session 4 # Becky Yee

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The Break Out Project resonated so much with my own philosophy and my experience of working as a professional photographer. I believe that we should embrace and love all the parts of our bodies and feel completely comfortable and confident with ourselves and our bodies.

Growing up in America there is a deep rooted belief that women cannot be respected unless they are demure. That women are not intelligent if they show their bodies and dress scantily. Yet each and everyone one of us are born naked and unashamed of our bodies. Where do we make the switch and start to be self conscious and embarrassed about showing parts of our god given bodies?

For the project Break Out, I chose to work with all breast cancer survivors. This is a very personal choice because my mother had breast cancer and when I picked her up at the hospital after her mastectomy surgery she was hunched over, cowering and covering up her chest even with clothes on. She felt disgusted at looking at her body when she was alone, much less showing it to other people in public. Years later at an event celebrating my award winning “Beyond Pink” Photo Series, surrounded by other breast cancer survivors my mom with a little prodding took her shirt off in public and bared her nippless reconstructed breast. I was so proud of her and she was also smiling and beaming with joy.

Whatever your body has been through you should be proud of your body. If you want to take your clothes off and pose nude then it's your choice. I also want to educate people who have never seen what breast cancer looks like and not be shocked or disturbed. I hope these images help everyone to break out of their societal pressures and norms to do what feels right for them. Hopefully we can all embrace and love our bodies as they are now and photographing them is a beautiful loving way to start.

Special thanks to from Ana Ono and Photo Editor Ivona Owens and Color Wheel Studios