3/2/20 @9:30am pst - Janeane speaks with Angelika Buettner, the award-winning photographer behind I AM - Celebrating the Perfect Imperfect.

A CAPTIVATING COLLECTION OF NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERSONAL NARRATIVES IN THE NEW BOOK, I AM - CELEBRATING THE PERFECT IMPERFECT, DRAWS A SPOTLIGHT ON THE AGELESS BEAUTY OF 121 WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF 40 What is age anyway? We are all ageless spiritual beings continuing to explore and celebrate our shared journeys. In I AM - Celebrating the Perfect Imperfect, photographer Angelika Buettner celebrates ageless beauty through the voices of 121 women between the ages of 40 and 99. The beautiful photography book pairs nude photography of the women with essays, quotes and poems that depict their powerful stories. To challenge the stereotypes of beauty and age, Angelika uses her camera as a therapeutic tool and instrument of social commentary, and in doing so, she encourages women to embrace their femininity. The book features portraits of strong women who dare to step out of their comfort zone. One of the profiles is around Chiara D’Agostino, who is photographed on pages next to her emotional personal story about her journey of self-love as a result of her battles with breast cancer. “Am I still a woman without breasts?” Chiara asks. “I’m the same person inside [without them], and I believe we shine from the inside out, so sexy and beautiful is how I feel about myself.” Rather than creating another nude book where women are portrayed as sexual objects, Angelika’s vision was to empower women aged 40 and older to feel more visible. She found women from all walks of life and captured them in various urban and suburban settings, from shooting in icy snow and on the Manhattan Bridge, to taking photos on a roof, in the outdoors and more. None of the images have been retouched, and no makeup artist or stylist was involved. Contrary to her regular approach to photography, Angelika had no staff at the shoots for the book – she conducted one-on-one sessions to create a comfortable and intimate experience for each of the women.