heather & jill!

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a second opportunity to work with Heather and Jill, two fantastic women who's beauty extends far beyond their photographs.

Within this post, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that these images provide an opportunity to address some questions that I sometimes get from the folks who contact me. The bad news is that I can only show you a small sample of Heather and Jill's many gorgeous images in my effort to keep this blog somewhat PG-13-ish. Ya know....because some day Pixar might just call up and want to do a movie based on my crazy blog entries. Uh, yeah.

Once in a while, I get photo inquiries that lead to questions regarding portraits with certain levels of artistic nudity. Every situation is different, and each person has their own measure of comfort in how to approach the communication and the photo session itself. Whether I'm shooting a wedding, family portraits, or any other type of images, I always start by asking what someone has in mind or even how they visualize the final shots looking (moody, colorful, playful, serene, etc.). This creates a good starting point for us to work from. Then I talk a little about my style and how that would mesh with what they're looking for. If I ever feel that our thoughts don't match, I let people know. There's no sense in forcing an interaction that would not be ideal for either party.

I can't say enough about the importance of communication. I have certain situations as a photographer that are a "no-go", and I know my clients do as well when it comes to their sessions. I'm fine with exploring types of emotional intimacy, and I am happy to help someone celebrate the beautiful human form. I'm completely impressed with people who are comfortable in their own skin, whether that skin is showing or not.

I'm extremely fortunate that Heather and Jill had the trust and confidence to have these portraits taken. Then again, if I looked as good as they do, I probably would too!

Heather is a musician, so naturally, we had to include her guitar.

I think Jill should go knock on the door of the agents who book the Victoria's Secret models.

I have to end this post with one last note. Many photographers are currently throwing around the phrase "boudoir portraits". You will probably not hear this phrase from me unless you specifically want images of you dressed up like a French prostitute (which could be totally cool, mind you). However, I'd also suggest that during the session, we drink red wine and speak only in fake French accents. Seriously, the reason for my aversion to the boudoir phrase is that I think it's a trendy term that's a little vague. Since a single word can have a multitude of meanings to different people, I prefer to not attach catch phrases to photo sessions. I'd rather work with my clients to create something specific to them like the "I've chosen to love my butt" session, or the "I shall celebrate my scars" session, or the "why the heck not" session. Vous comprenez?