my head. Jay explained how the shoot would work, how we would start with dim lighting and go from there. There was no pressure to do anything, no expectations. It all came down to how far I wanted to push myself. Gradually, I started to feel at ease, with the photographer showing me the photos on his camera as he shot.

“I got completely naked. We did a few shots, with me facing slightly backwards, very tastefully done, with dim lighting. I didn’t feel half as intimidated or embarrassed as I thought I would.

“The lesson I learned was to stop focusing on the parts of ourselves we’re not happy with and start rejoicing, focusing on the parts we do. We are all beautiful.

“It’s an amazing thing Jay is doing to help women see their true beauty.”

Visit www.jayclappphotography.co.uk or read Michelle’s blog at justmimi.blog