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March - April 2009 -
SKIN
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Jeff Stein
 Jeff Stein, Killer Torso, Triptych. Courtesy of the artist.
Each model that I collaborate with reacts to the camera in a different way, and I let that dictate the direction of our shoot. I use little artifice—no expensive lighting, professional backdrops, outfits, themes, and not even much makeup—putting the strength of the image on my ability to create a comfortable environment in which she can express her individuality.
Some images jump out as stand-alones. Some work best in the context of one or two others. The bulk of what I shoot is only interesting as a record of the process we went through together to make the few excellent ones. Each session is a learning experience. Is her guard up or down? Did I connect with her as a human being or just as an object? How does that communicate to you, the viewer? Do you connect with her in a way I didn’t? Is this her truly naked self or a persona? Is there a difference, and would I know it if I saw it?
As an artist, my primary media are charcoal and acrylic paint, but I’ve used film SLRs since I was in high school in the early 1990s. I bought a digital camera in 2006. It has slowly become my main way of making art. It’s opened up technical secrets and asesthetic possibilities that would have taken far more money and time to learn using film.
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