Nudes happened to me by chance and not by choice. I am just this photographer, who fell in love with travel photography, and then wanted to try some portraits, and before I could realise, I was doing nudes with people who were equally clueless about nudes as an art form, or the history of it, or even the masters of this genre. We were (are) happy creating pictures that make us jump in joy and fall in love with ourselves and our craft.
Of-course, over a period of time, you do get exposed more to the other work that has been created by others, and the history and all that. But again, I am making a conscious effort to not let it influence me or my style of work. I am here to create not to consume. I always feel, the best way to learn is to look within and not to what has been done, or is being done. The effort has been so strong to stay fiercely independent of references and other styles, that it now comes to me naturally and subconsciously without even having to try. So much, that even if we agree upon a reference, I always end up shooting something
completely different, completely in the moment.
I strongly feel a creators are those who create, rest are performers. But more important to me than all this, is to keep the boy within me alive, who will jump with joy at his own magic. So while many try to find reason to create, or meaning to what they are doing, I just stick to finding more people or same people to create. No ideas, no intent, just the joy of making pictures, and of-course sharing them to this lovely world we live in. Exciting times :)