Liv Tellier

Model: Liv Tellier | Canon 5D mk II / EF 135mm F/2.0L USM | 1/160 - f/8.0 - iso 100

Sometimes, there's not much to it. Okay, that's a rather worn-out pun. But a nude model with nothing more than a piece of fabric offers plenty of possibilities.

“Do you have a little time tonight to do something together in the studio?” That was the question, and just like that, it was arranged. Sometimes you have a simple idea in your head and just want to bring it to life straight away. No need to spend weeks thinking about it. After all, all we needed was a blue piece of fabric, a model and a flash.

To me, the female nude in photography radiates a certain serenity. Often, it's a feeling of tranquillity and beauty. It's difficult to put into words, which is why I'm a photographer in the first place. The fabric ensures that the viewer's attention stays where I believe it belongs. Not, to put it bluntly, on a bare breast or a bare bottom, but on the model's face, which conveys the emotion I have in mind as a photographer at that particular moment.

The light in this photograph comes from a large softbox on the left. It creates soft lighting on one side, while the other side of the model remains beautifully dark. Afterwards, this lighting can be emphasised even further by using dodging and burning techniques in post-processing.