Seeing Beauty in All: Over-40 Nudes

Washington D.C resident and photographer, Keith Seat, began “Seeing Beauty in All: Over-40 Nudes” in the summer of 2010. The project is a beautiful compilation of black-and-white photos of nude individuals all over the age of 40.

“My Over-40 Nudes project seeks to expand conventional concepts of physical beauty beyond people with bodies that are youthful and conventionally near perfect,” states Seats. “I believe we can enhance that definition by seeing older bodies – complete with imperfections and evidence of aging – as beautiful because they have been lived in and have experienced life with all its joys and sorrows. My goal is to help us reclaim our bodies – to see ourselves in our fullness, to expand our view of beauty to the reality around us, and to appreciate the glory of bodies that have fully lived.”

Seat’s Over-40 photographs openly celebrate diversity. The models photographed for the project are not professional, but instead residents of the Washington D.C. area over the age of 40, and vary age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and size.

During the photography sessions, the models are often encouraged to discuss the ways they feel about their own bodies – the insecurities and the features they like. Many find the sessions coupled with the discussion to be very therapeutic. Seat even confirmed that “many participants to feel more self-acceptance and satisfaction with their bodies, and sometimes even a deep sense of healing.”

Seat doesn’t use much photoshopping when editing his photos as he is determined to “celebrate the beauty that is actually present.”

Seeing Beauty in All: Over-40 Nudes continues to collect more photos for the exhibition which Seat hopes to publish in book form in the future.

For more information about the exhibit, check out Seat’s website www.silverlightart.com or visit his facebook page