We had the good fortune of connecting with Cass Michael and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cass, how does your business help the community?
As a commercial beauty photographer, the industry that I work in and also the social media that we all consume is rife with retouched, face tuned, body altered imagery. Alarmingly, a lot of the time, you can’t even tell that these images (and now even videos) are altered. I couldn’t stand the thought that I would be contributing to an industry that made me feel so insecure about myself growing up and I don’t want to pass that on to future generations.

#unretouched is a project that I have been working on since 2019. I want to make a stand to be an agent of change, and show that not only are pores, texture, scars and pimples normal, they are beautiful. There are over 8 billion people on this Earth; so many different skin types, conditions and colours, body sizes, genders, abilities and ages that just aren’t being represented in most advertising imagery. My hope is that eventually brands will eradicate retouching in their advertising completely; that advertising will be diverse and inclusive and we will know that what we see is actually real.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m originally from the UK but I have moved countries a couple of times during my career – the first to Australia for a couple of years and very recently to the USA. Being freelance is such a luxury but it takes a lot of hard work and determination to work for yourself and build up your career alone from scratch, especially in multiple countries.

Whenever anything feels challenging, I always tell myself to think back to 15 year old Cass. If she could see me now, see the life I have built, the work that I’ve done, the billboards, magazines and my work in stores all over the world, she would think we have achieved more than she’d ever imagined! That’s all I ever need to remind me to keep going and be really proud of what I have done.

It’s hard to say what sets me apart from others – there are so many incredibly talented photographers out there and even more that haven’t had their lucky break or chance to show the world yet. What I do offer is a lot of passion, genuine excitement and appreciation for the work that I get to do, as well as a real awareness of the impact that my work can have on consumers and the industry. I genuinely care about people being able to look at my work and see themselves represented in it. I pride myself on really taking the time to get to know and connect with everyone who I get the chance to photograph, as well as always trying to keep my sets and shoots a fun, comfortable and safe space for everyone – and I feel like that comes through in my work too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favourite thing to do is get some great food and hang out on the beach! My favourite spots would be either Paradise Bowls in Manhattan or Hermosa beach for my favourite ever Acai bowls (make sure you get the Chocolate Arc bowl!) or Sunny Blue in Santa Monica that does the best omusubi sushi (I’m vegan but their mushroom and eggplant ones are amazing!) – both perfect beach treats!

It’s a bit further out but I’ve also spent a lot of time in the San Bernardino Mountains so I’d be sure to go to Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead too!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe everything to all of the brands, models and creatives that have chosen to work with me over the course of my career – especially the ones at the start who saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself. I want to give the biggest thank you to the brands that chose to work with me for completely un-retouched campaigns, it fills me with so much joy and pride, and I know what we are doing will make a difference.

Website: https://www.cassmichaelphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassmichaelphotography

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassmichaelphotography/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.