Have you ever wondered, how would Rapunzel look like if she had a different hair color? And what if snow white was not white at all? Well! The couple Kahran and Regis Bethencourt from Atlanta are here with answers. They are professional photographers who operate under the name CreativeSoul Photography.
The husband and wife paired up with the hairstylist Lachanda Gatson and held a photoshoot in Los Angeles and Atlanta to rejuvenate the famous Disney princesses in a way that would make young black girls see themselves as the princess in the fairy tales.
The pictures from the photoshoot spread over the media and grasp the attention of people. Each photo hit nearly 12,000 likes on social media. Kahran told TODAY Parents that after the photos were posted online they heard from several black parents. They said, “We didn’t notice that we needed this, but we did.”
She said, “Generally, little girls wish that they could be the princesses but they didn’t get to see themselves as one.” She also noted that after all these years we have only one black princess –Princess Tiana from the movie “The Princess and the Frog."
Of course, there were other photographers who have replicated Disney princesses to a traditional version using the same outfits but we have created something different with creative freedom with the hair and the wardrobe, “It really kind of crated them our own,” she said.
The Bethencourts have been in the photography business for 11 years. In the beginning, they started small at her mother’s garage. They used to take photos of their nephews, niece, and the neighborhood children, it was “a little bit of everything,” Kahran said.
“Later in 2013, we decided to build a business that we both love, and we decided to concentrate on children and kids fashion industry,” She said, When the Bethencourts got into the business they witnessed two things: first, the kids' fashion industry lacks diverseness and the second thing is that when kids showed up for the photoshoot their hair would be straightened.
Kahran said, “They thought their hair must look like this to get into the fashion industry.” Hence the Bethencourts made the mission of CeativeSoul Photography to “showcase under-celebrated beauty,”, especially for the black kids.
Their work includes children of all skin shapes and hair. Their empowering works have gained the attention of the people on the internet several times.
Kahran said, “childrens are usually transformed when they see themselves in picture from the camera view. “Most of the time they are super suprised. And my favorite part is that you can observe their confidence growing,” she said.
In the beginning, when they came they are a bit nervous and shy and once they see themselves in pictures, a light bulb goes off.”
CreativeSoul Photography's works were also great and now it is more important than ever before. “It is essential to let children see themselves represented in the media and wipe out some of the stereotypes that have been clenching in the media for years,” she said.
“They must feel empowered while seeing themselves represented powerfully, it would help them to imagine what they want in the future.”
Creative Soul Photography is going to release several treats by this fall, it includes “Glory: Magical Visions Of Black Beauty,” a coffee table book of images and tales about children from Ghana, South Africa, France, United States, Kenya, United Kingdom.
