Tag: hannah

Jason Lee photograph of Hannah for the Personal Spaces Project - shootwithgenesis

Me and You

Posted on by jasonlee

MODEL / Hannah
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
INTERVIEW – CHAPTER II

“[Modeling nude] is the most powerful thing to do.” – Hannah

Leading up to their final shoot together, Hannah and photographer Jason Lee take a moment to record a conversation about her experience overcoming personal battles post-sexual assault, and reclaim confidence through nude modeling. Explore themes of vulnerability, self-love, and societal perceptions in this compelling interview series. {Read Part One Here.}

Note: the first part of this entry talks about Jason’s Personal Spaces Project, which features photos of models at home in their own space, being naturally nude and doing whatever it is that strikes their mood. The photographer and model collaborate to capture a personal vibe and natural body energy in a relaxed, chill home space. The Personal Spaces Project explores the personality, mood, creativity and environment of each model. It is shot in high contrast black and white.

Hannah is a treasure. We have worked together on several occasions and on the drive out to our most recent shoot, I got to ask her a few questions and she agreed to allow me to record our conversation and share it. She wanted to share with me about how the experience of shooting nude with Genesis Modeling and Photography has helped her overcome personal battles following sexual abuse. It was a long conversation and so we’ll break it up into a few chapters. We talk about some heavy topics, so if that triggers you, be forewarned. Hannah and I were privileged to shoot together on multiple occasions and this interview is excerpted from an audio-recorded session.
Jason Lee

Here’s part two of our interview:

Personal Spaces and Standing Strong: Navigating Criticism After a Nude Shoot

Jason: Of the shoots that we’ve done so far, which ones were your favorites?

Hannah: I really like the Personal Spaces apartment shoot. And I liked the waterfall one. I liked the winter one too, but it was cold! Basically all of them!

Jason: How did it feel to be in your own personal space?

Hannah: In that environment? Yeah, I felt really good. I just felt very relaxed. I normally feel relaxed, but it was a different feeling.

Jason: You seem like you’re really able to relax and get into the moment.

Hannah: Yeah, it was a really cool experience. I’ve never done anything like that before. I love how we did the football helmet… and the flowers were so fun.

Jason: How would you contrast the Personal Spaces shoot with those we’ve done in nature?

Hannah: I dunno. Outdoor – is more… expressionist. I mean, indoor is expressionist as well, but I feel like outdoors is very, like “floaty.” In my house, I felt very, very, like, I guess, intimate. Intimate is the best way to describe that experience. I’m in my space, and I’m naked, and I’m embracing it right now. It’s so weird because normally, I never think about it. I’m thinking “I don’t usually do this. I mean, why don’t I do this more often, you know?” It was eye-opening. It helped me realize how comfortable you can really be in your space without having to wear clothes!

Jason: So talk to me more about – that feeling.

Hannah: It’s what I’d call comfortability and safety… very open… a feeling of love and acceptance in your own home. I think we criticize ourselves more when we’re in our own space – more so than we do out in public – because we don’t want to seem insecure around other people. But when you’re home alone… In that moment when we were together in my space, it was different. I did not feel any insecurity. I feel like I was in my own element as well. I didn’t really need to worry about anything. It felt like… well, it was a really good experience. I loved how we took concepts from around my place and using those elements.

Jason: Switching gears a little. How do you think nudity can be used to overcome trauma?

Hannah: Falling back in love with yourself! For sure. I think that’s the main thing. Because when you go through trauma, you start to waste away. It’s really easy to give up and be like, “Well, this is where my life is now.” Embracing nudity can help you bring back what you lost by being vulnerable again with yourself, putting yourself out there again. I think that’s the best step to actually get there. After you go through any sort of trauma, not just sexual abuse, also mental or physical trauma, reclaiming yourself is powerful.

Jason: If you had to put that into words, what would the steps be?

Hannah: You have to forgive yourself first. I think that’s the biggest step— forgiving yourself and realizing that every choice that you make has a cost. But you can’t control other people’s actions. You can only control your reaction. So you can either let things get to you and become a depressed, anxiety-ridden person, or you can take back your life and be like, “I will not let this define me.” I think forgiving yourself is probably the biggest step; loving yourself again is the next step as well. And definitely putting yourself back out there even though you’ve been hurt by people. Not everyone is out to hurt you. There are still good people out there.

