Body Beautiful: The Ely photographer empowering women to love the skin they’re in

“Dear reader: you are enough. Your body shape, size, colour, and ability do not define you.” Ahead of her International Women’s Day shoot celebrating the female and non-binary form, intimate portrait photographer Luana Martignon talks to Velvet

Tell us about your annual International Women’s Day project? In 2024, 13 women met at London’s Tower Bridge just before sunrise and bared it all to raise awareness against violence against women and non-binary folks all over the world. People who had been sexually assaulted wore a purple cross on their bodies. For us, it was 9 out of 13. This year, we are planning another photoshoot focused on body autonomy.

How did the project come about and why is it important for you? We know it's part of an ongoing campaign and body of work. Last year’s international project was created by Australian photographer Lauren Crooke. My work is heavily focused on body acceptance and autonomy, so I knew I had to take part. I strongly believe that empowering people to feel comfortable in their bodies is strictly related to activism for women’s rights. The 2025 International Women’s Day project will focus on body autonomy to reflect the issues that are currently afflicting women and non-binary folks globally.

To recap for our readers: tell us how you became a photographer, and specifically an intimate portraits photographer? I loved photography from a young age, but my passion grew deeper as a teenager. I used to take self-portraits often, mostly as a way to express myself and process my emotions. A few years ago I was asked to shoot someone in the nude for the first time: I had used self-portraiture to support my body confidence journey for years, but that shoot made me realise this could be beneficial to others too. So I niched down and started helping people improve their relationship with their bodies and celebrate their uniqueness. I work with individuals, couples, parents and brands.

What's the reward of the work for you? Helping others and doing my bit for women and non-binary people’s rights are the biggest rewards. Every client has a different story and reason why they want to work with me: I’ve worked with s/a survivors who wanted to reclaim their bodies, mothers who wanted to show gratitude to their postpartum body, cancer patients before and/or post-op who wanted to document how their bodies have changed, or just individuals who wanted to celebrate who they are, as they are. My work is posed naturally, I focus on things such as marks, skin folds and scars, and I have a no-Photoshop rule. It’s a personal journey for my clients and I am so grateful to every single person who places their trust in me.

A lot of women will see this, think the images are amazing but that they're not brave enough to model themselves. What's your message to them? Society and capitalism trick us into placing our worth in how we look instead of placing it on who we are. Beauty standards are constantly changing and unattainable. Dear reader: you are enough. Your body shape, size, colour, ability, etc. do not define you. If your body looked different, you would still be YOU. Overcoming societal pressure is about small steps: start by looking at yourself in the mirror and saying nice things to yourself. Everyone is nervous before stepping in front of the camera. Still, it’s one of the most empowering and liberating ways to thank your body for all it does for you, and send yourself the message: “I am enough, whatever way I look right now, and my body is mine to cherish.”

Based in Ely, Luana offers shoots in clients’ homes nationwid. Want to find out more? Visit intimateportraitsbylu.com or email hello@intimateportraitsbylu.com