Backer-requested photos! (Subscribe to view)

A backer requested I post some photos of my lovely friend Lexi! And this is a good occasion to share with you something that's important to my process.

As part of my model-release procedure, everyone who shoots with me is asked to put in writing which parts of their body I can and can't show in the released images, and which images require their review. That way, the girls don't have to feel inhibited at the time of the shoot, and they can have peace of mind, knowing only the images they've permitted to be released will be. Lex is one who loved the process and gleaned immense personal good from it, and who also came to the conclusion that images revealing certain parts of her body would need to stay censored for now, and I am committed to respecting that. (Some of my models, notably, have made this request for the online images but are fine with uncensored physical prints existing, so they'll be in my upcoming books.)

As you view these images, know how much the process meant to Lex, who is a dear friend and also a photographer herself. I have so much respect for people who get on both sides of the lens. She wrote the following:

Brian made a comment during our first conversation (that went on for an hour effortlessly) that really resonated with me: “Minimal clothing ends up being [more sexual] than a fully nude body.” Given my personal stereotypes about photographers who photographed women nude, paired with deeply seated past self-insecurities, I was shaken by his comment. Together, this comment, along with a certain sincerity Brian exuded, was enough to free me of my expressive chains. Too often boudoir/nude posts of women leave a misogynistic aftertaste and don’t focus on the natural beauty or personal story of the woman. It was very obvious to me that Brian respected his clients and found great joy in helping them express themselves. As we spoke of Brian’s past projects I began to think about my personal journey with my self-love and decided I wanted to create my own concept. I wanted to convey a societal pressure on women to conform through the use and perpetuation of negative stereotypes. As I look at the finished product, I can identify a sense of freedom in my expression. I am makeup-less, completely vulnerable in my nakedness, yet somehow I am the strongest I’ve felt in a long time.