Redefining Beauty: A Photographer’s Powerful Portrait Series That Celebrates Imperfection and Body Positivity

In the age of beautifying apps galore, a New York photographer, Peter DeVito took on the prodigious task of challenging, as well as re-structuring well-defined beauty norms and standards. Proving body positivity to be more than just a trend, he directed and photographed the 'real human' side of models. No touch-up, no photoshop, no beautification. One of his most famous portrait series, reiterating the idea 'acne is normal' through slogans on human portraits, also caught the attention of Cara Delevingne, who then re-posted the same on her Instagram. In the world of fashion and beauty, where 'covering-up', 're-touching' and 'concealing' scars, wounds, and blemishes are conventional, Peter chose to confute the long-standing tradition, breaking stereotypes and celebrating self-love and individual differences instead. View this post on Instagram Stop using health as an excuse to make people feel bad about themselves. - Most of the models in this thread have the same skin tone, so I’m trying to photograph more plus size models with different skin tones. Comment/DM me if you’re interested. Also, I was trying to find some good articles and resources while I was making this thread and I found an article by @harri_rose_ called “Why You Need To Stop Telling Fat People They’re Unhealthy”. Her article covers all the info I wrote on these slides and a lot more including: medical journals, other readings, and podcasts. I’m gonna put a link to the article in my story. A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Jul 6, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT View this post on Instagram Every time I see this image reposted, I always see people comment things like “What? I can’t be curious?” or “Everyone is entitled to ask questions.” Yes, you’re allowed to be curious, but just because someone has vitiligo doesn’t mean it is their responsibility to educate you on it. How many times do you think they have been asked about their skin? Do you really think they want/need another random person whether it’s in public or online to ask them again? Some people don’t mind answering questions about their skin, but that doesn’t mean all of them want to. And some aren’t 100% comfortable with their skin, so why are you going to take the chance of putting someone in a situation that may cause them to feel uncomfortable? Just because you’re curious? If you’re reading this, you have access to the internet, you can do your own research. SWIPE through to read some facts about vitiligo. All of the facts are from the Global Vitiligo Foundation & the American Vitiligo Research Foundation. #WorldVitiligoDay A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Jun 25, 2020 at 12:32pm PDT View this post on Instagram Don't assume that every Asian has the coronavirus just because they're Asian. Don't blame all Asians for the coronavirus. Don't treat Asians differently than you would treat anyone else. We're all human and should be treated like it. I've seen way too many stories of Asians being assaulted recently "as a result of the coronavirus"...the coronavirus is not an excuse to be racist...attacking people and insulting them is not going to get rid of the coronavirus. It will only distract you momentarily at the expense of others who haven't done anything wrong. They tell this to little kids to teach them values, but I'm just gonna say it because apparently some people never retained it: TREAT EVERYONE HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Mar 13, 2020 at 12:57pm PDT View this post on Instagram It's National Eating Disorder Awarness Week, so I wanted to post this to remind everyone that we shouldn't allow society's beauty standards to determine our worth. No matter what size or shape your body is, you're perfect the way you are as long as you're healthy?ALSO @i_weigh made a really great article about how we can support people who are recovering from EDs, so I'm going to link it in my story?- Corset made out of measuring tapes by @jesstrusio @coraramadan @kat_burdette - Model: @couvertier_louis A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Feb 29, 2020 at 12:32pm PST View this post on Instagram I will keep making work like this until everyone is treated equally✊?✊?✊?✊?✊? - Happy Black History Month P. II ? - SWIPE to the end to read @mac.windu thoughts on racism - will also put it in the comments, so non-English speakers can translate it? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Feb 24, 2020 at 12:08pm PST View this post on Instagram If you swipe through, you can see most of the images from the beauty series I've been working on. @maevamarshall and I did this shoot the other day and the message we put on her face goes perfectly with my project, so I thought it would be cool to see most of the pictures in one post. I wanted to include them all, but IG has a 10 picture limit?ALSO, I'm gonna try to start doing my sticker/stamp posts again. I miss doing them and I still have a shit ton of them, so if anyone wants to do something with them hmu? