Don’t you love seeing high fashion photos pop up on your Instagram feed? SAME! The thing is, it can get a little frustrating when there’s zero body diversity. What a snoozefest, right? But did you know that there are plus size fashion photographers that have followed in the paths of Substantia Jones, Stanley Debas, Luke Jones, Rick Jones, and Velvet D’Amour, with stunning plus size imagery?
There are quite a few plus size fashion photographers who have been doing their thing behind the lens!
Today, we thought to shine the light on them and their work… especially as they are ones to watch as we get ready for the new year and the holidays!
Below, we’ve put together a list of our favorite fashion photographers to watch, who create beautiful art that features plus size babes. Some of these photographers are also plus size, but our criteria for making this list is the consistency of plus size bodies in the shot.
10 Plus Size Fashion Photographers to Know & Watch
1. Rochelle Brock
Based in NYC, Rochelle Brock has had her work featured in PAPER Magazine, VICE, NYLON and other fashion publications. Rochelle’s work is glamorous and gritty, evoking a connection between the viewer and the subject of her work.
When asked about the importance of diverse bodies in her work, Brock shared, “I’m always taking pictures of various women around me that I admire. I love showcasing their beauty and stories. They’re a reflection of me and I want to see more of that in the art world!”
Brock is currently in a year-long creative practices course at the International Center of Photography, so be sure to look out for new work in 2019!
2. Suma Jane Dark
Suma Jane Dark is a queer femme photographer who is based in Portland, Oregon, but can be found traveling all over the USA and Mexico.
On her passion for photography, Suma shared, “Growing up, I would spend hours pouring over the pages of fashion magazines like Vogue,” they shared. “Fast forward a few years, and my work is dedicated to creating those same high fashion images that include all bodies.”
While Suma’s style has evolved over time, they describe their current aesthetic as “creating cinematic, intimate images inspired by fever dreams, high fashion, lonely highways, and femme fire.”
We can’t wait to see what work Suma will share in 2019!
3. Anastasia Garcia
I first became aware of Anastasia Garcia, when I saw the images she shot for CHROMAT’s “Pool Rules” campaign.
Explaining the campaign, Garcia shared, “Being at the pool can be a scary, anxiety ridden experience for a-lot of people. And myself, Chromat, and the team at Berlin Cameron wanted to create imagery that would change that narrative. Let’s reclaim the pool, and let’s all look hot while we do it. No food shaming, no body policing, and intolerance will NOT be tolerated.”
When asked about the importance of showing diverse bodies in fashion film and art, Garcia shared a fact that rocked my world: “The brain processes an image 60,000x faster than words.”
She delved deeper, saying, “People (especially young people) look to the images in media to understand culture- to inform them on how they do, or do not fit into said culture.”
Garcia was also featured in the documentary called Straight/Curve film, which you can stream on Amazon.
4. Nick Holliday
Based in Los Angeles, we love how Nick Holliday mixes photos from his family life and career as a professional photographer on Instagram.
His photos of his wife, Tess Holliday, have been featured in Vogue, but his work isn’t limited to photographing her.
He regularly photographs other diverse models, for both editorial pieces and art photography – such as this photoshoot with Megan Kimberling.
5. Nikki Gomez
Nikki Gomez began her photography career as a model. She began working for various plus size lines, which led to her becoming a photographer.
“The company I was working for needed promotional materials on a budget of $0 so my friend who is a fellow plus size model and I took turns taking photos of each other in the clothing.
I instantly fell in love with photography and almost immediately started teaching myself everything I could learn. Just a few months later, I booked Wilhelmina Models as a regular client.” Nikki Gomez
On showing diverse bodies in her work, Gomez shared:
As a young woman, I felt a kinship to other curvy women. The more I saw bodies similar to mine represented in magazines and ads, the more confident I felt in my own skin.
When I began my career in photography, I vowed to contribute beautiful images of curvy women to the world. The more of those images that are out in the world, the more girls like me will feel represented and beautiful as well.”
6. Lydia Hudgens
Lydia is also based in New York, and has shot for a lot of plus size brands, such as Premme, Simply Be, Eloquii and Swimsuits for All.
With an impeccable eye for composition, color, and style, Lydia has quickly become a go to for many bloggers and influencers alike.
Known for her skill to create beautiful imagery, she was recently the featured photographer for the “NYFW Street Style Gallery Dedicated to Plus-Size Women” with InStyle!
7. Jose Pagan
Jose Pagan is an institution in the world of plus fashion photography. He’s worked with Skorch Mag, FabUPlus, Plus Model Magazine and countless fashion brands.
8. Julia Busato Photography
Known for her “Fit the Mold” or “Mannequin” series, in which models hold a mannequin that’s the “ideal body,” Julia Busato is known for challenging assumptions and what we fear about our bodies.
Julia’s work centers around nude and boudoir photography. On a mission for always “seeing the beauty in things” Julia’s work is both breathtaking and inspirational.
9. Kelvin McKay Findlay
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kelvin is an up-and-coming fashion photographer. In his work, he explores the LGBTQ identity and beauty standards, as well as creating editorial images with people of diverse body types.
10. Kirsten Anderson
Kirsten Anderson is a lifestyle and fashion photographer located in Seattle, Washington. Like Nikki Gomez (above), Kirsten also started as a model – eventually making her way to photography.
From Kirsten: “There is so much beauty in the world, why limit ourselves to tall, thin, cis men and women? Beyond that, representation matters. Having diverse bodies on display with little to no editing can really help with the body dysmorphia, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders so prevalent in our society. It is important to see reality in fashion.”
See?
As the plus size fashion grows, so do the surrounding industries that help push plus size fashion forward. From plus size stylists, to shopping services, to Curvy Bosses, to the influencers, vloggers, & bloggers, there is always room for growth!
And each group mentioned, will always need a photographer! Soooo the question is, did our faves make the list? Who did we miss that we need to shine the light on? Who are we missing?
What do you think of this roundup?
Sound off in the comments!
The plus size photographers are all very talented but one of the most talented plus size photographers and Trail Blazers for body positivity is missing. Velvet D’Amour deserves a place on this list.
Hey love, we actually did at the beginning of the post with a few other pioneers and ogs in the game. We looooove Velvet!
What a great feature!!! More please – we want to see our girls in all facets of fashion. Can we get one on plus size stylists next?