Thomas Nguyen is one of the nation’s most renowned senior photographers. With over 53,000 followers on Instagram (@thomasnguyenphoto), his work has been nationally recognized by a myriad of well-known platforms such as “Senior Style Guide,” “Modern Teen Style,” and “Seniorologie”.

However, he is most definitely not a man that should only be praised by his incredible talent with a camera. He should also be praised by his incredible heart. 

A couple of years ago, Ngyuen decided to take his gift of photography as an opportunity to focus on a teenage girl’s mental health and self-acceptance. He’s been making a difference ever since.

 It’s no doubt that facing one’s insecurities is one of the hardest battles a teenager must fight nowadays. It’s always been a problem, but now, social media makes it easier than ever for girls to compare themselves to others. 

The sad truth is, a lot of girls are struggling. That is why the Cincinnati-based photographer, Thomas Nguyen, began Project Beauty—an ever-growing movement where girls are asked to come bare-faced and take a professional photoshoot for 30 minutes. Under the project’s guidelines, girls are asked to please come in in their purely natural state with no makeup at all. In addition, they are asked to bring a couple of outfits and to always keep it simple. Lastly, they are asked to take the shoot barefoot, as it only helps enhance the emphasis on natural, stunning beauty.

   As his webpage says, “the emphasis of the project is to connect through emotion and body language, but by showing off the latest fashion trends.”

There are not many people that help girls embrace their insecurities and cherish them like this. It’s completely unique, but now more and more photographers are asking to join in and the Project Beauty movement is growing.

   There need to be more people in this world like Ngyuen. A girl’s struggle to accept herself is not going to go away anytime soon. By having girls be a part of this movement, he allows them to willingly admit their insecurities but instead of making them feel any less for them; he uses his talents and position to help the girls embrace their insecurities. 

   He shared on his Facebook page that with Project Beauty, his “aim has been to portray these wonderful girls in an entirely unique way and get as close as possible to them — to capture their unseen confidence.” He has without a doubt achieved this as he has changed so many young girls outlooks on their own self-acceptance and perception of their own beauty.