Jason: So what do you do if you take that step to embrace nudity—you decide to do a nude photoshoot like you have—and then people in your circle come after you?

Hannah: Well, I don’t think that they’re really meant to be in your circle. If people can’t respect your choices and decisions, then they don’t really care about you. Unless your decisions are going to hurt you, if someone really loves you, they should respect you.

Jason: Something I run across more often than I would like is people who experience freedom and joy from doing this. And then a little time goes by, and somebody—a boyfriend, a parent, a boss, or really, anyone else—starts putting pressure on them or teasing them, bringing negativity.

Hannah: Uh-huh. Yeah, and it’s frustrating because you go into it with confidence, and you feel great about yourself. But then, suddenly, someone else’s opinion makes you second-guess everything. And it shouldn’t be that way.

Jason: And I’ve seen models who were so confident after a shoot, but then later they become totally afraid.

Hannah: Like the complete opposite of how they were when they first did it?

Jason: Yeah. I get messages like, “I know this was amazing and everything was awesome. I loved our photos, but these people are saying such-and-such… Can we take them down?” Because now they’re feeling that pressure externally.

Hannah: Mmhmm. And that’s the part that gets to me. Why do we let other people dictate how we feel about ourselves? They weren’t there. They didn’t experience that moment of self-acceptance. So why do their opinions carry so much weight?

Jason: I wrestle with what to do in that situation. Because I don’t want to just say, “Well, your friends are right.”

Hannah: Yeah, because they’re really not. They just project their own discomfort onto you. People act like nudity is this shocking thing, but really, it’s just a body. It only becomes controversial when people make it that way.

Jason: Right. And I feel like that’s exactly the kind of thing we’re speaking against—trying to push back against. Because whenever we shoot together, we have these great philosophical conversations.

Hannah: Mmhmm.

Jason: And we build that intimacy and trust. We make our mark. We take a stand.

Hannah: Mmhmm.

Jason: And then for someone to roll back on it—it’s like, okay, what do we do now?

Hannah: I think that really shows a lot of insecurity still inside them. And I think society puts a lot of pressure, especially on females. Like, guys can go to the beach and be shirtless, no problem. But if a woman does the same thing? Suddenly, she’s being “indecent.” That double standard is exhausting.

Jason: Yeah.

Hannah: If you show your body, people assume you’re asking for attention, or that you’re in sex work. It sucks. But that’s how a lot of people view nudity. In order for it to change, we just have to keep fighting for it. I do think people are starting to come around, though. Personally, I see nudity being more normalized, at least in my social circles. But again, a lot of it is still sexualized, and that’s the problem. People struggle to separate nudity from sex.

Jason: That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot too—how much of this is because we’ve been conditioned to see bodies in only one way? If we were exposed to non-sexual nudity more often, do you think that would change how people react?

Hannah: Absolutely. I mean, look at cultures where nudity is normal. They don’t have the same obsession with it that we do. It’s just part of life. But here? We’re bombarded with the idea that nudity equals sex, and that mindset is hard to break.

Jason: It’s frustrating because I see so many people go through this cycle—first, feeling empowered, then feeling ashamed because of outside judgment. And that’s what I want to change. I don’t want people to feel like they have to hide from something that made them feel strong in the first place.

Hannah: Exactly! It should be about your own experience, not what other people think. If it made you feel free, powerful, and beautiful in that moment, then that’s what matters. People will always have opinions, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to live with yourself. And I’d rather live with confidence than regret.

Jason: Anything else you want to say?

Hannah: Well, I want to speak to people considering a nude shoot. First of all, you’re my favorite photographer. I definitely feel super safe and very comfortable with you. And I know that it’s not anything remotely sexual when it comes to nudity. It’s just loving yourself and experiencing and expressing who you are as a person through your body without clothes. So I just enjoy the comfortability and safeness; and that you allow me to work in an artistic way that’s safe and comfortable.

