I struggle to believe social-media is a good place for publishing photography and art, in my particular case portraits and nude-art. To me it feels like selling the soul of the work for which my models and I have spent lots of heart-blood, explored deep emotions, sometimes shared tears and always jumped over big shadows. It's a wonderful journey, but all that context gets lost. The contradiction between the intimacy and vulnerability of those lovely souls, who quickly became dearest friends, and the anonymity of the sometimes toxic audience is one thing; the way how thought-, emotionless and without empathy media gets consumed, commented, rated, then forgotten and thrown away, all within seconds, another one. I do love to shoot private clients, with them i can find the truest motivations and most fulfilling reasons to create portraits and nude-art. I found purpose in empowering by providing a honest perspective on beauty, helping to embrace and feeling more comfortable with who you are and how you look. I want to ease the pressure and insecurities that mainstream- and social-media creates with made-up and artificially enhanced "beauty-standards". Witnessing the moment when there is true acceptance and certainty of your own presence is worth the little time my eyes allow me to work. It is the biggest reward you can give me. I have always left the decision of what i can publish to those who give me that enormous trust it needs to let fall all curtains. While i have been allowed to use all i want, for which I'm indescribably grateful, i struggle to open my vault and "throw away" those precious gifts. I'd love to find new clients, to be a part of their self-exploration, self-growth, healing-process, to give a kick to better balance and self-acceptance, greater perception of who they are and to experience moments of happiness and fulfillment by solely being themselves. But it doesn't feel right to present the women I've worked with publicly and exploit what we've created without context, strip down it's purpose to gain exposure, advertise myself and join this game of gathering followers and likes. I can't find peace with that. Love, Maik (at Dresden, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ610UoJFdG/?igshid=46r77ak32t88
