Nude beauty in all shapes and sizes

For over two decades, Martine Payne has found inspiration in the female form.

The Sydney-based photographer had been shooting her ‘motherhood sessions’ – stripped back family portraits – for a number of years, when she noticed a common theme in the experience of her clients.

“I was shooting these individual sessions, and I was seeing the reaction I was getting from women stripping down, being really unsure and then feeling so rewarded and impressed with the results and their own beauty. I decided that I wanted to magnify the scale,” Payne told The Jewish Independent.

A social media callout followed, and Payne recruited 15 diverse women aged between their early 30s and late 70s to volunteer for The Body Project – a photography exhibition and event series celebrating women in their rawest state.

While Payne knew the photos would likely elicit a response similar to those who participated in her professional portraiture, she did not expect the participants to have such an affecting experience.

“It was so moving and humbling to speak to the women about their time being photographed,” said Payne, who shot the portraits individually and anonymously.

“Coming together and feeling vulnerable in something that was so beyond their comfort zone was very powerful. Every single person said it was a huge challenge for them, but after their shoot, they came back transformed.