Title: STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY
Subtitle: A CELEBRATION OF GIRLS BEING THEMSELVES
Author: KATE T. PARKER
Genre: Photography, Inspirational, Women’s Issues, Gender Stereotypes
Length: 257 PAGES
Release Date: MARCH 7, 2017
Publisher: WORKMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
ISBN: 978-1523500680
Suggested Retail Price: $30 USD / $45 CDN
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
MY REVIEW:
STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY is a book filled with photographs of girls being themselves.
There is no air-brushing here and no staged photos. Photographer Kate T. Parker started this project by taking photographs of her two daughters. She “wanted to showcase her girls as they are … loud, messy, silly, fearless, independent, confident and fierce. Through her images she wanted to combat the messages the media sends to women and girls: that beauty is a hairstyle, a certain size or an outfit. Kate’s goal was to show that true beauty is in being yourself 100%.”
She has included pictures of children and teens who are just being themselves and each of whom is confident in their appearance. There are pictures of girls of different races and even pictures of girls who have physical challenges such as being confined to a wheelchair. I love that she included disabled girls since you rarely see photographs of these girls in mainstream media. Included with each picture is a quote from that specific girl. These quotes are raw and unpolished and 100% real and I love that they have been included. It definitely adds authenticity to the photographs and to the core message of the book.
The one thing that disappointed me about this book was that almost every girl whose picture was included was either skinny or average sized. I only saw one picture of a girl who was a bit overweight. I think that any book that purports to celebrate girls “as they really are” should also include girls who are overweight yet who are still confident in their appearance. I was very disappointed that these girls seem to have been overlooked.
Despite the omission of overweight girls, I think this book is a triumph. It is something that every parent who has a female child should own and should be prominently displayed on their coffee tables where both the parent and the child can look at it frequently.
What better gift can you give to your daughter than proof that they can be and do anything and that they need not look a certain way to be beautiful. This is a wonderful book with an inspiring message. I rate STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY as 4 out of 5 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hopefully the author/photographer will add pictures of girls who are overweight before the publication date. If that is done, my rating would change to 5 out of 5 Stars.
* I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley.
Pre-Order your copy now by clicking on one of the following links:
Amazon in Canada
Amazon in the United States
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The following description was copied directly from Kate T. Parker’s website.
Hello! I am Kate. I am a commercial and fine art photographer based in Atlanta. I am also a lucky mom to two amazing girls.
I started on the agency side of things as a producer/video editor which offers a unique perspective for my commercial clients. I love this job. A lot.
My personal work has been featured in galleries internationally.
I also speak on the subjects of photography and women’s issues.
“Strong is the New Pretty” is soon to be a book with Workman Publishing. Coming 2017!
Diet Sunkist, the Foo Fighters, Crossfit, running, golden retrievers, Bravo reality TV, Netflix, inappropriate laughter, sneaker shopping, and sleeping in on the weekends all keep me sane and happy when not shooting.
Partial Client List – Sprout Network, Oxygen Network, NFL, Verizon, American Standard, Staybridge Suites, Shutterfly, Athleta, Girls on the Run, Kellogg’s, NBC Universal.
Awards/Accolades: Critical Mass Top 50, 2015, Mason Murer Gallery, PDN Photo Annual Select Winner, 2015, Under My Roof, 2014, Top 10 Family Photographer in the World, 2015, One to Watch Atlanta Celebrates Photography, 2015, Passion for Freedom UK Show, 2015, Happiest Instagram Feeds, 2015.
To learn more about photographer Kate T. Parker visit the following links:
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