She Battled Anorexia at 17

then Picked Up a Camera and It Changed Everything

Meet Zoe Waechter

She Battled Anorexia at 17 Then Picked Up a Camera and It Changed Everything

Meet Zoe Waechter, a 23 year old French woman born in Bastia, Corsica, with Kabyle and German heritage shaping her identity. This is how photography became the tool that helped her reconnect with her body and eventually step back into visibility.

Zoe Waechter standing in black lingerie, highlighting her curves and empowered stance — *Photo courtesy of Zoe Waechter*

Anorexia at Seventeen and the Lens that Changed Perspective

Zoe’s relationship with her body was not gentle. Like many women she grew up under the weight of beauty standards that rewarded smallness and obedience. At seventeen anorexia took hold. Her body became a battlefield and her mind sharpened itself against her own reflection.

Growing up in a culture that worshipped a narrow ideal Zoe pushed herself toward it even as it hurt. She chased the silhouette she was told to want until she nearly disappeared into it.

Then she found a camera. Photography became a new way of seeing. The lens offered distance and clarity. It let her step outside herself just long enough to witness her own shape instead of judging it. Over time she explored her body in portraits angles light shifts and captured herself as subject rather than flaw.

Close-up of Zoe Waechter laying down, showcasing serene expression and facial features — *Photo courtesy of Zoe Waechter*

How Photography Became a Form of Anorexia Recovery and Self Returning

Through the lens she began to see herself differently.

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Photographing her body from different perspectives helped interrupt old narratives. It reframed softness became texture. Bones became structure. Skin became light rather than measurement.

It was not instant. It was not linear. It was practice. Photo after photo she learned to meet herself rather than punish herself.

Portrait of Zoe Waechter’s face, celebrating raw beauty and emotional depth — *Photo courtesy of Zoe Waechter*

Greece and the Quiet Shift Toward Belonging in Her Skin

Zoe’s turning point arrived when she moved to Greece. In the quiet rhythm of that place she found space to breathe without comparison. October sunlight and water moved through her days and she felt a sense of belonging she had not known before. Her body no longer felt like an enemy. It became her home.

Zoe Waechter sitting in lingerie, embracing body confidence and natural beauty — *Photo courtesy of Zoe Waechter*

She Loved Her Eyes First

When asked about her favorite feature Zoe does not hesitate. Her eyes.
“They are the windows to my identity my mood and my emotions.”

Where thighs and stomach held tension her eyes remained truth. They never left her even when her body felt distant. They anchored her in the mirror during years where she was unsure whether she deserved to exist in the frame at all.

Zoe Waechter in a bathtub with running eyeshadow, capturing vulnerability and artistic emotion — *Photo courtesy of Zoe Waechter*

For Women Still Learning to Live in Their Bodies

Zoe shares this message for women who feel disconnected from themselves. Your relationship with your body can change. The process of returning to yourself may be slow but it is possible. Life shifts. You shift. You grow. You come back to the body you once abandoned and learn to inhabit it without apology.

Reconnect with what brings you joy. Allow curiosity to replace comparison. Let your body be more than an ideal. Let it be a place.

(BTS of Zoe before shooting)

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To see more of Zoe follow her on Instagram @zoewaectr