MARC PHILIPPE LEGEIN
ARTISTIC NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY
An Introduction to My Approach
The purpose of this document is to clearly explain the spirit in which I approach nude photography, even before the session takes place, so that everyone involved begins the work with the same understanding of the project.
An Approach: “Classy Nude”
My work lies at the intersection of artistic nude photography, life-model studies, and portraiture of the body. I embrace an approach that I describe as “classy nude”: a pursuit of naturalness, a strong preference for natural light, limited image manipulation, and a parallel practice of drawing and painting from the live model.
The body is not treated as an erotic object to be staged, but as a human and visual subject, photographed for what it is rather than for what it may suggest.
The Body as a Visual Subject
The poses may be directed, but they often evoke the atmosphere of a life-drawing session: the lines of the body, the balance of forms, the gestures of the arms, twists and turns, seated or reclining positions, and the relationship between the body and the surrounding space. Some images therefore come closer to the academic tradition of the nude than to glamour photography.
A Portrait in Nudity
Portraiture also plays an important role in my work. The face, the gaze, the personality, or simply the presence of the model does not disappear behind the nude body. Many of my photographs can therefore be regarded more as a “portrait in nudity” than simply as a “nude photograph” — a distinction that I consider essential to understanding my approach.
A Studio-Based and Exploratory Practice
My work is deliberately eclectic from a technical perspective. It combines contemporary images with analogue and experimental approaches: Ektar film, prints on Washi paper, negatives transferred onto Washi, and Polaroids transferred onto wood. This diversity moves my work away from a uniform commercial aesthetic and brings it closer to a genuine studio practice based on artistic exploration and experimentation.
The Main Elements of My Style
— Artistic and academic nude photography — through the relationship with the live model and the study of form.
— Natural nude photography — the body remains relatively unaltered and free from excessive artificial styling.
— Intimate portraiture — when the presence and personality of the individual take precedence over the display of the body.
— Graphic nude photography — when light, shadow, curves, lines and body position become the true subjects of the image.
— A pictorial approach — particularly through posing and my practice of drawing and painting from the live model.
— Fine-art and experimental photography — particularly in my analogue work and my use of Washi and Polaroid processes.
What This Work Is Not
I avoid defining my work using terms such as “boudoir”, “glamour”, or even “sensual nude”. Some photographs may naturally contain an element of sensuality, but sensuality is never the organising principle of my approach.
Likewise, the term “naturist” applies to part of my work: naturism implies nudity experienced as a natural state, which is not necessarily the context of every session.
A Relationship Based on Trust
This approach is founded on respect for the model, whose artistic contribution is essential to the final result. Before every session, I remain fully available to discuss your expectations, your boundaries, and the proposed project, so that our collaboration can take place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, respect and trust.
Marc Philippe Legein — www.mplegein.net
