Ajaye

Hodor.

Sienna Luna

I've tried this peeing shot before with someone else— but I deemed it unsuccessful due to the fact that the background was gritty, which made things blend in too much like camouflage. The spontaneity was nice, but what was actually happening got lost. It's a hard thing to pull off since the subject matter can be difficult to represent well. Armed with the knowledge of past mistakes, I was determined to make it work this time. I'm much happier with these images. By the way, there was a mirrored ceiling in this bathroom (which is a kinda weird thing in a bathroom), so I decided to take it as a unique opportunity. I bounced a flash off of them for lighting, which is where the strange highlights are coming from.

Meira

The past year or so I've been doing something that I've never really done before— shooting nudes in public. Well, in public spaces anyway. There is just the occasional pedestrian walking by, late at night, somewhere. Shooting at night for me has to do more with that I like the mood, rather than privacy. Privacy does typically make things easier, though— and that by-chance passerby gets a story to tell. I have always done those semi-public window shots, but the ability to duck back inside made models feel comfortable enough to do just about anything. Those windows often gathered quite an audience, because no one is calling the cops because of a naked girl in an open window.

Jen P

These images may not be as erotic or possess the sensuality of most of what I typically post here, but it seems to fit in with some of what I've been posting lately. It does show my 1940's Hollywood glamour and film noir roots, which was my main inspiration for years. That still is my main inspiration— but with my newer images, I employ very contemporary subject matter (tattoos, piercings, slightly graphic sex) mixed with genuine spontaneity. My newer images now seem to bear my own fingerprint, rather than just emulating an old style very well.

Vox Serene & Dessa Fell

Two different people and two different shoots, but I thought that these make a nice pairing.

Kati Kill

This is one of those images where a story behind it is just as interesting as the image— and the picture doesn't really tell the story. Kati is a contortionist, among other skills that she possesses. She was not only thrilled with the idea of being tied up but she also claimed that she could get out of whatever I put her into, within reason. Indeed, it took her less than five minutes to get out, and this documents a point towards the end of that process. It was fascinating to watch. The ratty wig and nice bruises (she always seems to have nice bruises) only add to what I consider one of my favorite shots. Of course, a happy memory or an engaging anecdote tend to bolster my own feelings towards a photograph of mine. I'd like to believe, though, that this stands on its' own well enough even without that all that being known.

Lee

Lee is pretty serious and experienced with ropework, so I wanted to do something both different but well executed. This tie is fairly traditional Kinkabu, although the use of cheap twine definitely is not. Kinkabu usually employs quality jute rope (or hemp rope). I tend to be more concerned with my own aesthetics rather than being proper. I think that the twine gives a wonderfully rough look- practically falling apart as I apply it. It's difficult to work with, and it's not comfortable- but I none the less want to try some more of this. It really digs into the skin and leaves nice marks, too...

Sylvia

I'm pretty happy with this series on suspensions. I think that it's ironic, though, that their appeal seems to be in their visual simplicity— suspended model/ white backdrop and nothing else, while the actual setup is pretty involved.  It takes about 12 feet high and 15 feet deep of white backdrop, with me being positioned about 20 feet back to get the shot. The lighting is more complex than anything else that I do— two heavy duty Mole-Richardson fresnel spots, supplemented with a pretty good array of Smith-Richardson photo flood lights. The nice thing is that once everything is ready to go, all I have to do is press the shutter. That's good, because the most time I have to get the shot is ten minutes tops, and sometimes as little as a minute or two...

Meira & Mara

Unfortunately (especially for the artists concerned), only time will tell if an artists body of work will stand the test of time. An artist becoming famous while they are young is the exception rather than the rule. There is a good reason why young artists becoming famous fast are often touted as over-rated or a fad— because they often are. It's even harder for a photographer as an artist. Most of the great 20th century photographers were not seriously collected as fine art until late in their lives or after their death. Edward Weston, although appreciated by many, died relatively poor and unknown... as did many like him. Man Ray (and a few others) was somewhat of an exception to this— but he was a shameless self-promoter, and he also did a lot of commercial work.

Caroline & Martin

The chemistry between them was rather intense. It was even rougher than it looks. All I had to do was stand back and keep pressing the shutter. Easy peasy. Well, not entirely easy— the hot lights and steam made it quite uncomfortable for me, and my lens kept fogging up...

Stephy

Most of my newer work tends to consist of movement and spontaneity— trying to get away from being posed and composed. This is one of my occasional returns to my roots of very formal compositions with careful lighting and a film noir essence. Of course, closer to the truth is that my newer work is a mash up of quick and sloppy— mixed with decent lighting and quick but careful thinking on the compositions. I don't think that I could ever fully embrace that lazy hipster snapshot aesthetic that is really popular these days.

Thora

Midnight in the rain. Seriously.

Miss Chloe & Meira

"Become like a sheet of blotting paper and soak it all in. Later on, you can figure out what to keep and what to unload."   ~Haruki Murakami

Lola

Lots of climbing involved in this one.

L & B

I love shooting in filthy, dirty tubs and showers. The more squalid, the better. They provide the backgrounds of wonderfully sordid and sleazy images. A clean tub is so boring.

Li

I'm really happy with all of that black, negative space in the center. It's as if it is a vacuous void drawing you in. There really is no detail there— I had two 1000 watt light boxes behind her, and nothing in front. All of the side detail comes from that massive amount of light trying to wrap around her like an eclipse.

Izzy

I may very well decide a few years from now that I took the detail a bit too far into HDR territory with this and other images, but for now I really like it. It's perhaps ironic that I look at other photographers doing similar things and that I don't like it. It's not lost on me that I may be indulging myself with the detail. That's no worry, though, because I save many different versions along the way. Everything from RAW and untouched, to this and beyond. I can decide later to make a new portfolio (or portfolios) with different versions. That's the beauty of photography, both with film and digital— there is no such thing as a definitive image. Even with famous masters, you might see what you think in a book is the definitive image. The reality is that that image in the book is in all likelihood rather inferior to the print it came from— not to mention that there may very well be many prints and versions, each with something different to offer. There are so many possibilities after the shot is taken. Of course little to nothing can be done, which is usually boring but sometimes perfect. Usually a variety of things are employed— such as old school film things like different development processes, burning & dodging, cropping, solarization, high contrast or low contrast papers or filters, and on and on. Now there is Photoshop, which is based off of film techniques but can do some things that could not be done with film. Both perfect B&W and color from the same shot! This can be both a blessing or a curse, but I try to look at it as a blessing...

Caroline & Martin

I tend not to interfere during these couples shoots— I let them know in the beginning what I'm looking for. I like for there to be a push & pull, a realness without being posed, and I tell them to ignore (as much as possible) my presence. I also like consensual violence, which I think makes for more dynamic images. That request does not seem to ever pose much of an issue with the people I've been working with lately...

Ellen

I've always really liked this image below, with the cigarette— even though out of context it does not hold any particular meaning for anybody else. Well, it happened to be shot just after a very intense shower scene— where she had got herself off with a Waterpik to the point of exhaustion. So consequentially she is taking a relaxing smoke break, hair still dripping. Photographs are often like that. A favorite quote of mine by the photographer Diane Arbus sums it up best— "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know".

T.

IV.