Like many black women, Nina Robinson was fed up by not seeing women who look like her represented in the media as worthy of adoration. "I'm tired of [it] being shoved in my face what beauty is," she tells Shondaland. "Don't tell me what beauty is, because I know what beauty is."
While most black women merely notice the dearth of media representation and keep it pushing, Robinson is working to change things. As a documentary photographer, she purposely centers people from underrepresented communities in her work, which has been commissioned by Netflix, The New York Times, National Geographic, and Dove's latest campaign, Project #ShowUs — a collaborative effort between Getty Images, Girlgaze, and the personal care brand to redefine antiquated beauty standards.
Robinson, who first picked up a camera at 17, says she was once told she would have a difficult time being hired by creative agencies because she was a black woman. But to her, beauty has little to do with what has been marketed to consumers in the past.
"Beauty is authenticity, beauty is diversity, beauty is the woman down the street," Robinson says. "I'm just tired of advertisers telling me how to define what beauty is."
Though Project #ShowUs, photographers like Robinson get to show the world just what real beauty looks like. So far, the collaboration has resulted in a library of more than 5,000 images of 179 women from 39 countries, snapped by 116 non-binary and female-identifying photographers and featuring no digital distortion.
While black women and girls across the world have taken to social media to affirm their own #BlackGirlMagic, Robinson said brands are finally realizing that inclusivity matters.
"The faces in these creative meetings and brand meetings are starting to shift. And having a room with a large demographic of faces, and colors, and opinions will also change the visual narrative of what beauty is and what beauty can be," she says.
"We can't continue to hire the same people and expect different results," Robinson adds. "These changes within these agencies starts at the top."
As a photographer, Robinson recognizes that she who wields the camera has the power to shape the way in which women, particularly black women, are viewed. And she doesn't take that responsibility lightly.
"My work is inclusive. I document social issues. I'm a visual storyteller [and] a lot of the stories I focus on are solely on the diversity within blackness," Robinson explains. Though she's photographed all types of women in the past, Robinson loves making black women the focus of much of her art because she didn't see very many images of them when she was young.
"I didn't have that growing up at all. I grew up in Vacaville, California and it was not diverse," the 36-year-old says, explaining she's had to go through her own "beauty journey" to get to a place of self-acceptance today.
"There's a lot of things that I've had to dismantle within myself. I've done a lot of deep work within myself within the last 10 years that has changed the way I approach my work, especially when it comes to representing women who look like me," Robinson says. "When you grow up in an area that is predominately white and you're constantly questioning your own beauty…Then you start to come into your own and learn more about yourself and love yourself."
These days, Robinson says photographing other black women makes her feel "so many [positive] things." When she travels to a new city, Robinson seeks out black business owners to feature, which is how she met Garbo, the owner of a bookstore and art gallery.
When the two women met, they immediately hit it off, so it was no surprise when Robinson picked up her camera to photograph her for Project #ShowUs.
"When I get to photograph a black woman, or feature her in a story, it makes me feel really empowered," she says. "Someone who looks like me, someone I can talk to black girl to black girl makes me feel good."
If you want to be a part of the movement and #ShowUs more women like you head to www.Dove.com/ShowUs to share your own images and you could become part of the Project #ShowUs photo library.
