Inspiring photo shoot captures women before and after chemotherapy

'Many of them said that being photographed was a turning point for them in their fight with cancer'

The Facing Chemo project aimed to give confidence to women battling cancer (Robert Houser )

A photographer has completed a project focusing on cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy.

Robert Houser created Facing Chemo as a way to focus on women with cancer as individuals – rather than the results of their chemo.

Writing on his website, Houser said: "Facing Chemo began as a personal project and has evolved into a non-profit Foundation using portraiture to educate, move and inspire."

It began as Houser was photographing a woman for a magazine article. Speaking to Buzzfeed he said: "Halfway through the shoot, she told me that she was about to lose her hair from chemo, I offered to photograph her during treatment, but I could tell she wanted to get through chemo and try to put it behind her."

He explained that "out of the blue" four years later, the woman got back in touch to ask if the offer still stood and so the project began.

As part of the photo shoot, the Facing Light Foundation was also created – a non-profit organisation hoping to raise awareness of the effects of cancer, through the medium of photography.