By March 2007, I was still pretty new to nude self-portrait photography and wanted to see what I could do with it. One night I locked myself in a rarely used bathroom in my dorm, set up my camera and tripod, and just started experimenting.
I photographed myself in different clothes, poses, light, and reflections, trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. I was still testing the boundaries of what I thought art could be, but mostly I was just curious. I had a camera, privacy, and plenty of time to try things.
Naked Photographer ended up being one of my favorite images from that night because the camera became part of the portrait. I wasn’t only the person being photographed anymore. I was starting to understand how much I enjoyed being both the photographer and the subject.
Looking back, there is something wonderfully awkward about it. I was still figuring out my photography, my body, and what I wanted this kind of artwork to become.
The camera became more than a tool. It became a way to look at myself with curiosity instead of fear.
Nude Soul