The Chronicle

PHOTOS CELEBRATE ALL BODY SHAPES

- MEGHAN HARRIS

All bodies are worthy no matter what stage of life you’re in.

A TOOWOOMBA photograph­er is celebratin­g bodies of all shapes and sizes through her embodiment sessions.

Hannah Paulsen of Hannah Paulsen Photograph­y specialise­s in birth photograph­y as well as offering newborn, maternity and family sessions.

While she has been working on and off since having her first child in 2017, since the opening of her CBD-based Studio Toowoomba last year she is now working full time.

Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions focus on embracing the female and male bodies in their rawest form, honouring them for giving us life.

“My embodiment sessions started to happen during my maternity sessions a couple of years ago,” she said.

“Most of my clients felt glorious and wanted to celebrate their pregnant bodies but were then ashamed of themselves postpartum.

“I see the shame women, and men, feel on themselves with society’s expectatio­ns of what they should look like, and I wanted to change this.

“I think all bodies are worthy no matter what stage of life you’re in.”

Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions can be taken wherever a client feels comfortabl­e and has even shot some incredible photos at Crows Nest Falls.

She said life was too short to feel self-conscious and horrible

HANNAH PAULSEN

about yourself.

“People have always said how comfortabl­e and beautiful they felt in every single session I’ve offered, and I want to continue offering that positivity,” she said.

“I can only hope doing this session is what kick starts someone’s confidence into living a more embodied, self-loved and positive life.

“Particular­ly mothers, who have quite literally created and grown life, nourished their babies and have been left feeling like a shell of the person they once were.

“They deserve to feel nothing less than absolutely phenomenal.”

Ms Paulsen said her appreciati­on of photograph­y stemmed from losing her mother to cancer at the age of five and being thankful for all the photos she had to remember her by.

She was not only passionate about embodiment sessions but all family sessions.

“Being able to provide families with life-long memories of their current stage of life, knowing that they will always have pictures to look back on and piece together that moment in time is what truly makes me love this work,” she said.

For more informatio­n on all photo sessions, visit www.hannahpaul­sen.com.au.

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 ?? Picture: Hannah Paulsen Photograph­y ?? FEELING BEAUTIFUL: Hannah Paulsen is all smiles with her three children Violet, Camilla and Lake Barron photograph­ed by Amy Philp Photograph­y. INSET: Hannah Paulsen photograph­s Stephanie Rogers in one of Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions.
Picture: Hannah Paulsen Photograph­y FEELING BEAUTIFUL: Hannah Paulsen is all smiles with her three children Violet, Camilla and Lake Barron photograph­ed by Amy Philp Photograph­y. INSET: Hannah Paulsen photograph­s Stephanie Rogers in one of Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions.

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