Hannah: Now, for readers who are thinking about doing a nude shoot and you’re scared, because I definitely was terrified my first time! Just remember, it’s about you, it’s not about anything else. It’s about expressing yourself and loving yourself again, finding that comfort within yourself and being vulnerable again for the first time. It’s really empowering when you can look at yourself naked and be like, “Wow, I love that.”  You’re not scared of how you look or how other people will see you. It’s definitely an empowering thing, and you should just go for it. Don’t let anxiety get in the way of things in your life.

Jason: Thanks, Hannah. You’re amazing!

Can Life Be New

Posted on by jasonlee

MODEL / Hannah
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
INTERVIEW – CHAPTER I

“[Modeling nude] is the most powerful thing to do.” – Hannah

Discover the empowering journey of Hannah, shared through intimate conversations with photographer Jason Lee. Delve into her experience overcoming personal battles post-sexual assault, reclaiming confidence through nude modeling. Explore themes of vulnerability, self-love, and societal perceptions in this compelling interview series.

Hannah is a treasure. We have worked together on several occasions and on the drive out to our most recent shoot, I got to ask her a few questions and she agreed to allow me to record our conversation and share it. She wanted to share with me about how the experience of shooting nude with Genesis Modeling and Photography has helped her overcome personal battles following sexual abuse. It was a long conversation and so we’ll break it up into a few chapters. We talk about some heavy topics, so if that triggers you, be forewarned. Hannah and I were privileged to shoot together on multiple occasions and this interview is excerpted from an audio-recorded session.
Jason Lee

Here are some excerpts from our interview:

Jason: Can you describe how shooting nude helped you after being assaulted? You called it something like “taking back who you are?“

Hannah: I think after [the assault] happens you kind of lose a sense of yourself, and you just kind of think like, okay, well if that’s all I’m really going to be used for, then maybe that’s all I’m only meant for…. It sounds kind of pitiful I guess, but at the same time, it’s like I went through something and came out basically feeling broken.

And so to be able to gain that confidence and vulnerability back in a good way, it’s just, it’s such a relief-feeling to know that you can still love yourself after that happened to you. That it was not your fault. And I think a lot of people that are victims of those things blame themselves, or they’re like, well, what if I just didn’t go to that party? Or what if I just didn’t have that drink? You know what I mean? And it’s being comfortable again with your body. Like literally, I could just never look at myself naked. It took so long for me to be to do that.

J: Why do you think that was?

H: I felt like it was my fault and I was stressing: how did I let that happen to me? And then I had to realize like a lot of things are out of my control and that I didn’t choose to have that happen. I needed to let it “break you or make you.” I told myself that it’s fine to have the grieving process, but you have to get on your feet sooner or later.

One of my friends is a rape victim as well. And it’s just crazy to think like how often it happens. And then when it happens to you, you reach out to other people and you find out that’s happening a lot more. It changes your perspective, I guess a little bit. So you don’t feel so alone.

J: So by sharing your story, embracing community, it gives you power over…

H: Yeah. It’s basically like, OK, you took that part away from me, but you’re not going to take away the rest. Like you’re not going to take me away from myself. Yeah, for a moment, you tore my identity apart, but now that I found out who I am, again, it’s like, you can’t touch me anymore.

If I can embrace nudity in a non-sexual way, then it’s like, what else is there to see? I think it’s very empowering for us to embrace being comfortable naked.

I think a lot of people are very immature and I admit that I also struggled with insecurity for sure, especially after what happened. I thought no one would ever look at me the same way if I told them what had happened. But being able to look at yourself in a better way – being able to see yourself naked pushes you to realize that it doesn’t really matter how the other people think. It’s how you feel about yourself.

J: Do you think that rape is more about the physical or about the emotional?

H: I think it’s definitely both. Personally, I feel like every rapist, even if they don’t want to extend it, they definitely feel remorse for what they did. Although there are some people that don’t feel that emotion like that, but I think the majority of people do understand that their actions cause pain. My rapist – He tried reaching out afterwards, like after a month and apologizing, but honestly, I just didn’t really want to hear it. I appreciate him understanding that what he did was wrong, but I don’t want any communication of that because it was his choice to do it.

