Plays of light and shadow in the works of the master of female erotic portraiture Nicholas Freeman
Los Angeles-based photographer Nicholas Freeman is a man with his own take on artistic photography. He always puts the creative component first, and the technical part is secondary for him. Freeman believes that a true artist can create a masterpiece with any equipment and in any conditions. His photographs confirm this - they do not show high detail and play of colors. They fascinate with their naked female bodies and the combination of light and shadow. (Warning! Nudity).
Nicholas Freeman became interested in photography in early childhood. His grandfather, an aerospace engineer, played a big role in this. It was he who gave his 10-year-old grandson an 8mm movie camera, and later the first camera. Freeman's mother also influenced the development of his creative personality. She made custom wedding dresses, and her workshop was stocked with fashion magazines with great photography.
In high school, Nicholas received his first digital camera as a gift. It was a primitive 6 megapixel camera from Fujifilm. But the guy mastered it thoroughly and realized that its minimal characteristics were enough to create.
After high school, Freeman attended Santa Monica College, where he studied technical photography. During his studies, he was lucky - he got an internship with the famous fashion photographer Dominique Guillemot. Nicholas liked working with the master so much that he stayed in his studio for 6 years.
Having gained excellent experience, the photographer began to develop independently and was soon noticed. Freeman has worked with many well-known brands, including PVH, the parent company of such famous brands as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2020, due to the pandemic, the master switched to freelancing, and he had time for non-profit creativity.
Nicholas Freeman's portraits are characterized by a complex interplay of darkness and bright light, visible and invisible. The photographer takes all pictures with the simplest camera with an ordinary inexpensive lens. In interviews, the master often says that expensive equipment cannot replace a sense of composition and creativity.
Fashion photography classic Bruce Weber also preferred black and white photos and was attentive to shadows.