Restoring American Beauty

 Restoring American Beauty with Chuck Lang by Natalie Maddon

I stumbled upon Chuck’s project possibly by accident, but I like to think it was fate. Maybe it is just me being selfish and thinking the world revolves around me. I, like many women, struggle daily with feeling insignificant, less than, and sometimes downright ugly. In my heart, I don’t believe it. But when I look around and I see or hear the way women talk about themselves or other women, it is hard to block out. It is hard to find beauty in something that we are engrained to believe is not so beautiful. Don’t even get me started on accepting the changes that happen when babies are born or how years are tacked on like badges of shame. Women should be able to feel pride when they see the marks that their children have left on their bodies. The lines created from years of laughter are nothing to hide from. My grandpa always tells me that freckles are angel kisses. Don’t try to convince me any differently. The phases that occur when turning from a girl to a woman are priceless.

The project that Chuck is working on aims to enforce the principles of natural beauty. Accepting the physical traits that were so perfectly constructed at your birth can be a lot to take on. This is a baby step. It is a baby step that can lead to giant leaps. The sky is the limit, my friends. I will hold your hand if you would like.

N:Natalie C:Chuck

N: Before we get started with your project, tell us about you, Chuck. Who are you? What do you love?

C: It all started with adventure. That’s how I was pulled into photography, by documenting my trips and the beautiful people along the way. People matter, so I like to tell their story through my photos. I just love exploring and meeting new people, so that’s what I do most of the time. Right now, I’m 24 and I’ve lived in all three states on the west coast. I haven’t told many people this yet… but when I set out for my trip this summer, I’m not coming back to Seattle. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking maybe Nashville or Austin. I keep hearing about all the good vibes there.

N: Your project, Restoring American Beauty, seems to be gathering quite a bit of attention. What is the project?

C: Natural beauty is close to my heart, and it’s something that our culture is losing sight of. I want to bring awareness and light to the natural skin we’ve been given. The idea behind Restoring American Beauty is to get back to basics. We tend to get off track, and sometimes we just need to remember to keep things simple. I like to photograph people in a natural way, just the way they are. I like freckles and the texture of skin, so why cover it up? Our culture has set some pretty ridiculous standards and ideals of what it takes to feel beautiful. Not much of it just tells you to be you. I want to remind you that you’re beautiful just the way you are.

I’m crossing the country, and taking photos of people in a natural way. I want to connect with as many different people as possible. If you look at the project on kickstarter, anyone can be a part of it. I’ll be traveling in my car from Seattle, all the way to New York for six weeks. I’ll be making stops all along the way and connecting with people primarily through instagram, as well as the backers from the kickstarter. At the end of it, I’ll be creating a book that encourages and empowers natural beauty. I’m really excited for that, because I really believe in the power of a photograph. It will be special to have a book that you can hold, and keep, and look through as a reminder that you are beautiful just the way you are.

N: How did this idea come about? Where did it start?

C: I have always been drawn to light in dark places, and finding beauty in the breakdown. For me, light is a symbol of hope. I also love the mood that natural light can have in these different settings, and each one is unique. I started to appreciate natural beauty more, because the settings I was shooting in were so raw. It just made sense to see my subjects naturally as well. When working with models, I always tell them to wear little or no makeup. It’s true… less is more. So one day a few months back, sparks flew and everything I had been working on came together. I knew that I wanted to empower natural beauty, and I knew that I wanted to cross America. I didn’t even think twice about the name for project, Restoring American Beauty.

I’ve been completely blessed by the community and support in my social network. I knew I couldn’t create this book myself, unless it was only for me. That’s not what I want. I want it to be impacting and shared with many. So building a Kickstarter was the next perfect step to making this project happen.

N: What drives your passion behind this mission to restore beauty through photography?

C: Many of the people I would shoot with would later thank me for capturing them so naturally. Some would be surprised that I made them feel beautiful without doing hardly anything at all. I wasn’t using a makeup artist, or any fancy lights… just the sun and their natural skin. There’s something empowering about that. A girl can get all done up, shoot in a studio with “perfect” lighting, then the photos get retouched, and pretty soon it’s not real life anymore.

Naturally, that will leave a person with insecurity, because they don’t feel like they match up to these unrealistic ideals of beauty. The commercial industry can impress these standards that turn you into something you’re not. It feels good to be accepted for who you are. We all want to feel beautiful. I’m here to remind you… you are.

N: Do you have any formal photography training or are you self-taught? What or who influence you?

C: Initially, I got into photography on my own and was self-taught. I was working at a coffee shop and one of my regulars happened to be a big time photographer. He shoots celebrities and all that jazz. He started following my Instagram and he told me my photos were awesome. I was stoked! So I asked him if I could work for him. He said yes. So I bought a more professional camera and he then let me intern for him and his studio for the next six months. At that point, my style was already fairly developed. So I learned a lot about studio etiquette, and the business end of photography. That was the first time I consciously made the decision to pursue photography as a dream.

N: Where can we find more information about the project?

C: The Kickstarter is currently live until June 12, and that’s how the project is being made possible. The funding is all or nothing, so I have to reach my goal of $10k or I can’t create the book. I need all the support I can get as the funding period comes to a close soon. You can also follow my instagram @chuck, to follow the project as it happens this summer. Thank you so much for your time, and I hope you’ll join the movement. Let’s create something beautiful.