IMSirReal
Photographer
Acclaimed American fashion, fetish and fine art nude photographer, IMSirReal , lives and works near Zürich, Switzerland. Predominantly, his images are an expression of his appreciation for women and the strength of the feminine spirit, often posing his models in strong, iconic poses influenced by the art deco and art nouveau periods. IMSirReal’s series of dance nudes with Cirque du Soleil performer and ballet dancer, Giulia Piolanti have won several awards, including first place in fine art nudes in the International Photography Awards 2004, and a first place in the Prix de la Photographie Paris 2006. “My dance nudes are about clarity of focus and determination to be your best. I am interested in what we are all capable of achieving when we put our minds to a specific goal. Giulia is a woman who embodies excellence, not only as a dancer and performer but as a person. Hopefully, this comes out in my images and can be a source of inspiration for others.”
7 Questions an interview
with
IMSirReal
When did you become interested in photography?
I had an off and on interest in photography since my mother bought me a Polaroid when I was 12 years old. I dabbled with film photography while I was studying fine arts at university and when I worked as a graphic designer in Chicago, but I never had a serious interest in making my own images until I bought my first digital SLR in 2003.
Do you have your own studio or are you working on location?
I live in a two-level loft with an open gallery space which I use as my studio, my office/studio is on the first floor and living space is above. When I travel for work or pleasure, I also try to arrange shoots with local models and these shoots mostly take place in hotel rooms. I don’t get many chances to work outdoors, but would like to do more location shooting.
Do you have assistance or are you working alone?
I have an assistant who works part-time. His main job is to help with post-production of my images, he does most of my retouching, he assists with my commercial projects and he edits my videos. However, when it comes to shooting my artistic work, I prefer to work alone with the model. I simply find that I get much better results when there are no other distractions.
Was It easy to find models when you started photographing nude?
Actually, I think I had an easier time finding models when I started out than I do now, I suppose I was a bit less picky about who I was working with then. I seem to be getting more and more particular.
What do you prefer: digital or analog?
I never really enjoyed working with film. I tried to enjoy it, but when digital came along, I immediately liked it. I do not have the patience for film photography, I prefer the immediate gratification of digital. It gives me more chances to play with lighting and find what I like best. I am a very intuitive photographer, in other words, I know the technical things, but I prefer to base my decisions on what looks right and digital gives me that possibility.
Do you have other artist(s) who you admire and inspire you?
I enjoy the work of many other photographers but, most of my artistic influences are dead artist’s like Man Ray, the Bauhaus artists, Dali, and work from the art deco period. The art deco stuff gives me a lot of ideas for the dance photography I do.
What do you think is your best photograph?
I would hope that my best work has yet to be created. My favorite image (not necessarily my best) is a series of three images that I took in Tuscany, with my favorite dancer and muse, Giulia Piolanti. I won first place in fine art nudes in the IPA 2004, so they are special to me.
The Works
