Alone, Together: Celebrate Yourself this Valentine’s Day

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Feb 11

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When planning my annual Valentine’s Day shoot, I was kind of uncertain about what I wanted to do this year. After making self portraits for years now, the motif was beginning to feel repetitive. I was conceptually lost. Then, something - or someone, actually - came to mind.

That someone was Grace. Grace and I have been distant friends for several years, but we grew much closer this summer after taking a few beach trips together. We share a ton of interests: long baths, fat liberation, and curly hair routines to name a few. I have always felt at ease with her and I couldn’t begin to think of a better person to make Valentine’s Day images with.

After a really tough year, we were stoked to be doing this with each other and the planning began immediately . We ordered a ridiculous amount of lingerie for ourselves, huge bouquets of flowers, a bunch of fake eyelashes, and made plans for take-out. We agreed that the subject and photographer alike would be in lingerie for the entirety of the shoot. We spent a whole weekend together in a kind of platonic romance, making portraits of each other with various photo formats.

Now, in 2021, dating and casual sex is sparse and extremely risky. Existing relationships are being strained beyond belief. Now more than ever, I want to celebrate the body that has carried me through the pandemic and the friends that made the past year special. Being with friends and finding comfort together is one of the highest forms of self-care that exists, IMO. Over the weekend, Grace and I often expressed our appreciation for being on set with a friend who is also plus-size, and feeling grateful to be on set together at all. Over the weekend we created the perfect little Valentine’s for each other.

The celebration got me thinking… what a special way to celebrate a year that has constantly been shitting on all of us - especially LGBTQIA+ folks. In the past, we tended to find a sense of community in social spaces and nightlife cultures that have vanished because of COVID.

So get tested, get together with a friend, treat yourself to some of Bad Gal Riri’s Savage x Fenty, and load up on film to document your Valentine’s Day weekend. Make 2021 one to remember.

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Kenedee A. Hodges is a photographic artist living and working in Georgia. She works primarily with film and alternative processes— exploring themes such as fat liberation, the female experience, love and intimacy. She is a Gemini — follow her on Instagram @kenedeehodges

Follow Grace on Instagram @shetoograceful

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