I think people that feel the need to do that didn’t get the love that they needed growing up and they searched for it in the wrong way. They don’t get it from the ways that they’re searching either, because they go out and hurt someone and take away their happiness.

J: How do you think that society contributes to the environment of allowing or promoting rape?

H: I think it should be harder [on rapists]. So I think there’s the legal part where a lot of people that rape don’t get in trouble. It’s very rare for a rapist to go to jail, or anyway for a long time, or a real reprimand or consequence for their actions — whether it’s a female or male, you know, it can come from both ways.  So I think that because of the way you view community and sex and stuff like that, like if you go onto like porn sites, a lot of it — it’s very rough — like not what real sex is. And I think people that don’t experience healthy ways of experiencing sexuality and nudity and being subjected to nudity very often have a difficult time distinguishing what’s right and wrong when it comes to sex. I think society play a huge part in that though. Especially now, if you go on social media, it’s all about girls’ bodies. Like it’s never about like personality or who they are, which might sound cheesy. But like, I feel like nowadays people shop for girls — or men as well — like it’s very subjective.

And I think society needs to do a better job at allowing helpful nudity. So I feel like if we subject everyone to more nudity, I don’t think [sexualizing] nudity would be a huge thing anymore. Like rape would still happen obviously, but I don’t think it would be as severe as it is now.

J: That brings up an interesting question to me: Does sharing nude photographs on social media help people see more normalcy of nudity to you? Or does it add into that shopping culture?

H: I think it definitely depends on how the nudity is being portrayed because you can take two different types of nude photos. You can make sexual nudes, or you can take artistic nudes. Like a girl eating a banana while wearing lingerie is likely insinuating something there. But like, for example, your photo of me, nude near a waterfall, definitely not sexual, it’s just nude.

You know what I mean? Like there’s a difference between sex and nude. And I think we have a hard time distinguishing that in society. And as soon as they see a naked person, they’re like, Oh my gosh, sex, that’s the first thing we are taught to think about. But instead, why, like, why do we think that way?  Why can’t we think of it as just like an art form? And I mean, that’s what it is. We’re all born naked.

J: How did seeing yourself in the photos adjust your outlook?

H: I think a lot of what follows after sexual assault, is a lot of shame. And guilt. And I just wonder, like, why me? To get over that, you just really have to be vulnerable again with yourself. Like I literally never thought I’d be able to look at myself naked again, after the whole thing happened. And then like doing that shoot, I was like, why am I so scared? Like, I’m not going to die if I’m naked. Like nothing bad’s gonna happen!

J: What do you think the mental switch was?

H: I think I just stopped. Like I just stopped allowing my past to determine who I am as a person and as my future. I just allowed myself to embrace who I was and it just felt so good to just be who I was again. And being naked at our shoot was kind of like a turning point for me. I don’t know if it’s the vulnerability aspect or like having the ability to be in a safe place and feel that emotion as well and not be scared. It’s just a really great feeling.

J: Any closing thoughts?

H: I want more people to shoot nude! I don’t know why people don’t just go for it when considering a nude shoot. You know? Honestly, like it’s scary at first, and then when you do it, it’s just like the most powerful thing to do. And it’s just, why was I scared in the first place? It’s like not even worth being afraid about. It’s like everything worked out great. And you learn to love yourself again. 100%.

Stay Tuned for Chapter II.

artistic nude photograph by Jason Lee

This Is Your Life

Posted on by jasonlee

MODEL / HANNAH
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE

In the midst of a picturesque autumn in North Carolina, Jason Lee and Hannah embarked on a photography journey infused with the golden hues of the season. Amidst rolling hills and fallen trees, they chased the fleeting light, seeking moments of beauty and serenity. Near a meandering stream adorned with a stone bridge, they found the perfect backdrop for their creative exploration. Against this natural tapestry, Jason’s lens captured the essence of the season’s splendor and Hannah’s timeless beauty, creating a series of photographs that immortalized the magic of their autumnal adventure.