LA based photographer Sal Moriarty explores and plays with the female body in his newest breathtaking and marvelous C-Heads Exclusive series featuring Alana and Bridget. What started as an ordinary editorial shoot changed into a dance of forms, natural nudity, joy in human creation and movement, profound trust and desexualization of the female body.
“This started as a pretty typical editorial shoot and then turned into something else entirely. The more we played with human form, the more we realized we were desexualizing the female body in a way we felt positive and excited about. I think without really discussing it, we were getting past a certain stigma, by experimenting with the body outside of traditional societal expectations. Even the idea of nudity took on a new meaning.
These poses may look very serious and worked out, but we were laughing and enjoying ourselves the entire time. Alana and Bridget came up with all of them on the spot, with no discussion or planning. They’ve known each other for a while and have backgrounds in gymnastics and dance, respectively. This helped them feel out a shape or a movement, reacting to each other’s impulses while effectively blind to what the other was doing. I gave minimal directions. It was honestly more compelling to watch what they intuited from each other, then to capture each pose the moment it fell into place, often as though by magic.
I see a lot of things in these poses: cycles, good and bad relationships, mythological creatures… but that’s just what I see. I think these poses are both full of a lot of meaning and none at all. And the fact that they were spontaneous and created through feel rather than thought or planning is actually the aspect I think I value the most.
“The waves and curves of our body speaking to each other with the language of touch. Through movement and communication we were able to build on each other – finding our stability.”
Bridget talks on the series:
“It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey.”
This photo shoot was not what any of us had expected. We were having one of those days…feeling extremely low. But instead of dragging each other down, we continued to lift each other up. (Literally! Hehe) Once we surrendered ourselves to the unknown – we were able to be free. Both of us were not feeling very confident or sure of ourselves. We were definitely feeling some type of way that day… Instead of being stuck on our judgement and expectations, we allowed ourselves to go with the flow. The waves and curves of our body speaking to each other with the language of touch. Through movement and communication we were able to build on each other – finding our stability.
“…we are the most comfortable…in our truest form. “Naked” from all expectations and emotions.”
We gave ourselves permission to have fun, take risks, and not let fear get in the way. Getting out of our minds and into our body was the key to this entire creation. We were able to communicate with our bodies. We are both body expressionists. Alana, a gymnast & Bridget a yoga teacher and dancer. It was so beautiful to be able to let go of whatever was troubling us for a few hours to just be in the vessels we are on this earth. That being said, we are the most comfortable…in our truest form. “Naked” from all expectations and emotions. We had no idea what we were doing or where any of this was going but because we have trust and history of friendship it was easy to get lost in the flow of it all. It’s like all of our troubles were gone as we were trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. We failed. A lot. But we also succeeded in such a magnificent way that all the fails seemed to disappear.
“Once you trust within yourself, you’re able to have complete trust in others.”
We spoke about what we could handle and we wanted to try and we were so receiving and giving of each other it was like solving a puzzle and when we got that perfect piece we just knew. You have to find humor in life, even in the most uncomfortable situations! Through falling we laughed…not giving up and trying again. While creating an open place we found a safe place to express ourselves in such a different way that we never expected or knew we could even achieve. It was so uplifting, for everyone involved. The entire time all we did was encourage the result was so magical. And that’s all we want to do in this world: is to create magic. Once you trust within yourself, you’re able to have complete trust in others.
We hope to inspire and motivate others to be comfortable in your skin, explore the unknown, take chances, and play!
Take a deeper look.
How do the photos make you feel?
Do you see an illusion?
All in all, we are works of art.
Photographer: Sal Moriarty- www.instagram.com/sal_taylor_mor
www.lovebombedphotography.com
Models: Alana – instagram.com/alanakschoen and Bridget – instagram.com/bridgetavildsen
