Portia de Rossi is a gorgeous woman, and I found it incredibly refreshing to discover that she puts very little stock in her appearance, instead preferring to concentrate on what goodness she can put into the world around her - a choice we can all learn from.
I believe women need to hear stories and see images that they can identify with, not media-fabricated ideals that even the 'role models' themselves can't live up to.
Jane Fonda was at the top of my list of women to meet and the only time I felt nervous about interviewing someone. She is one of the most dynamic women I have ever had the honor of talking to.
From 12-year-old girls to 70-year-old matriarchs, I know hundreds of women who have some sort of body image issue. This is sad and seriously worrying, but it's true, and it's why I feel some kind of social responsibility to do what I can to show a variety of body types in fashion magazines.
I am one of the last photographers to convert to digital.
I'd personally like to see more 'real bodies' in magazines.
I don't marry myself to one belief system.
If I'm looking at life without a spiritual perspective, it's a lot more painful, a lot more confusing, and there's so much that I don't understand.
Learning how to be persuasive has been really crucial to my life both professionally and personally.
Persuasiveness is really just about getting your ideas across without being forceful. It's a skill that can be learned and is useful for anyone who works in a team environment.
Persuasiveness takes finesse; it takes an understanding of human psychology. And intention is everything.
I've never interviewed anyone where I set out to try to persuade them to reveal something. Instead, it's about creating a space that allows someone to be authentic without judgment on my part.
I've grown up around people who love photography, and I think from being photographed for so long, I always wanted to understand how it worked, and I've been fortunate enough to be photographed by some really wonderful photographers, and so I learnt a lot from them, and I always ask them questions.
No one understood why I would wanna be behind the camera, not in front of the camera, and so no one took me seriously, and people said, 'Oh, well, this is just a hobby isn't it?' and I said, 'No, I really love this. I wanna make this my career,' and I did not have a lot of support at all for many years. People just kind of thought it was a joke.
My kids see feminism in action every day, and leading by imperfect example is how I'm raising them.
If there was anyone primed to raise their kids feminist, it was me. My parents treated me no differently from my brother. I was raised to believe I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to.
Despite the gender stereotypes in the '80s, my race-car-driving dad taught me that I could do whatever my brother could.
The fact is external feminine beauty is highly valued, and we are constantly given the message that a slamming body is the most valuable thing a woman can possess.
From the ages of 12 to 35 my body, not my mind, was my primary currency. My ideas, my humor, my curiosity - none of those were valued as much as my body, which preceded me into almost every room.
As a kid, I trained to be an Olympic gymnast. My schedule was rigorous. Four hours a day, Monday through Saturday, I was at the gym. My body was like a boy's, narrow hips, flat-chested, wide shoulders. When I was 12, I badly injured my ankle and was forced to stop training immediately.
