About Donna DUke-Llande

Get to Know me, your portrait photographer

“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence”

Life’s funny isn’t it? We all have our own battles with how we see ourselves and how others perceive us. Sometimes, those narratives can be less than positive, causing us to retreat into ourselves out of fear.

The media is always telling us how we should look, who we should be, and what we should aspire to. It can make us feel like we're not measuring up to that "anti-aging" ideal or the image of a high-earning woman. They thrive on our insecurities, keeping us in a constant state of not feeling good enough.

But here's the thing - confidence is a mindset, not just a look. My biggest goal in life is to empower young girls to love themselves and break free from the unrealistic standards set by society and the media. And that starts by healing their mothers, their grandmothers, their aunts… the women they encounter everyday. I want us to all one day embrace our unique qualities and find beauty in our differences!

Because that’s the thing, different is beautiful.

Different is vibrant. It’s exciting. It’s a new story to learn. It’s empowering.

What’s my different?

I'm a mix of Filipino and English, raised in different countries, always feeling a bit different because I didn't look like everyone else. I struggled with body image issues from puberty and when I eventually embraced them I ended up finding success as a glamour model. I found strength in my independence and financial decisions, only to face criticism and belittlement when I got married. I put my own ambitions and drive on hold to support my ex husband's business. And I maintained the role of a woman and mother with no needs, desires or wants as was expected of me.

The concept of The Proud Project came towards the end of my married life, when I was starting to soul search and I was pushing back against the suppression I’d felt, which was starting to showcase itself in this creative outlet with the women I was working with. I wanted to create a project I knew would help my daughter to understand the woman I wanted her to grow up to become. Secure and confident in exactly who she is. Which wasn’t what I was at the time. I wanted my son to recognise the beauty in individuality, to respect women and to help our world find equality.

The strength of The Proud Project has without a doubt come as I’ve stepped into my confidence again after leaving my marriage. It’s almost like the emergence of my suppressed soul which shows in the work I create and the passion I have for the art that gets produced.

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself”

Coco Chanel