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THEY’RE NOT MODELS OR EXHIBITIONISTS, JUST ORDINARY WOMEN WITH EXTRAORDINARY REASONS FOR BEING PHOTOGRAPHED WITHOUT CLOTHES. FABULOUS FINDS OUT WHY

By Judy Yorke

‘I FELT LIKE BEING NAUGHTY AT 40!’

Annette Broadbent, 43, from Birmingham, is a project manager. She’s single.

Turning 40 was a big deal for me.

I was feeling down about it because it’s an age where people assume you’re past your sell-by date.

Everyone told me I had a fantastic figure, but I felt everything was sagging.

I wanted to see what they were seeing, and I needed a confidence boost.

I read an article about women in New York having artistic naked photographs taken – the pictures were so wonderful, I thought about blowing £500 on a trip over there.

Then I heard about Jane Lancashire, a photographer who was doing the same thing over here.

I wanted a snapshot of myself at 40, a moment in time of the way I was.

I wanted to feel good about myself, and I also liked the idea of doing something naughty.

I was scared on my way to the shoot, but as Jane started snapping away, I soon forgot about feeling self-conscious.

When I saw the photos I couldn’t believe it was me – and from then on I looked at myself differently.

I’ve framed one of the photos and hung it on my bedroom wall.

It’s a beautiful picture and a daily morale booster.

 

‘I WANTED TO CELEBRATE BEATING CANCER’

Debbie Puxty, 31, from Kent, is a married events manager.

I was diagnosed with bowel cancer when I was 29.

It’s unusual to get it so young, especially as there’s no history of the disease in my family.

I had the tumour removed in 2006.

Doctors had planned keyhole surgery, but there were complications, so they had to take away half of my bladder too.

It left me with a much bigger scar than I had anticipated.

I had staples in my scar and a line in my arm for the chemotherapy drugs.

Some of my hair fell out during the chemo so I had it cut.

None of this made me feel very feminine.

I had the photographs taken to help me feel better about myself.

I wanted something to help me come to terms with a terrible year, and to celebrate the fact that I was still here.

The scar is part of me and will be for the rest of my life, so for the photos I decided to make a feature of it and incorporate it into a design with body paint – it took three hours to do.

The pictures are amazing and I’ve had one framed and hung in the lounge.

It says: ‘Hello, welcome to my home, and here’s me naked!’

My husband Simon loves the pictures – he looked at them and went: ‘Wow!’

The photos helped me accept my scar.

I can now wear a bikini without worrying.

My scar isn’t ugly, it’s part of who I am.

 

‘I’D PUT ON WEIGHT AND WANTED TO SHOW OFF MY CURVES’

Claire Hansbury, 38, is a single mum with four kids aged between four and 14. She’s a childminder from Tonbridge, Kent.

Having these photographs taken helped me realise that I prefer to be the shape I am – I’ve stopped feeling pressurised into being something I’m not.

Three years ago I lost 3st at a slimming club, dropping from a size 18 to a 12-14.

I weighed 10st 8lb, but being thin didn’t suit me.

I looked in the mirror and thought: ‘I don’t look right.’ I didn’t even like my flat tummy.

So I went back to a size 16 and I’m so much happier with my body now.

A friend arranged the photos as a surprise birthday present.

I’m quite comfortable being naked – I enjoy my body.

I wouldn’t have been happy if I’d had the pictures done when I was slimmer.

It’s great finally to be a shape I love, and I’m so happy with my curves.

A lot of people have seen the pictures, but they’re not on display in my home.

I’m a childminder, and I don’t think Ofsted would approve!