I would like to introduce myself. My name is Shelby. I like photography, nature and self-love. Through these passions, this little project, Leaf & Lace, was born. I have been photographing women at all stages of their self empowerment journeys since 2019. However, the events that lead me along my own journey of self love and to the creation of Leaf & Lace started in 2013. I was 19. A friend of mine had just come back from Europe. On her trip, every town she passed that had a ‘welcome to xxx’ she would jump out of her van and take a topless photo. I remember thinking that sounded so liberating. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I would have the guts to do something like that. I never had issues with my body – no shame, no reason to hide, but I just felt like there was so much taboo around nudity that I wasn’t sure if I would be okay with being so public with sharing my body like that. I don’t know why I felt like this either – I grew up with parents who are nudist and very body positive.

It was probably 6 months after this conversation I had with my friend that I bought myself a Polaroid and was experimenting with double exposure on film. I was down at a little local creek, I don’t know why, but I decided to take a photo of myself topless with a double exposure of the forest canopy over myself. I nervously waited for it to develop. As soon as it came through, I instantly fell in love with it. 'I am so beautiful' I thought. The photo itself isn’t anything special, but it represents something. It represents a very real moment where I promised to always love myself – no matter what changes my body goes through. I promised to appreciate and love everything about her and let’s be real – she’s phenomenal.

Fast a forward another six months, I came across an article about a lady who was in her late 60s and every year, from when she was in mid 20s, on her birthday, she took the same nude photo in her garden, wearing her favourite gumboots. I remember thinking about the article and thinking it was so magical to have a collection of self-portraits like that. Apart from my Mum, I couldn’t think of any women who were older than me, openly felt happy about their bodies and who embraced age with grace and love. After reading the article I decided that I wanted to document my body. I too wanted self-portraits that were nothing but me, at my purest and rawest self. I wanted to be able to reflect back on myself and see the changes through my body – and not to look with envy but to appreciate and love how she has carried me through life. And who knows, maybe one day I could share myself like that and inspire someone too. For the next three years, I took many nude self-portraits. I kept them for myself. Some were indoors, taken in the privacy of my home and bedroom. Some were outdoors, taken because I could feel the strength of Mother Nature and wanted to feel strong too.

When I was 22, I decided to have a breast reduction. It had been something that I was thinking about doing for a while but there had always been the question on my mind of “how can I love my body this much but I want to change her so drastically?” I soon came to realise that the reasons for wanting a breast reduction were not coming from a place of self-hate, but a place of self-care. And that was okay. I decided the night before my surgery to publicly announce that I was having the surgery. I wanted to be open about it. It felt like the right thing to do. So for first time, I publicly shared my first nude self-portrait to celebrate the change that I was about to through. I didn’t do it for anyone else but me, but it warmed my soul to have only a positive response.

On the first anniversary after my surgery, I decided to celebrate again by sharing another photo. Again I received only positive responses, but this time, I noticed more women expressing to me that I was brave and that they would never be able to do something like that. I also realised that they were in the same spot that I was four years ago. I decided that I would openly share more nude self-portraits, not only for myself, but also for other women. I wanted to lead by example, to openly love myself so that others could see how to love themselves.

It wasn’t long until one of my closest friends, who is one of most radiant people I have ever met, quietly mentioned to me that she wanted photos too. And that was the moment that I realised that I have a very powerful skill. Through my photography and passion for self-love that I had the right tools to empower other women in the same way that I empower myself. After I took her portraits, more women stepped forward and expressed they wanted some too. I was already dabbling in portrait work but this felt different. It felt important. So at 25, six years after I looked at the Polaroid of myself and unconditionally fell in love with me, I started Leaf & Lace.

I would like to say thank you to every single person who has offered their support and have entrusted me with their bodies since I started this project. It absolutely fills me with so much joy and warmth that you have allowed me to share a moment in your own journey of self-empowerment. I hope you realise that your images will inspire other women to unconditionally love themselves too. I would also like to give a massive virtual hug to all the women who have come up to me and said they were channelling me when they took their own portraits for the first time. You are all so radiant and I am so proud of you.

For anyone who is feeling inspired and wants to be photographed, you’re welcome to contact me. All bodies are welcomed and loved.

I am excited to see where this little project leads me and I hope you all are too.

Stay lovely,

Shelby x