Black & white or color? This question plays out throughout my post-production editing. I don’t have a favorite. Shooting exclusively in color allows me to go back and forth easily. As I go through the editing process some photos jump out immediately as “This one needs to be black & white!”. Others reveal themselves in later editing stages. For me, black and white is more about textures and dramatization.
It’s worth mentioning that I don’t “Photoshop” my images. As standard practice, 99% of all my edits are non-destructive in Adobe Camera Raw. This means that every photo from the beginning of my fine arts career can be reverted to its original state or granularly change anything. This helps when I re-edit images for publications, exhibitions, or competitions. It also shows how my technique has evolved over the years.
Over the years I’ve come across three types of models: Those who love the creative process of nude art photography with responses like, “I love your style! I’m looking forward to creating magic together!” Some models aren’t interested in the photos. They just want to be paid. The third type cares about our photos but also wants to be compensated. Models who love the ‘art’ in ‘nude art’ bring their ‘A’ game. My biggest reward is when a model tells me, “Wow, our photos are awesome! I can’t wait till we shoot again!”I respect each model’s limitations. Sometimes these boundaries are clear well before our session. Other times these nuances are sorted out at the beginning of the photoshoot.
I also respect each model’s time and effort. I want her to love the experience and cherish the photos we created together. I hope they’ll be showcased with pride. If I succeed in publishing, that’s icing on the cake. I respect that each model has limits, so if our styles don’t match - that’s fine. Revealing one’s soul is a level of vulnerability that’s not given easily and can exceed one’s comfort zone.Many of my models return for follow-up sessions because of the mutual trust we’ve established.
I pride myself on being genuine, personable, and empathetic.
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