Amy Vining Photography

For the second year in a row, I’ve been asked to participate in a media project with Girls Inc.

For three weeks I met with three young ladies in the 4th and 5th grade to talk about “real” beauty, inner beauty, beauty portrayed in the media, and what it takes for the models and actresses we see to achieve their “perfect” look. We discussed everything from plastic surgery to weight issues.

These girls always amaze me with the insight they have on the subject – they have opinions about it before we even sit down to talk about it.

One of the things we discussed is the “team” of professionals that theses models and actors on magazine covers have to achieve their “perfection,” and set out to prove to them that with confidence, and a team of professionals on your side, your magazine cover can be just as glamorous as a supermodel.

The last week of our group, the girls got a field trip to my studio where AJ Lane and her team showed them what professional hair and makeup services can do for them. Then, each girl stepped in front of my camera and some glamor lighting to photograph their own magazine cover. The names of the magazines and the article titles came from discussions we had over the course of the project that describe what real beauty means to each of them. It’s a special project – these girls SHINE on their covers and I’m so proud all of them. Watch a little video here of me showing Karla how to pose for her magazine cover.