In “American Beauty,” photographer Carey Fruth uses the iconic rose petal fantasy from the movie of the same name to remind us that real beauty comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and ages. Fruth’s photo series takes a scene where the woman is only an object of desire and turns it into a beautiful statement of female strength by empowering her subjects to stay true to themselves. She also wanted to make her models feel beautiful in a way they may not have felt was possible.

“When women come into my studio, I want to prove to them that they ARE as beautiful as they always feared they weren't, then maybe they can let go of that fear. By stepping into a fantasy dream girl world and by letting go of that fear, they free themselves up to direct that energy they once wasted on telling themselves that they weren't good enough to elsewhere in their life,” the photographer explained.