Brian Moss Is …

The women on the pages of shemuscle reject the common notion of the “ideal” female body.

These fit and muscular women own their bodies. Their powerful muscle has been hard earned through their hard work in the gym. They love the journey as much as they love the destination. .  Their beauty and sensuality come from a place of Strength and Dominance instead of Weakness and Submission.

They are the shape of things to come.

In the early eighties I opened Better Bodies Gym in my hometown, New York City. My gym quickly attracted local bodybuilders and I became an active participant in the birth of woman’s bodybuilding.

I have trained top women in the sport. Many remain close friends, and my experiences with them have afforded me a level of trust and intimacy that these women do not usually allow, let alone with a camera.

In 1997 I picked up a camera for the first time since childhood and casually started to photograph the leading competitors in the bodybuilding and fitness world.

My images are unguarded, honest and voyeuristic. Whether they capture backstage scenes at the Ms. Olympia or private moments in a hotel room hours before the competitor steps out on stage, these images are imbued with an intimacy that has never been seen before. – Brian Moss