A photo of Cindy Crawford hit the web this weekend. The photo has not been retouched and it’s from a cover shoot she did in December 2013 for Marie Claire magazine.

My reaction surprised even me. I thought, Whoa. She kind of looks crappy.

It took about 5 seconds, of me looking the lovely un-photoshopped Cindy up and down: some sagging, a hint of cellulite, strong thighs–wait strong thighs? My mind slowly assessed, became logical. Cindy is 48 years old, has 2 children, and looks incredible.  I thought about what I look like, what my beautiful friends who have children look like, what my gorgeous mother and sisters look like.

When I look at real women in my life, I think they look incredible.  I have never once noticed sagging, cellulite, or their shapely thighs. So why was it so hard to see Cindy Crawford that way?

The whole thing has irritated me. I’m irritated that when I see some celeb on the cover or FITNESS magazine I accept that as how she looks. I just glance at it in the check out isle, not even consciously. I see whatever lady in a bikini and think: she looks good, I should have bought more lettuce, how long until bathing suit season?

I know she doesn’t actually look that way, I am a photographer for crying out loud. I know what the perfect light, a great angle, and Photoshop can do.  But when we are bombarded with all of these images all day long, your brain is just gathering info. It’s not making sense of everything all day long–and thank goodness, that would be exhausting.

I just thought I was smarter than all of this, but I’m not. All those people constantly fighting for ‘real’ women in ads and on TV, I always thought who cares, we know it’s not real.

But for 5 whole seconds, while I judged the lovely Cindy. I didn’t know, and I am a grown up. I can only image what this does to our little girls.

This whole thing has really made me think about beauty. Why would I hold someone in a magazine to a higher standard? Why do I think all imperfections airbrushed away looks “good?” And why did it take my brain so long to register the reasonable conclusion that Cindy Crawford looks DAMN GOOD!

I personally think this photo was leaked on purpose to start this very conversation.  I am guessing there are plans to launch a true beauty campaign with Cindy Crawford as the leading lady. I have no facts to back this up, I could be wrong, but that is what I think. Either way, it has sparked a conversation, and its an important one.

In related news here is another incredible pic of Cindy.
(I should eat more lettuce, when is bathing suit season?)