Work with what you’ve got

Part 1: Collaborators

More often than I’d like, people I approach about making art with me are shocked by the notion, based on the belief that they’re not ‘a model’ or the ‘sort of person’ I’m looking for.

My work is as much about the people I photograph as it is about how I view them — it’s why people have sometimes been confused in my gallery exhibitions, thinking it’s work by a group of artists… and in a way, it is — the images that result from my photoshoots are as much a result of me, as the people in front of the camera.

I face two primary limitations on my photography: self-selection bias and resources. The first constraint, which I’ll address in this post, is straightforward: I can only photograph people who are in front of my camera. (Sorry, I’ve never been that flexible.)

Most of my artistic collaborators approach me, not the other way around; my selection criteria is simple:

• if you strike me as sane and serious, I’ll make art with you

The sorts of people I’ve photographed:

• men and women (both gender conforming and not)
• 18 year olds to 68 year olds (I can go older, but not younger)
• Hairy, shaved, long-haired, short-haired, teal-blue haired, bald
• Tattooed, pierced, scarred, stretch marked and with skin as smooth as wind-swept dune
• African, African-American, Asian, Caucasian, Latin(x) and Native American
• Weighing less than 100lbs; weighing more than 350lbs
• Under 5-feet tall; over 6-feet tall
• Kinky and vanilla
• Experienced models and amateurs who’ve never posed nude in their lives

If you fit any of those criteria (or if you don’t) and are interested in making art with me, I will be happy to collaborate with you.