Honored bodies

Leonard Nimoy championed full-figured women through his photographs.

Rebecca Ruiz

Editor's note: These photos may be considered NSFW.Leonard Nimoy, who died Friday at the age of 83, was beloved by fans for his distinctive portrayal of Mr. Spock on Star Trek.Those fans may not have known that Nimoy, through his work as a photographer, also championed women who did not conform to Hollywood's ideal of physical perfection.In 2007, Nimoy published The Full Body Project, a collection of photos featuring nude women of many shapes and sizes.

Nimoy's previous book of photographs captured images of nude women as well, though the models' slim bodies hewed closely to the conventional standards of beauty.The inspiration for The Fully Body Project struck when a full-figured woman approached Nimoy and asked if he might photograph her and her friends.Natalie Angier, an author who wrote the introduction to The Full Body Project, told Mashable that Nimoy was deeply troubled upon hearing that most women felt some degree of body shame."It really disturbed him that women who considered themselves overweight had this terrible feeling about themselves," Angier said. "He wanted to show the world that there’s beauty to be found in different body types."

Nimoy's images portrayed the women as powerful and engaging, qualities that moved Angier."I admire the way he presented the women as standing there looking the viewer full in the face," she said. "Saying look at me — I’m entitled to stand here and present myself to the world. I don’t have to be ashamed and cower in the corner."Despite Nimoy's efforts, Angier said that the book did not find a broad audience."It was too bad, because I think it was a good idea," she said. "He considered this as a mission, that he thinks women should feel good about themselves and their bodies."