“I like me better naked. I don't mean that in a vain way... When you put clothes on, you immediately put a character on. Clothes are adjectives, they are indicators. When you don't have any clothes on, it's just you, raw, and you can't hide.”

- Padma Lakshmi

Yesterday’s photograph has me banned from Facebook for a couple of days.  I will have to turn off the auto posting feature in the emails. 

It makes me laugh as violence, hatred and aggression are allowed.  Swearing and discussions of explicit nature are too.  Yet a breast or a bum.  

WTF? 

Did you know many paintings, famous ones from the canon of art history have also been banned from Facebook.  Mind you I don’t necessarily agree with the canon, but that doesn’t make it ethically right.

Personally, I find cultures that oppress things struggle the most with them.  Sexuality is the least of our worries and it should be celebrated not hidden.   Encouraged and not oppressed.  Sexuality is something we are born with.  Anyone with children can identify with this. They express it at such a young age despite thier parents intentions.  

Just today we were talking about the parents trying to raise thier daughter in a gender neutral environment and the daughter is self selecting pink princess dresses to wear to the parents dismay.  Why can’t the young boy have as an equally valid choice to wear a pink dress. Or the young girl exploring being a Tom boy?

This is why you don’t see me on Facebook very much anymore.  It’s been great removing it from all that wasted time.  I do miss keeping up with my pool of friends.  I probably am missing out on marketing and networking opportunities, but my sanity and happiness is much more important.

 Announcing a nude model shoot

I have booked a beautiful English model, Nicole, whom has been recommended by Ella Rose to me.    I have decided to share my time with her for an afternoon on Easter Monday at my studio in Willoughby.  Only four spots, last one I put out there to you was sold out in a day or two.  So if you’re interested please book quickly.

I want to work on more of these sculptures, where we carve the figure out of the blackness with some very delicate and careful lighting.  I have put some on my scarves and they look stunning.  Plenty of examples on the workshop page in the link below.  It’s at that page you would book if you want to come.

 https://www.lensschool.com/workshops-tours/nicole-rayner-fine-art-nude-photography-shoot-sydney

Nude in Len’s Studio, from the Naked Lens workshop last year.  Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2019