By asking some courageous members of our society to finish the phrase ‘I am not my…’, photographer Steve Rosenfield encourages his subjects to acknowledge the traits that bother them, yet certainly don’t define them. Once this is established, they are asked to write some words of their choice on a body part and have their picture taken. The result is an interesting revelation of what we try to hide, how we try to hide it and, finally, how we try to defeat it.

Steve Rosenfield on his social experiment ‘What I Be':

I encourage every viewer to look at each image and put yourself in the individuals shoes. By allowing yourself to feel what they feel, you might realize something you’ve never noticed before. If you don’t understand someone’s message, stay tuned. To eliminate any confusion, each participant will be writing a 500 word or less statement explaining how their insecurity has affected their life.

"I am not my gender."

“I am not my gender.”

"I am not my turban."

“I am not my turban.”

"I am not my bulimia."

“I am not my bulimia.”

"I am not my amputation."

“I am not my amputation.”

"I am not my molestation."

“I am not my molestation.”

"I am not my adoption."

“I am not my adoption.”