dSLR Days

A lot of people talk trash about self-portraiture. They say that it's vain, egotistical, narcissistic. But as a self-portrait artist, I think it's more self-reflection than self-absorption. If portrait photography is a record of a relationship between two people, then self-portraiture reveals depths about the photographer him/herself. And I think that's interesting.

I'll be honest, though. The primary reason I take self-portraits is because I'm a social recluse. Although, ironically, if I were more outgoing, my photography might be far less intriguing - as I'd largely be taking pictures of things you've seen before. What I like to capture most in art is beauty, and my personal idea of beauty is, essentially, naked women.

Yawn, right? Well, I'm not going to say that naked women are boring - no matter how many of them I've seen, they still continue to fascinate me. But I've really had to stretch my creativity and imagination, trying to create "female nudes" when all I've got to work with is a male body. I'd like to think the result is something fairly unique.

But perhaps more importantly, putting myself into the position of "female model" has given me an opportunity to explore my own feminine side. And I've discovered that femininity fits me strangely well. I don't know if I would call myself transgender, as I've felt more like I WANT to be a girl, and not that I AM one, but a close (and very supportive) friend assures me that my femininity comes so naturally, that I've begun to believe that it was meant to be.

All of which is to say, that I have continued documenting myself via self-portraiture, as I continue to explore nudism, exhibitionism, and feminization, all the while improving my craft and becoming a more experienced and more accomplished photographer (AND model!). And at the same time, I have continued to use my photography as a sounding board from which to explore all the topics relevant to nudity and sexuality and art, that come up naturally during the course of my life and my creative endeavors.

It's been a wild ride, and I believe that the best is still yet to come!