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In order to accomplish this shot, we spent the first hour or two creating an ultra-lightweight body mold of the model, which was then dressed in her clothes, making it possible for her to “offer herself” as a sacrifice. In particular, I really wanted to highlight the sense of feminine vulnerability in relationships.

It’s the do-it-yourself props that I’m most fond of using. I love handing something to my model, knowing that she’s never been in a photo which one of these before.

I haven’t yet figured out the fascination people have with themes like death and blood, but for whatever reason, these tend to be the ideas that my models love… and many of my viewers too. I don’t mind doing them, but it’s not really the personality or the mark that I want to leave on my body of work. What to do?

You start with an idea, like “how would I cover a nude body, using only glitter?” Then you start cutting shapes out of posterboard, for a more hygienic way of using glitter to cover tender areas. Then, you realize you have a wig in the same color as the glitter. Before you know what happened, you find out you’re working with the makings of a really good photo…

Sometimes it’s the light. Sometimes it’s the pose. Sometimes it’s the post-processing. Here, I think it’s just a solid combination of everything.

There’s not really one detail about this shot that strikes me. This is just one of those shots where all the details are well-managed and the result is pleasant to look at.

Experimentation is important because it introduces you to new tools and techniques. Sometimes, it’s something as simple as snapping a photo when you’re standing on the wrong side of the light, which leads you to realize (or at least remember) that there are more qualities to light than just the ones you’re seeing.

One thing I like to do as a photographer is to bring out some of the unique personality of the model I am working with. I this case, that manifested itself in the fact that she’s a lesbian. So I thought, “hey, let’s show the guys what they’re missing”, and this was the result.

This sugarcube metropolis extends my previous comments about making the photo about something more than just a lucky snap of a model’s incredible flexibility.

Here, as in the other photo, the viewer’s subconscious is aware of the necessary duration of the pose. Even if you’re not consciously thinking about that, your subconscious recognizes that she’s already been here a while, as the sugar cubes were stacked, and the details of the lighting and composition were worked out.

In my opinion, it is going those extra steps beyond the first lucky snap that are what makes an exceptional photo.

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