Like transgender photographer Wynne Neilly, transgender man and aspiring screenwriter Leo Sheng has taken to photography to document his transition from female to male.
In a series of intimate portraits posted to his Instagram account, he chronicles his journey to becoming a man, and bravely bares it all for the world to see.
Sheng, who was born female, said he was inspired by other people who publicly shared their transition.
“I wasn’t very comfortable with showing pictures of my childhood, mostly because I was in very feminine clothing/presented as a girl and that’s not who I was... But, seeing other folks who were brave enough to share their journeys and through some of my own self-reflection, I decided I wanted to own up to my past... If I wanted to document my transition, I felt I had to be completely honest,” he told the The Huffington Post.
More than anything, he wants to let others know that the transitioning process is a complex one, and means different things to different people.
“There’s no general image or general reference for transgender-identified folks and there's no ‘one way’ to be who you are. Through my own identity as a transman, and one of a race other than white, I really wanted to share my own experiences to show that everyone’s on a different path.”
Sheng also hopes that by openly documenting his transition, he will be able to erase some of the stigma and stereotypes associated with transgender people, as well as let fellow transgenders know that they’re not alone.
Check out some pictures below and view more at Sheng’s Instagram account.
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{46/100} I'M ALIVE! I'M OFFICIALLY POST-OP! #100happydays #ftmtransition #ftm #f2m #topsurgery #transman #transguy #postop #transgender @forever_trans
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Just a lil' something for #transformationtuesday. Freaked out? Me too. #ftm #ftmtransition #f2m #transman #transguy #transgender #whowasthat #wannabemodelpose #yikes #postop #vitaminT
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I rarely post more than once a day. But, I've been doing this thing where I take photos after a workout to watch my progress, and tonight, well... I'm just really proud to see how far I've come, and I look forward to pushing myself harder and getting to where I want to be! It's so surreal to think that I've finally become comfortable in my own skin-- at least, I'm the most comfortable that I've ever been. I'm at peace with who I am, with who I was born as. I'm so grateful for everyone's continued support; it means the world! Also, thanks for putting up with the selfies, haha! #ftm #ftmtransition #ftmfitness #f2m #transman #transguy #transgender #vitaminT #postop @forever_trans @trans_poc @transmenofinstagram
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Dropping this off for #transformationtuesday. The left is me at 13/14 years-old and pre-T; the right is me now, 18 years-old and just under 15 weeks on T! See a difference? #ftm #vitaminT
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🌊☀️🏊 #beachday #postop #ftm #BelleIsle
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{91/100} Happy one month on T to me! Got my third shot earlier today! 👊 #100happydays #ftm #transman #transguy #f2m #postop #testosteronethursday #feelingood
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[via The Huffington Post, images via Leo Sheng]