Photographer Alice Klunck of Christ Church Plano is helping tween girls enter adolescence believing they are unique and beloved. She’s started The “Who I Am” Project in the North Dallas area, photographing girls between the ages of 10 and 14 wearing clothes they like, doing what they love, with props reflecting their hobbies and interests. Alice then compiles the photos into a surprise slide presentation, adding thoughtful quotes from friends and family members about who each girl is.
Take Haley, for example. Alice photographed the 12-year-old doing what she’s most passionate about—dance—and created a slideshow celebrating her unique personality. Overlaid on her sweet smile and flaxen hair are the words “I Am Haley.”
“It gave me a chance to show who I really am on the outside as well as the inside,” Haley says. “I am a dancer but I am so much more than that. I was able to show my fun side and not just take a bunch of serious photos.”
The project fills the void between too-serious school photos and casual iPhone snaps, and resists the Instagram culture of editing selfies to look “perfect.” Alice wants her own daughter, Avery, 10, who is homeschooled and a goalie on her club soccer team, to resist social media pressure and see herself as God’s creation, beautiful and loved. Seven out of 10 teenage girls believe they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks (DoSomething.org). Alice offers a confidence booster for girls who are about to leave childhood and enter the fray—and she doesn’t charge a session fee. The families only pay for the photos they order.
Each girl is nominated by a family member and completes a questionnaire about themselves—favorite colors, activities, hobbies, dreams. Alice also asks them to describe themselves in three words. She then crafts the photo shoot around each girl’s interests, working with parents to bring props and outfits. The first few photo sessions received rave reviews, and friends and neighbors began asking for them; now Alice is halfway through the 20-session project. She shoots each 45-minute session in a renovated-house-turned-studio in downtown McKinney, Texas, filled with gorgeous natural light.
When the girls come in, most of them are nervous. “But they relax as soon as they can do their thing, whether it is tap dancing or reading Harry Potter or playing the guitar or playing with their favorite American Girl doll,” Alice says. A parent, usually a mom, sits on a couch and watches, some shedding tears. Alice asked one of the moms why she was crying, and she said, “I’m seeing my daughter differently; she looks like such a big girl.’ Another one said, “My daughter was so nervous, and now she is completely lit up.”
After the session, Alice presents each girl with a rock painted with one of the words they used to describe themselves. “It’s small enough to fit in their pocket, and they can pull it out before a big test or whenever they need a boost,” she says.
In two or three weeks, Alice contacts the girl and her family to set up a “Reveal” session, where she surprises the girl with a slideshow she’s made combining their favorite photos with 10-15 quotes she’s secretly obtained from their coaches, teachers, family and friends. “Beautiful artwork mixed with words is so powerful,” Alice says. “The smiles on their faces are huge.”
One thing makes her sad: Some of the older girls are already self-conscious and struggle to admit they like photos of themselves. “They find fault with the photos. It breaks my heart. I want to say, Don’t you see how beautiful you are?”
After the slideshow, each girl has a chance to purchase a book of photos to keep in their room, tuck in a drawer and pull out whenever they need to. “My prayer is that it will still be meaningful five years from now,” Alice says.
The project has inspired Alice, who plans to continue doing “Who I Am” sessions in addition to her regular photography work. “It is such a privilege to give these girls this experience,” she says. “I’m so happy to be part of showing them who they are.”
Learn more about the “Who I Am” Project at KlunckKreations.com.
