Real Women of Rochester | Shadi's Shoot Reveal
Hello Real Women of Rochester followers! Last week you got to meet Shadi and hear why she was so excited to be a part of our project. We interviewed her after her shoot when she came in to see her images for the first time. Here's what she had to say about the experience of her shoot, and what her images mean to her...
IN HER HEAD, BEFORE THE BOUDOIR SHOOT:
“I was excited, I knew it was going to be such a fun day. I got to let my real self – a side of me that doesn’t get to be shown often enough – come all out in the studio… shamelessly. It was such a welcoming environment to flaunt your womanhood. I can’t do that at work, or at the grocery store. I can do it at the salsa club, but I don’t want to be inviting to the wrong kind of attention – it can easily be judged or misunderstood, and I don’t think that’s fair. I’m intelligent, I’m deep, I have substance to me, and I’ve worked hard. I’m a credible person. I feel like society tells us you lose credibility when you exhibit your womanliness, and that’s not fair.
I think women can frequently be more judgmental of (other) women than men are. A lot of women buy into what our role as women “should” be according to our male-dominated society. We have to overcome multiple layers of restraint as a gender to unleash ourselves and each other. I think we need to build more avenues in which we can be comfortable and real. Natalie's studio was really that venue for me. I loved the feeling like myself during the entire experience.
IN HER HEAD, DURING THE BOUDOIR SHOOT:
I was so excited. I was like, ‘Let’s just let it all loose!’ I’m comfortable with this side of me, I just don’t get to enjoy it very often. It was fun having Natalie to facilitate the entire experience because we talked, we laughed, we shared the afternoon together. It was better to share this side of me with another person. Being a woman is art. Your body is part of your art form, and it is more beautiful when it’s shared. It’s like a painting or a great poem - speaking that poem theatrically or sharing that painting is valuable and should be admired. It can be a cause for inspiration and growth.
HER THOUGHTS ON HER BOUDOIR PHOTOS:
The woman I see in my images is really happy. She’s free, comfortable, relaxed. She has a lot to look forward to. She’s confident, strong, non-judgmental of herself. She’s prepared for the world. She’s shameless.
The shoot makes me feel like I have it in me to openly show this side of myself more without reservation or doubt. It’s definitely boosted my confidence in publicly displaying all aspects of myself and feeling really good about it. It makes me care even less about what people have to say about what a woman can and can’t do. Just the way I walk, or talk or stare you straight in the face - I have more confidence in doing things the way I want to.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
To publicly, shamelessly show my womanhood was a challenge at first. My career goal is to be a high school administrator. I found myself thinking about how students and other administrators would react. Now, I don’t care what anyone thinks. If you’re not going to hire me for these pictures, I don’t want to work for you anyway. I want to work for people who believe in equality for men and women and who are not going to judge me based on my true self expression. I’m so passionate and supportive of the arts, and this is an art form for me; this is a statement that I stand by. I’m not turning this off for anything - this is my victory lap. I’m coming home to myself, and I can't get lost anymore. Bring it on world."
