The Human Form:

We each are intimate with our own, yet we also find ourselves drawn to others. Fascinating, in an instant both familiar and mysterious, it is small wonder that artists have sought to capture humanity since the first cave paintings.

For me, the nude is the ultimate photographic challenge. This is the wonder of God's creation - His masterpiece - and must be approached with great sensitivity. The beauty and complexity of the human form is fascinating, and the task of capturing it in respectful images is one that I greatly enjoy.

Some of my more recent creations can be seen in this slideshow.

My photographs can be placed in two general categories: those images which I make in the studio are studies in lighting, contrast and geometry; whereas the images made in the natural environment are an attempt to fuse landscape photography with figure art.

I have the good fortune to live in the scenic rolling hills and mountains of western Maryland. Here, the natural environment offers puffy clouds, rocky cliffs, and waterfalls cascading through verdant forests. Occasional trips to the American West and other compelling locales offer more opportunities for my models and me to create the photos which haunt my dreams.

When the winter winds blow, it's into the studio to enjoy the control and flexibility which that environment affords. Indoors, the models and I work on concepts which explore geometry and the drama of strong negative spaces.

All of my photographs, whether captured on film or digitally, go through a digital post-processing stage. Negatives are scanned immediately after development, and from then on are treated as digital images. My prints are made with a pigment-on-paper printer on archival art papers.

Email me for more information.

Billy Monday, Frederick, MD USA