These “censored” women pose together for a reason that has our feminist hearts beating fast

Photographer Trina Cary’s art has caused unnecessary controversy on social media before. But after she was banned from Facebook for seven days for sharing a photo that she says didn’t violate Facebook’s community standards, she decided to take action. Cary did a photo session with women covered in censor tape and the results are a female empowerment masterpiece.

More than 30 women (and two babies!) responded to Cary’s call on Facebook to pose nude outside, with nothing covering them but censor tape. The photographs were taken on a stunning and stark rock quarry in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

However, what makes these photos so gorgeous is every single woman who participated. Each person radiated her own natural beauty as she embraced her naked body.

Cary is known for her body positive photographs. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way — like when she posted a naked photo series of a couple after the wife had given birth to three children. Even though it perfectly captured the couple’s love, it received negative comments.

This time around, it was Cary herself who faced the scrutiny of the internet. As she outlined on her website, she shared a photo of herself naked — with her breasts covered and her lower half censored — on Facebook. Within 10 minutes, the photo was taken down and she was banned from using Facebook for seven days.

As she does much of her business on Facebook, she lost a few clients by not being able to log into her account.

So this censor photoshoot was a form of protest.

Cary noted that she takes the time to edit her photos so that she doesn’t violate Facebook’s rules. And as there is plenty of sexualized images on Facebook, she doesn’t think her photos should receive so much backlash. As she wrote:

"What I do is to help, women and men, to inspire, empower, uplift and liberate. Don't hate on that. If you don't like it scroll past it. Move on."

And liberate she does. Based on the quotes from the women who were involved in the censor photoshoot, it was a completely positive experience. As one participant said:

"Never have I stood around a group of girls and felt so at peace. I wasn't looking around judging others, for once I felt like we were all just equal. All of our flaws were flawless. Our perfect imperfections.. It was the most freeing feeling I've ever felt."

Just looking at these photos makes us feel stronger and free. We love what Cary’s photos convey and how these women bared their beautiful bodies to inspire not only themselves, but others. And we don’t believe for one second that anything about our raw, natural selves need to be censored.