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My waistline should be neither inversely proportional nor directly proportional to my worth as a human being.

Tutorials and Resources
- Take self-portraits: [link]
- Natural lighting (even indoor lighting): [link]
- Concept list: [link]

Materials and Methods
Nikon D80 + 50mm F1.8 Nikkor + IR remote. Exp +1.0. ISO 1000 to prevent shutter delay. Low window lighting. Self portrait. Ruler tied to my waist in a bow. Fabric hung in the background for a little more color. GIMP for post editing. Crop. Multiplied yellow layer at 30% opacity. Sharpened to enhance textures. The ruler is printed a bit poorly so it appears blurry. But the photo is focused as seen with my belly button.

Additional Comments
Wanted something simple. Learning to use GIMP.

Some personal statements:
I will say first and foremost: I don't think the photo does the quote justice. The quote is inspired by Adriel Luis's Slip of the Tongue: "I wear lipstick, for my lips stick to the ears of men, so they can experience in surround sound my screams of agony with each lash of rulers, measuring tape, and scales, as if my waistline and weight are inversely proportional to my value as a human being." The quote was originally "my waistline should not be inversely proportional to my worth as a human being" but then I altered it after reading some comments. I find it almost ironic that people would jeer at the weight of the model in a piece about judging people without regard to their weight. But it does show that media and society will find an opportunity to criticize every body type. If you're too thin, they will tell you to eat more. If you're too fat, they will tell you to get on a treadmill. In the end it's not about being thinner or fatter; it's just about being healthy both physically and mentally - and a part of being mentally healthy means having a positive body image.

If you extract from this photo a positive message about self-worth and self-image, good for you. If you extract from this photo a message about the impossibility of universal approval in both waist size and the manner of conceptualization, more power to you. If you extract from this photo a negative message about society's lack of progress concerning its portrayal of the human body, well then maybe you can do your part to help change that ;)

This photo is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Licenses for commercial and derivative use of this photo are available for purchase. Please contact me if interested. Under the Creative Commons license, this photo may be displayed on other websites as long as:
1. Credit is given in writing stating "Photo by Jean Fan (JFotography)"
2. A link is provided back to the original photo or JFotography.net
3. All other conditions under the Creative Commons license are met
Any use of this photo other than as authorized under this Creative Commons license or copyright law is prohibited.

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Submitted on
August 26, 2009
Image Size
178 KB
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550×550
Views
37,777 (1 today)
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3,049 (who?)
Comments
321

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Daily Deviation

Given 2010-05-24
Worth by *roseonthegrey
The suggester wrote: "The concept of the picture is something we face everyday; some more than others. The artist's comments speak the truth, 'My waistline should be neither inversely proportional nor directly proportional to my worth as a human being.' But yet, many still feel it does. I feel everyone should have a look at this piece, because it's so very truthful." ( Suggested by !Ekaki-Kagerou and Featured by `Shalora )
:iconcloe-patra:
=cloe-patra Aug 19, 2012  Hobbyist General Artist
I featured your beautiful photo here: [link] :)
Reply
:iconkokoro13:
Look, I think that that quote is very easy to say when you have a trim waistline like this one. Real life is not a lofty ideological statement, however. People'sbody types DO present an actual set of boundaries of privileges. I'm not condoning this, but it's not the world's responsibility to make us feel good about ourselves. That has to either come from being okay with your body type, or being disciplined enough to change it. I favour the latter, becauseI do think that an outward appearance has some proportion to how you feel inside. Feeling healthy, feeling sexy, not feeling trapped inside a body you hate, all that contributes to good self-esteem.You mention something about how it goes both ways, and skinny people get flack as much as fat ones do. I think that's true to an extent, but I also think there's a rush to demonize diet and self-improvement. I'm very frustrated with the "I'm fine just the way I am" attitudethat society's adopted, which I think is possibly as harmful as the anxiety it places of people about their appearances. I don't think complacency's any healthier than insecurity. One can motivate, and the other is a lack of motivation. I know which one I'd choose.
Reply
:iconsweetsongbird:
~sweetsongbird May 11, 2012  Student Writer
Amazing. Thankyou for posting this!
Reply
:iconahlawiyya:
~Ahlawiyya May 10, 2012  Hobbyist Photographer
GREAT message, and well deserved DD!:heart:
Reply
:iconchocolatecookiecrumb:
Mood: Love ~Chocolatecookiecrumb Feb 22, 2012  Hobbyist Photographer
This might be understood in so many different ways, but the most important thing about this is just that it's a really nice photo, prettyly done, and I like it :D
Reply
:iconmofro-know:
A beautiful knot. This inspires me
Reply
:iconaudi-katia:
I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Thank you for this. Just, thank you.
Reply
:iconredbookbluebook:
absolutely love the concept; beautiful photo
Reply
:iconmisslaurelle:
Mood: Love *MissLaurelle Jul 15, 2011  Professional Artist
Powerful message, beautifully done.
Reply
:iconscs227:
I really love this because I just lost weight recently and people are always assuming that I went on a diet or that I became addicted to exercise or something... but I only realized that I loved myself and that I could accept myself in any form that I had. I started caring for my body instead of rejecting it and I lost the weight naturally, and now its no problem keeping it off. Its a really beautiful concept. Thank you for putting this out there!! [link]
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