Photographer celebrates all body shapes with embodiment sessions

A Toowoomba photographer is celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes through her embodiment sessions, by capturing the human body in its rawest form.

A Toowoomba photographer is celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes through her embodiment sessions.

Hannah Paulsen of Hannah Paulsen Photography specialises in birth photography as well as offering newborn, maternity and family sessions.

While she has been working on and off since having her first child in 2017, since the opening of her CBD-based Studio Toowoomba last year she is now working full time.

Breanna Barron takes part in a maternity session by Hannah Paulsen Photography.

Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions focus on embracing the female and male bodies in their rawest form, honouring them for giving us life.

“My embodiment sessions started to happen during my maternity sessions a couple of years ago,” she said.

“Most of my clients felt glorious and wanted to celebrate their pregnant bodies but were then ashamed of themselves post-partum.

“I see the shame women, and men, feel on themselves with society’s expectations of what they should look like, and I wanted to change this.

Hannah Paulsen pictured with her three children Violet, Camilla and Lake Barron.

“I think all bodies are worthy no matter what stage of life you’re in.”

Ms Paulsen’s embodiment sessions can be taken wherever a client feels comfortable and has even shot some incredible photos at Crows Nest Falls.

She said life was too short to feel self-conscious and horrible about yourself.

“People have always said how comfortable and beautiful they felt in every single session I’ve offered, and I want to continue offering that positivity,” she said.

Kiara Worth takes part in Hannah Paulsen's embodiment sessions.

“I can only hope doing this session is what kick starts someone’s confidence into living a more embodied, self-loved and positive life.

“Particularly mothers, who have quite literally created and grown life, nourished their babies and have been left feeling like a shell of the person they once were.

“They deserve to feel nothing less than absolutely phenomenal.”

Ms Paulsen said her appreciation of photography stemmed from losing her mother to cancer at the age of five and being thankful for all the photos she had to remember her by.

Stephanie Rogers takes part in Hannah Paulsen's embodiment sessions.

She was not only passionate about embodiment sessions but all family sessions.

“Being able to provide families with life-long memories of their current stage of life, knowing that they will always have pictures to look back on and piece together that moment in time is what truly makes me love this work,” she said.

Ms Paulsen also offers Afterpay as a custom payment plan to anyone who needs it.

For more information on all photo sessions, visit www.hannahpaulsen.com.au or search hannahpaulsenphotography on Instagram.