My creative vision took years to develop. Eventually, I realized that photography can be more than a craft and I attempted to create art with the things I saw and people I photographed. It was during this time, while working with a vocalist/model/ballerina, that I was shown the path my photographic art would take. During one of our photo-sessions the model suggested some posing that included dance gestures. I was immediately smitten with the beauty and grace in the form I saw. It was as if someone had unveiled my eyes to see my life's purpose as an artist. Subsequently, my Dance Project was born and I proceeded to photograph dancers (ballet, modern, jazz, and more) at every opportunity.

During this time I also developed a professional photography business, photographing weddings, portraits, commercial advertising, and sports, as well as photojournalism for the local newspaper. My images were published locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Despite this success, I didn't feel artistically fulfilled. While I was able to insert some of my creative vision into the "service photography" I was producing I longed for a freer and more complete artistic expression truer to my creative leadings.

Photographing the Nude
As confidence in my photography grew, I felt empowered to explore another artistic subject that interested me. My fascination with the human figure had been present since the beginning; resulting in the tempered (clothed) images of athletes and dancers I photographed. However, I had always felt it was possible to depict the nude figure in a non-exploitive, fine art, manner that would reveal my artistic vision in tribute to beauty and grace and the feminine aspect of the divine. The work of photographers such as: Edward Weston, Robert Farber, Joyce Tenneson, Karl Lagerfeld, Patrick Demarchelier, Horst P Horst, Helmut Newton, Jeanloup Sief, and newcomers such as Howard Schatz and Eric Boutilier-Brown convinced me that what I wanted to do was possible. Painters such as: Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Adolphe-William Bouguereau, John William Waterhouse, and Maxfield Parish, inspired me also. On the imagery of these traditional and photographic artists I assembled a foundation from which to form my own artistic vision of the nude figure.

What can I say about my nude imagery? It's been described as "soft," "romantic," "sensual." I think these adjectives adequately express my intention. I am pursuing a sensual, artistic, expression that portrays beauty and grace; that is respectful and non-exploitive. I feel I am fulfilling a sacred obligation to the feminine aspect of the divine by creating –or rather being present to receive– the image as it is revealed to me. I am placing myself in the right moment at the right location with all of my knowledge, talent, and experience to accept these divine gifts of art and share them with those that appreciate them.

I "feel" the image as it manifests itself like a flower opening to the sun's warmth. There are no formulas or pat poses (what I call "cookie-cutter" photography). Each image starts with a vision that is refined and worked on-sight; following the flow of energy from the muse as it winds its way to my senses through my camera lens. This is an aspect of working with a model that is very important to me; the more the model is sensitive to the creative energy present and the muse directing us, the greater success there is resulting from the photo-session.

-Bruce E. Brown