Do you sell prints?

No, I don't.

No, I have never pursued publishing a book.
My primary interest is showing my work on the Internet.

I think that online publishing represents the future of
fine art reproduction. We will soon see the transition
to digital reproduction as we have in the music industry.

Fine art photography books are very expensive to produce,
and therefore must target a broad, mainstream audience.
Either the photographer or the subject matter must have
wide appeal in order to hope for enough book sales to
financially justify the cost of publication.

Am I saying that one must sell out in order to have
a successful book? Not at all. There are artists in the
world whose work has a large audience, and their
books are financially successful.

There are other artists whose work is appreciated by
a much smaller audience. They must decide whether
to change their work to appeal to the masses, or stay
true to their vision. This is the position I find myself in.

You don't. The purpose of fine art
is not to become rich and famous.
The purpose of fine art is to make
a positive contribution to mankind.

Fine artists certainly work toward this goal,
but interestingly enough, it is also accomplished
through some of the most commercial methods.

Advertising images are, for most people,
the only artistic imagery they will ever see.
Most of the general population will never
walk into a gallery or a museum, neither
will they seek out fine art websites.

It may seem strange to mention advertising
and fine art in the same discussion, but
we must acknowledge the very small role
of fine art in today's society - versus the
huge influence of visual advertising.

Well done advertising work not only promotes
the intended product or service, but it can also
create a constructive, positive image of the
world we live in.

We are seeing more of this all the time,
particularly along the lines of racial and
lifestyle diversity in current advertising.

Most of the email I receive comes from people who
are familiar with high quality, fine art photography.

However, some of the most meaningful letters
I receive are those which include the statement,
"I have never seen pictures like this before."

It is for those people that websites like mine exist.

These days, of course, finding high quality nude
photography is not as difficult as it once was.
The young shooters today are doing great work.

Do you have workshops or do
any kind of private consultation?

This question has been asked enough times that
I decided I should do something about it. If you are
interested in learning about producing this type
of photography, you will find information on my
consultation page.

How many people come to this website?

This site had 425,451 unique visitors in 2011, from
over 99 different countries. That works out to 1,165
individual viewers per day.

Over half of them realize after one or two images that this
is not what they were looking for. They quickly move on.
Several hundred of them look at six or eight images,
but about 50 of them look at every single photograph.

Think about how those numbers compare to a regular
art gallery, or to book publication. If you want your work
to be seen, creating a website is the answer.

Beyond the numbers, art galleries and coffee table books
are only available in wealthy societies. I am far more interested
in my work being seen in the remote regions of the world where
fine art nude photography is rare and often misunderstood.

Why is there such a range of styles
among the images in the galleries?

That is because these photographs were
produced over a period of several years.
I started shooting nudes in 1980, and some
of the work you see here goes back to 1986.

Galleries One and Two have the earlier work -
Galleries Three and Four have more recent
images.

There are fourteen different models on this
website, but you might notice that the same
model is in every shot in Gallery Four, as well
as this FAQ page, and many other photographs
around the site.

During the last few years, I decided that working
with different models made it too easy for me to
convince myself that my work was changing
and growing, when in fact, I was simply doing
the same types of shots over and over with
different models.

Working with one model forces me to keep
moving in new directions. In addition to that,
having this one particular model - this incredibly
beautiful girl - to work with, is a greater gift
than most photographers ever hope to receive.

Your newer work seems more sexual in nature.
Why is that? Do you still consider it fine art?

Is the newer work more sexual in nature,
or is it more emotional in nature?

Aren't some people disappointed with the style
of some of your newer images?

Yes, they are.

Shouldn't you stick to the traditional, formal
fine art nude approach if you want your work
to be taken seriously?

If I were trying impress a college photography
professor, then yes, I would have to carefully
follow the rules. I get lots of email from college
students, and, of course, they often have to
adjust their images to mirror the beliefs of
their instructor.

And in today's university climate, suggesting
that any female possesses any form of sexuality
seems to be grounds for dismissal, if not
legal prosecution.

In the real world, however, sexuality is still
a healthy, natural part of life.

Even if a photograph is more sexual in nature,
does that make it less of a fine art image?
The shades of gray in this question will
no doubt be debated for years to come.

The traditional fine art nude photograph
seems to be very uncomfortable with the
nudity it reveals. The face is hidden, the
body is turned away from the camera.

Often, it appears that the model is saying,
"I'm so sorry I'm naked. I'm doing everything
I can to hide the parts that aren't supposed
to show."

That may have been necessary in 1950,
but in 2012, such an approach seems to
simply reinforce the sermon that the human
body is something to be ashamed of.

If the purpose of fine art is to elevate our
awareness, then there should no longer
be any need for the model to hide herself,
or her emotions.

If I want to have pictures like this taken of myself,
are you available to shoot them?

No, thanks. I don't do private commissions.

Where else on the web can I find
high quality nude photography?

The best place I know of is the
Fine Art Nude Network. This is
a listing of very high quality nude
photography sites on the Web.
You will find a variety of styles,
but all of it will be quality work.

What should I do if I am interested in
modeling for photography like this?

You should look for photographers who do
work like this. By that I mean, you will need
to make it known that you want to be a model.
A photographer will not simply "discover" you
walking down the street someday. (Yes, we
know it has happened, but that's like waiting
to win the lottery.) I would never approach
a woman in public about modeling at all,
certainly not nude modeling - and I would
suggest that you be extremely cautious of
anyone approaching you claiming to be
a photographer.

You can obviously go to modeling agencies
and they will send you to see photographers,
but these days, most people simply put up a page
on one of the many online modeling websites.
Lots of photographers look for new models there.
Either way, you will have to make the first move
and let photographers know you are available
and interested in modeling.

What kind of camera do you use?

Your equipment has nothing to do with the
effectiveness of your work. Will a certain
brand of typewriter make you a better
author? Will a more expensive piano
make you a better composer?

The name on the camera you use makes
no difference at all. In addition, there are
no "special lenses" or "special filters."
The equipment you shoot with has very little
to do with the images you produce.

I have shot with many different cameras
and on the earlier shots, used many different
types of film. Some was 35mm, and some
medium format. Now, of course, everything
is digital.

The advances in quality and the features
of today's digital cameras are amazing.
For photography such as you see on this
website, you do not need to spend more
than $1000 on a camera. The features
found on the $5000 and $8000 models
are meaningless for this type of work.

How can I produce photographs
like yours without making any effort
or spending any money?

OK, I don't get this exact question,
but I get lots of questions that are
essentially asking this.

Photography is very misunderstood
because the actual exposure takes only
a fraction of a second, and anybody can
shoot a picture. Therefore, it is assumed
that photography is quick and easy.

You can watch this belief manifest
in countless picture taking situations.
The camera is raised to the eye - then
instantly fired - then lowered just as fast -
as if one dare not get caught spending
more than two or three seconds in the
act of taking a picture.

Then there are those of us who spend
weeks planning a shot, and several days
putting it together, and hours of finishing
the details - leading up to the final - click.

If you want to produce high quality
photography, the quickest and easiest
path is to simply devote your life to it.
I know of no other way to get faster results.