My artwork is currently focused on visual storytelling, geometry, playing with notions of "the nude," and semiotics. Being both visual and verbal, a lot of my work either starts or ends up connected with a linguistic or poetic idea. Not all of my art photography involving people is based in working with the nude, but a lot is.
I'm here to work with models who can creatively explore artistic ideas with me, as well as other creatives who can contribute to the process of image-making. That includes hair and make-up artists, stylists, prop people, even people who know how to find great locations.
For my nudes, I'm looking to work with bold explorers who are comfortable with their bodies. These are personalities who expand, rather than shrink, when they come out of their clothes. While I do believe that some great work comes as a result of stretching past our comfort zones (e.g. Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball"), I fully respect boundaries.
In all of my work, I believe it's not about "posing," but about performance and interacting with the viewer. My aim is to work with subjects who come alive for the camera — who have presence. You can be yourself, or you can be a completely fabricated character; It doesn't matter as long as that persona comes across in the final image. It's not a requirement, but it would be great if you have acting, dance, yoga, or art modeling in your background. I'd really love to work with a Butoh dancer.
To work well together, we need to know each other on a professional level and understand something about each other's interests and style of working. No matter how good our first shoot is, I find that second and subsequent shoots are freer and more expressive.
On very rare occasions, we see a work of art that's about something more than the thing being depicted — it literally changes the way we look at the world from that point on. I want to make a few pieces like that in my lifetime.
Contacting me
Feel free to message or tag me on this profile. Even if the last activity date looks old, I log in to my other profile (see below) frequently.
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The problem with a portfolio is that a good one is focused; and that, by definition, limits what you see. This portfolio focuses solely on my artistic work.
My other MM portfolio (#421156) is aimed at portraits, beauty, fashion and editorial.
... and a wider range of my work can be seen at
LouBenjamin.com.
Thanks for visiting!
Interview
with MM's own Unbearable Lightness on Univers d'Artistes regarding art-making and black and white vs. color in fine art.
Read >>
Published Books
The Naked and the Lens: A guide to fine art nude photography from concept to post-production. Published by Focal Press,
available at Amazon and in book stores in the US and overseas.
For info, interviews and reference materials, see the companion site:
TheNakedAndTheLens.com
Photoshop CS4 in Simple Steps: A straightforward introduction to Photoshop that covers basic- and intermediate- level tasks in simple, stepwise terms. Published by Prentice Hall in the UK. Purchasers in the US can
find resellers via Amazon.
Published Photography
- International Center of Photography
- Skope Magazine
- Brother Hijinx
- Jake Stigers
- First Act Guitars
Exhibitions
2009
- "Top of the Heap"; Pinnacle Design Center Gallery, San Gabriel, CA
2008
- "Identity Formed & Transformed" (juried exhibition); St. Joseph's University Gallery, Brooklyn
2007
- "BrooklyNature" (juried exhibition); St. Joseph's University Gallery, Brooklyn
2005
- "Urban Poetry"; Concepto Gallery, Brooklyn
- SVA Summer Residency Open Studios; SVA Gallery, Manhattan
- "Show Us the Light" - Finalist (juried exhibition); Positive Focus, GalleryThe, Brooklyn
2004
- SONYA Group show; Robert Lehman Gallery at Urban Glass, Brooklyn
- "Urban Glimmer" (solo show); 200 5th Ave Gallery, Brooklyn
