"Nudity is a subject, not a pretext to something else". Part 1.

If I hadn’t been able to accept the women who posed for me, smoothed them out and made them look thinner, how could I expect that they would accept themselves? I decided, that I would take a photo of a person as she is.

Interview: Monika Sobien

Are you shy?
Yes, I am.

Do you take nude photos, because you are shy? (laughter)
I do not feel embarrassed about nudity, it is natural to me. However, one of the women who was posing for me, asked me once, whether I feel ill at ease because she is standing undressed in front of me. No, I do not have problem with that. I concentrate on my work during a session.

Why do you portray nudes?
I can’t take photos of dressed people. (laughter)
I am not knowledgeable about fashion, everything matters, though: clothes, haircut, accessories. A woman in my lens is, in a sense, stripped of the layers she uses to hide away from the world. I care about showing nature and authenticity.

It often doesn’t fit the trend of the glossy magazines.

I, as a beginning photographer, was trying to meet the expectations of women as for their
looks and used different beautifying tricks. 

At a certain moment I realized that it does not make sense. We can’t choose our height, complexion, eyes, face shape. There are only a few things we can change in our body. 

However the world sends us a message that everything is in our hands and we can look as we want to. We can’t, though. That’s how we stop tolerating ourselves. Finally I, as a photographer, realized a crucial thing. If I can’t accept these girls, because I unnaturally smooth them out and make them look thinner, how can I expect that they will accept themselves? 

I decided, that I would take a photo of a person as she is. I want to show that a body, which does not fit the canon of the glossy magazines, is normal and beautiful.

to be continued...