Kate T. Parker

I am a mother of two young girls. I am also a photographer. And a woman. And it kills me what I see in the media as role models for my girls and others. I wanted my girls to know that who they are is just perfect. They don't need to change anything about themselves to be accepted. To be loved or be to "pretty". Their silly, adventureous, frustrated, happy, LOUD, athletic, fierce, funny selves is enough. Being themselves is enough for us. And ultimately, for them, too…that’s the goal, at least. They don’t need to have their hair done, clothes matching, or even be clean to be loved or accepted. We love them as they are, loud, dirty, competitive…just like my parents loved me for being um, the exact same way.:)I wanted this series of images to show their boldness, their strength and the beauty in them, as they are. Strong is the new pretty. The images that I shot that I found to be the strongest were the ones where the girls were just themselves, unabashedly and fearlessly.