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Feb 13, 2020 at 12:29pm PST View this post on Instagram If you're not from NYC or you're not familiar with NYC, we have signs all over our subways that say "WATCH THE GAP", so I thought it would be cool to photograph models with gaps in their teeth in the subway - SWIPE all the way through to read about @justice.carlone and how he learned to embrace his gap?- 7/? - I'm working on a personal project where I'm trying to take beauty shots of all different types of models(models of all different races, models with skin conditions, models with features that are deemed "unconventional" by society, etc.) I thought the project would be a cool way to show that there is beauty in everyone. If you think you'd be a cool fit for the project comment and DM me:) A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Nov 29, 2019 at 12:23pm PST View this post on Instagram Why are cis men the ones deciding what women and other people who get pregnant are allowed to do with THEIR bodies? It's 2019...the shit happening in Alabama is not okay. This isn't the direction we should be going in. We need to do better than this. - Model: @sonnyturner___ A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on May 16, 2019 at 12:01pm PDT View this post on Instagram The "angry black woman" is a stereotypical label that is placed on black women in order to silence them and devalue their thoughts/opinions. - SWIPE to read part one of @sharahyacarter writing - Hair: @setomccoy a.k.a. @rickydavii - Stylist: @aliounebf A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on May 8, 2019 at 11:05am PDT View this post on Instagram For my senior project, I decided to create a piece about body dysmorphia. Body dysmorphia is a mental disorder where a person is preoccupied with an imagined physical defect or a minor defect that others often can't see. As a result, people with this disorder see themselves as "ugly", and often turn to plastic surgery or other measures to try to improve their appearance. For this project, I photographed a few models with this condition, collaged measuring tapes over the images to look like bandages, layered the word "ugly" repeatedly across their faces to look like cosmetic surgical marks, and had each of the models write about their experiences with body dysmorphia. This piece will be displayed at my senior show on Tuesday, May 14th at 5:00p.m. If anyone wants to come, the address is 227 W 27th Street, New York, NY, 10001 - there are lots of cool artists I'm graduating with, so the show is gonna be GUD??? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Apr 26, 2019 at 11:37am PDT View this post on Instagram Looking for sexual assault survivors for @khrystyana 's Denim Day Photoshoot in New York. ALL GENDERS WELCOME?If you've reached out to me before, reach out again - my DMs are a mess - OR send Khrystyana a message! Shoot is going to be on April 4th? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Mar 29, 2019 at 11:58am PDT View this post on Instagram Asians come in all different shapes and sizes. - Model: @scarletthalo_ - A few months ago, @khrystyana & I came up with the "More Than A Trend" project. The aim of this project is to show how things like body positivity, inclusivity, gender, diversity, sexuality, etc. are NOT trends. We wanted to come up with a project that touched upon how these things shouldn't be categorized as trends because a trend is a short-lived statement and these things are an important part of people's lives. Hashtags are a symbol of a 'trend', so each photo is accompanied by a video of the model removing the hashtag sticker from their face. If you want to see all the images, check the link in my bio? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Oct 3, 2018 at 12:06pm PDT View this post on Instagram I'm sitting on a shit ton of content that I'm DYING to post and I can't wait for y'all to see it?BUT til then, enjoy this #tb ? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Sep 26, 2018 at 12:51pm PDT View this post on Instagram #tbt - Let's stop using the word "bitch" as an insult. There's nothing wrong with being a female or a dog? - Model: @aliyahkorneagay A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Aug 30, 2018 at 12:06pm PDT View this post on Instagram Comment @kendricklamar if you a real one? Model: @sonnyturner___ ?*Before any of y'all die hard Kendrick fans try to cut my ass, I know it's not the exact lyric?* A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Aug 18, 2018 at 11:48am PDT View this post on Instagram I got 100K followers today...wtf...this doesn't feel real...thank you everyone? Y'all are definitely SICK AND TIRED(see what I did there?)of seeing this image, but I feel like this is the image that helped me get to where I am, so yeah...I'm reposting it for the fifth time?*SWIPE to see a pic of me cheesin madddddd hard like dis?* I'm in Ireland right now, but when I get back to NY, I'm gonna take some bombass pics. Hold on to your wigs? A post shared by Peter DeVito ?? ?? ?? ?? NY? (@peterdevito) on Jul 23, 2018 at 1:31pm PDT

Redefining Beauty: A Photographer’s Powerful Portrait Series That Celebrates Imperfection and Body Positivity

Peter DeVito, a New York based photographer debunks the notion of a 'perfect picture'; re-establishing beauty standards and championing acne, scars, and wounds.

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