*Disclaimer: This blog post contains female nudity. If that offends you, don’t proceed. But around these parts, we celebrate the shit out of the female body!
You may or may not know, but my dad passed away back in September 2020. Running your own solo business is hard; running it while working through traumatic grief and loss is even harder. It’s almost indescribable. You have to show up every day, even when you’d rather be under the covers avoiding the world, because there is no one else to do it for you, to pick up the slack.
It has been especially difficult because I was very close to my father. I got my photography DNA from him, and he was the first person to give me a camera, when I was just eight years old.
Over the last few months, I have struggled to find creativity and passion in what I do. I knew–hoped–it was temporary but nevertheless, the lack of both increased my depression and inability to tap into either of them. I was struggling.
Then suddenly, I was struck with inspiration. As always, that’s how it works. It’s not there, and then it is.
It is important that artists create for others, but more important that we create for ourselves. Creating for yourself is a gift, it means you are making yourself happy, doing what you love, and filling your cup all the while.
Recently I teamed up with Jessica to create some fine art nude portraits and – funny story – we actually tried to meet up when I was in Hawaii in 2019 (she lived there) but we couldn’t make it work. Imagine my happy surprise to find out she moved home to DC! So we scheduled a creative shoot that let me test my chops and had a ball together.
I have always believed in celebrating the human body and even as a kid and young adult, I love European renaissance art. I’d love for us to have a new kind of renaissance that again allows us to celebrate the human form and all that it is capable of. Maybe we can make that happen.
I hope you enjoy these fine art nude portraits we created together.
[ Check out Ms. D’s fine art boudoir session here! ]
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Makeup by Finn Mauritzen | Blushaway Makeup.
For Photographers
I used the following to create these images:
- Sony A7iii
- Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART (my favorite) (I mostly shot these around 2-2.8)
- Godox/Flashpoint AD400 Pro and xPro trigger at 1/128 on manual
- Shoot through umbrella
- Savage Eclipse 8×12′ painted canvas backdrop from B&H
- Edited with my own custom presets (@supernovapresets) and retouched in Photoshop
- Sparkle Kaftan Dress – Leah Maria Couture
- White Robe – Catherine D’Lish
