There is so much negative representation of people with visible differences in the media, ranging from villains to victims. We can change this by creating the representation we want to see.
Being a photographer myself, and born with a cleft lip and palate, this is something I have started to do through my project Changing Smiles. I have always wanted to use my photography to help others born with a cleft, but after having my son Dylan, who also has the condition, I became even more determined.
Changing Smiles involves me taking portrait images of beautiful individuals born with clefts, who I like to call superheroes. I hope to photograph 700 people by the end of the project, as 1 in 700 people are born with clefts.
Photos from Stacey’s Changing Smiles project including her son Dylan
I’m now planning to expand the project to other visible differences since become a campaigner for Changing Faces. One day, I would love to have an exhibition and maybe publish a book. My ultimate dream is to fill the first page of Google with these beautiful images rather than the sterile, clinical, sometimes scary images it has now.
I personally think photography can be so powerful when it comes to representation. The phrase that has been around for years ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ is so true but it’s important that the photography conveys the right message to the audience.
Photographs can capture stories from real people, in turn raising awareness, and encouraging people to change their mindsets.
Stacey hopes to show the beauty of clefts in her photographs
Many causes already use photography to get across their point, including environmental and conservation campaigns, so I think it is the perfect way to raise awareness of visible differences.
“Photography for social change is a powerful medium that goes beyond mere aesthetics, serving as a tool for advocacy and awareness. It has the unique ability to highlight issues, stir emotions, and prompt action, thereby becoming a catalyst for social change.”
From a personal perspective, my niche is that I am a photographer with a facial difference capturing others like me, which I believe makes the images I take even more powerful. I also hope that it makes the people I am photographing more comfortable, knowing I have empathy for them and can share some experiences.
I have always loved photography for how you can use it to appreciate the beauty in the everyday or mundane aspects of life. It enables you to freeze a moment in time and capture the emotions behind it. By celebrating differences, particularly through photography, it can help people to open their minds to new ideas and experiences, recognise and value differences, challenge stereotypes and promote inclusion.
