Red Hot Mama!
September 2, 2009 by Jessica Warnock
Filed under Etcetera, Featured, Inspiration U
Jennifer Vincent’s skin glows like a classic 1940s pinup girl. Her soft curls sparkle and shine. Her black lingerie celebrates her feminine curves. Thanks to the photography by Iman Woods, Vincent isn’t just portraying a sexy pinup model. She is one.
But Woods’ Photoshop editing isn’t the only reason Vincent is glowing. She’s also six and a half months pregnant.
Photo by Iman Woods
“Up until the photo shoot I felt really big and fat,” says Vincent, 31, of Boulder. “During the photo shoot, I felt much more normal.”
It can be hard to feel beautiful when you’re carrying a watermelon at your waist. Like Vincent, many pregnant women feel huge, bloated, lethargic. Like a roly-poly.
But Woods, an artist living in Erie, works to make all women feels as beautiful as she sees them. One of her photography ventures, called Red Hot Mamas, makes pregnant women sexy pinups. Woods, 28, says every woman is as beautiful as a glamour model, and she enjoys showing women that side of themselves.
“The way I see women is the way loved ones see them,” Woods says. “We are trying to create a process that lets you lift that self-conscious self and embrace a woman that feels power in her beauty.”
And pinup art is the perfect medium for feeling sexy. We all struggle at times to feel beautiful, Woods says. But with pinup, you tap into a confident part of yourself.
“Part of being a pinup is totally embracing your beauty and acknowledging that you glow,” Woods says. “I tell every woman that they need to embrace their bodies and themselves right now — this moment.”
Woods says her photography sessions are like having a “girlfriend day.” At the beginning, the client has her hair and make-up done by professional stylists. During the shoot, Woods poses the models to show off what they love most about themselves. Once the photos are shot and edited, Woods has a “premiere” night where the models can see their shots on a “big screen” projector to music. The whole experience is a process of breaking down negative self-image.
Woods simulates the airbrush style of traditional pinup photos by highlighting and shadowing key parts of the face and body in Photoshop. The photos are celebratory of a woman’s beauty, Woods says, featuring shining skin and flawless locks.
Woods’ vintage art grew out of her own insecurities. When she started to gain weight in 2005, she searched for a way in which all women could feel beautiful. That’s when she discovered pinup. Now, she earns a living by making other women feel sexy.
Although she also takes photos of women who are not pregnant (and men), Woods says she enjoys Red Hot Mamas photo shoots the most.
“I hate to play favorites, but there is something about a belly that is just stunning,” Woods says. “This is a great way to really celebrate that part of you and that stage of your life.”
Vincent agrees. After the shoot, says she felt confident, sexy and proud to be a red hot mama. Now she can’t wait to show the photos to her children and grandchildren some day.
“It definitely helped me remember that this is a beautiful process,” Vincent says. “It made me feel proud to be pregnant.”
To learn more about Red Hot Mamas and the rest of Iman Woods’ photography, visit www.imanwoods.com.
— By Jessica Warnock
This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.