Well, I no longer feel the need to justify what I create. The portraiture I make is sensual, beautiful, powerful, stylish, and yes — often sexually evocative. And that’s not something I struggle with or need to explain. It just is. Not because of some calculated effort to “shoot hot girls” or pander to an aesthetic, but because this is what moves me. This is what speaks to me. It’s simply who I am as an artist.
For a long time, I wrestled with this. Not because I doubted my work itself, but because I was hyperaware of how it could be perceived. There’s an exhausting predictability to the way people react to work like mine (I guess?). Some dismiss it as indulgence. Others misinterpret intent. And then there’s the ever-present moral judgment from people who think anything openly sensual must have some ulterior motive. I spent years trying to navigate that minefield, but at some point, you realize the only thing you can do is stand firm in your truth.
To be fair, I know my work is good. I know it resonates. And yet, imposter syndrome lingers, always looking for cracks to slip through. The quiet, nagging question: Is this enough? Am I enough? It’s a ridiculous cycle, really. You can have years of experience, a portfolio that speaks for itself, the respect of your peers, and still, that little voice finds a way to whisper doubt into the back of your mind.
But art does not need justification. It doesn’t need approval or permission. It just needs to exist. That’s a truth I hold onto — not as some self-indulgent proclamation, but as a grounding realization, as it were.
People call what I do “a celebration of feminine beauty” or “a tribute to feminine energy.” And while I understand that, I’ve always felt those words don’t quite capture it. There’s more to it than that. The way I see it, beauty — especially in a portrait — is not something passive. It’s not just about aesthetics. It’s about presence. Power. Emotion. The energy a person carries within them and how that translates into an image. That’s what fascinates me, what drives me. And yet, I have in the past, hesitated to fully embrace that language in public because I already know the scrutiny it invites.
After 16 years of photography, I’ve heard it all. I’ve been asked to “explain myself” more times than I can count. I’ve been expected to qualify my intent, to offer up a disclaimer before sharing my own work. But I’ve come to realize that doing so only feeds into the very thing I want to break away from. My work is what it is because it is sincere. It’s honest. And that’s all that matters.
I am not changing. I am not stopping. I won’t soften the edges or dilute the message to make it more palatable for anyone else. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, to create what feels true to me, and to let the work speak for itself. That’s the only way forward. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.