My best images succeed in establishing an emotional connection with each model. Capturing a model’s spirit requires overcoming three obstacles: First is getting her to feel relaxed and comfortable. Building a friendly and inviting rapport creates an ideal atmosphere. Helping to bring out her inner confidence is my next objective. Opening my heart is an invitation for her to do the same. Third and foremost, I want her to trust me. This is the catalyst for bringing her ‘A’ game. It’s a tall order, but when successful, we have the freedom to create magic. It’s important that she loves the experience and the images we’ve created.

Art nude photography comes with joy and passion, but not everything is rosy 100% of the time. In every photo shoot, I strive for achievable perfection. Approaching the pinnacle of my capabilities is a journey with no defined destination as my skills and tastes evolve. Many artists see their creations as their children. I see my photos in the same light. My goal is to establish an emotional connection with my model. I never want a model to pose in a virtual bubble at one end of the room and me isolated at the other. I avoid these engagements at all costs. Every photoshoot should be an existential experience for both of us – to become friends and appreciate each other as emotional and vulnerable human beings.

The success of every photoshoot centers around trust. Being genuine, personable, and professional usually leads to an amicable level within the first hour. Aside from that, one of my first challenges is convincing my model to open her heart. I want her to trust me, to find her confidence, and to relax. Asking to reveal her inner spirit is a tall order. Most models understand what I’m requesting – others don’t. From their vantage point, “I’m physically here. What more do you want?” They don’t see my dilemma. It’s like explaining colors to someone who is blind.

There’s a common misconception that insecurity plays a synonymous role in the arts. Much of society struggles with insecurity, and this has nothing to do with photography or the fashion industry. Regardless, I couldn’t rationalize how a professional model might be insecure while still being confident in front of the camera. It took me a while to realize that insecurity can be masked in performance, similar to the skills of an experienced actor. To circumvent insecurity for the love of art is like saying, “I’m willing to perform for a few hours for the love of photography (and maybe generate an income at the same time).” There’s courage and conviction in this approach.

Controlling narratives has a significant connection to ego and vanity. If ego is defined by how we see ourselves, then vanity is how others see us – everyone’s personality resides along an ego and vanity spectrum. They are mutually exclusive. These terms often have negative connotations, such as “That person’s vain” or “That person’s ego is too inflated”. However, there are also positive impacts. Models are prone to higher levels of vanity than most of society. Clothes and haircuts play a role. Or the car we drive, the house we own, and how we talk about our careers and investment successes. Much of Friedrich Nietzsche’s society is driven by the need for external recognition. Vanity sometimes overshadows when ego is fraught with insecurity, and the facade of vanity is all that’s left. Wants and needs drive ego and vanity.

Years of modeling experience can be both an asset and a burden. Hundreds of photoshoots with hundreds of photographers can manifest in ways that even the model doesn’t realize. Some reach a point where the investment in a photoshoot is purely physical. Emotions are no longer on the agenda because the emotional effort needed far exceeds their willingness to invest in the experience. They may have given their soul in the early years of their career, but somewhere along their journey, they’ve lost the energy to reveal their heart. Navigating through these sessions can be difficult. Sometimes, I accept what I’m given, disheartened that I won’t reach my session goals. Knowing that most of the photos will be deleted makes my heart sink, but I shoot through to the end, hoping that something will be good. Leaning toward a less experienced model willing to give her soul far outweighs experienced models who stopped caring years ago.

My biggest challenge in many photoshoots is navigating over a model’s virtual walls. Barriers were built over time to protect her from the world. Sometimes, these virtual walls are rooted in childhood trauma, bad parenting, turbulent upbringing, bad experiences with photographers, or just the trials and tribulations of life itself. Some walls are taller and thicker than others. She may not even realize they exist – her walls have been there so long that they’ve become transparent. I try to overcome these barriers by being genuine, but I’m not always successful. A photographer who lacks empathy wouldn’t even notice.

An important path to becoming a great nude art photographer is to capture a model’s spirit. Eyes are the gateway to the soul, and the lens is my gateway to her eyes. All emotions are revealed when the depths of her spirit stare back at me. Happy or sad, confident or insecure – the camera sees everything, and the lens doesn’t lie.