Looking & Seeing
As a photographer working with the male form, especially in nude portraiture, I’ve learned that the strongest images rarely come from technical perfection. They come from connection. They come from the invisible exchange between photographer and subject. The camera just records what already exists in the space between two people.
Photographing straight guys can be tricky, but never with Nakoby. There was an unspoken negotiation of trust from the beginning. For him, there’s vulnerability in being seen so completely. For me, there’s vulnerability in directing, observing, and translating emotion into imagery without crossing the delicate boundary between admiration and projection.
Some of my favorite photographs happened in-between poses: a deep breath, a laugh after losing balance, the way he turned toward the sun instinctively when the temperature dropped. Those unscripted moments carried more intimacy than anything carefully directed.
