…from a recent shoot at the boutique class Alexis Hotel in Seattle.

Kristen: Upholstered MUA: Freakishly Beautiful

Kristen: Emerald Teddy MUA: Freakishly Beautiful

Similar to most artists, my body of work is contained and presented in my portfolio – in this case on my main studio website.  I had a photography professor at the university I attended, Loyola University of Chicago, always remind me, “Your portfolio should always say more than your physical words.”  So, naturally I try to present my very best images and not take a shotgun affect by dumping everything on the website.

However, one of the side affects of showing my best work is that sometimes prospective clients can feel intimidated by the beauty of the women on the site.  They want to work with me, but they think, “this looks like fun, but I am not pretty, they only shoot good looking people.”  Sometimes I wish I could post the person’s “before” image prior to working with me to show that they came through my studio doors looking just as ordinary as the next person.  Helping to build confidence is part of what I do as I am shooting a person, but sometimes I have to do this even before they become the client!

When I am confronted with a person who is not feeling “pretty” enough, I try to explain to them that I put to use my skills in creating the most flattering, creative  and glamorous images possible – which is exactly why I am being hired.  Most people are not “A-model” material, but my job is to get their images to reflect this as much as possible.   I always use a makeup artist, pose subjects in the most flattering way and afterwards use Photoshop to “nip and tuck” some of the “challenging” areas.

C’mon ladies! Like my “about” page says – I am happy to shoot anyone and everyone – no matter what they look like.  I truly believe I can find at least one unique and alluring feature in every client I shoot; I have not failed yet.

Nudity in photographs affects the viewer [or client] in a way that probably nobody else would experience in the same way.  Some are receptive to it, some are turned off, some are threatened while some may embrace it.  What drives these reactions are feelings and emotions that come from the very core of our being. A person’s insecurities can influence their behavior and reaction towards nudity; the opposite can lead to openness and willingness to accept it. There are just so many variables that can make up a person’s opinion on the topic – culture, age, race, gender, religion, morals… you name it and there is probably is a link.

Personally, the nude body is one-of-a-kind, beautiful, natural and I celebrate this fact every time I photograph a client or model in that capacity.  I have learned that my attitude, as reflected by my mannerisms, can truly impact whether the nude person in front of my camera will walk away with a positive experience.  For example, if during a nude session I am glaring at the client or feeling nervous myself, this will of course make them feel uneasy as well.  Professionalism is extremely important and I always adhere to it, never deviating.  Unfortunately, there are a few in the industry that give the rest of us credible and legitimate photographers a bad name.

My friends and family sometime joke with me and ask how I can shoot sexy and alluring women all day and not be aroused or “turned-on” – am I gay?  No, I am not gay and it is really easy actually to not have these feelings.  The professional shooting environment is setup so that I can capture the best images possible of my subjects.  I have no time nor interest in even considering something other than the main task before me.  Who has time for that? Not me, I am more concerned with making sure the lighting is set right, client posed in the most flattering way and ultimately having my client walk out of my studio feeling confident, empowered and beautiful.  A lot of women have commented to me that they initially had a pre-conceived idea about what it might be like to pose nude.  However after a few minutes, those feelings of uncertainty ebbed away and were replaced with comfort and sometimes even a sense of being liberated.

One of the biggest challenges I face with shooting the full range of glamour (including nudity), is that people sometimes make the wrong assumptions about me and the business.  For example, I would be a rich man if I had a quarter for every time a client assumed that they would be required to pose nude.  They made this assumption based solely on the fact that I had nude images in my portfolio.  If they had only asked the question, they would learn that every client passing through my door is in complete control of what we shoot.  If they want to pose in a winter coat and scarf, with ten layers of clothing on, I will shoot it – though it might strain my creative process.   A similar misconception is that if they work with me and the studio, they will have to have their images posted publicly on the internet.  In fact, by default, a client’s privacy is always protected and extreme discretion is adhered.  The ONLY way I can or will post an image on my site is if I have the express written consent, via model release form, from the client ahead of time.  All of the photos on my site are of models or clients that either requested or were asked by me (we got an exceptional shot) to have them displayed publicly.

I could go on and on, as this topic is truly never-ending, so I leave you with two of my favorite quotes on the subject:

• “To see you naked is to recall the Earth.” – Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936, Spanish Poet, Dramatist, Musician and Artist)

• “In the NUDE, all that is not beautiful is obscene.” – Robert Bresson (1907-1999, French Film Director)