This photography was one of those few when the model understands you perfectly. Not right away, of course. Photographers know how important this is. At first, girls are always embarrassed to pose, not to mention a nude photo shoot, there is always awkwardness, tightness, a test of trust at the beginning. You need to get used to a person, get to know him, try to understand him. The girl confessed to me that at first she had my command “Freeze!” evoked feelings similar to when a dog is told to “Lie down!”. She couldn’t get used to the fact that she really couldn’t move until the shot was taken.
For me, the process of photographing is like a forced psychotherapy session. At first, the girl is embarrassed to look directly into my eyes, and even more so to open herself in front of the lens. And then, during the conversation, something in her changes, and I see some kind of courage, an inner decision – and the girl opens up on the other side, her inner strong, free and spontaneous part speaks.
The last half hour of shooting is a real pleasure: sometimes I didn’t even have to say what pose to take for a beautiful shot, she improvised, immediately understood my commands. And then – I already saw in this girl another person – more free, enjoying herself and radiating something warm and trusting.
And one of my favorite stages of work is to observe the first reaction when you show finished photos and a person sees himself in the pictures. Recently, the reaction is often predictable, it inspires and motivates me a lot.