I first encountered the term “Male Gaze” while studying photography during my A-levels, and it has since become a major influence on my practice. In my A-level exhibition, I displayed five images of women’s bodies - none of which contained nudity. These images only showed legs and stomachs, yet I was told to remove all my work because it was considered "inappropriate." This reaction, which sexualised a simple depiction of a woman's body, deeply angered me and has remained at the forefront of my mind when creating work ever since. A woman’s body should be honoured, not objectified. A photograph of a woman’s stomach, for example, should not be viewed as sexual. As I’ve grown and developed a deeper understanding of the world, I’ve become more acutely aware of how women are increasingly sexualised in photography, often serving male desire.

Therefore, within my practice I do my very best to reshape the way women are represented in arts and media. The female form should be admired and celebrated, not sexualised, and as a woman, I feel as though it is my responsibility to achieve this. This leads me to my  intention to turn ‘Ode’ into a photobook, showcasing the female form. I photographed my subjects in a raw, natural style within the context of nature, using sunlight as the primary source of lighting to present them in their truest form - with minimal makeup and no post-editing of their bodies or skin.