Portraits of Eve: Women of Color and their Body/Soul Conversations
Renowned photographer,
Below is Mocha Mind’s interview with the fabulous Herb Way on this intriguing project.
MM: After working in photography for many years, what inspired you to create Portraits of Eve?
MM: How do you select the women to be included in your project?
Herb: Recruiting the right women is difficult. I’m seeking creative collaborations with intelligent, mature women of substance who are serious about self expression and have something meaningful to say. My primary objective is to include the greatest possible diversity of ages, ethnicities/nationalities, body types, and life experiences among women of color. I’ve connected with some of the participants through websites for models and photographers. Other participants include friends, former co-workers, former girlfriends, and at least one woman whose wedding I photographed. Some participants have enrolled others. One woman that I photographed recruited her sister. Another brought in her daughter and another, that I’m about to photograph, is recruiting her mother.
MM: Describe your experiences working with these women. How did those relationships affect the finished product?
Herb: I have been fascinated, inspired, and humbled by the women I’ve photographed. I’m meeting women who have distinct points of view about the human body in general and their own bodies in particular. The vast majority of them have never posed nude before. I’m most impressed by their courage and by the trust that they place in me. I work to create an environment that’s comfortable and safe so that the women feel free to be themselves. Often, they’re nervous at the start of the photo session and there’s a certain withholding, an obvious tension that dissipates over the course of the experience. Each session is defined by the special communication that takes place between each participant and myself and it’s most interesting, the way that the experiences evolve as the communication deepens and the women relax and become more trusting. While attempting to position their bodies in a flattering manner, I try, at the same time, to minimize the direction that I give on physical movement, preferring to incorporate the positions that the participants naturally assume. I also encourage them to communicate with the camera as if they’re having a conversation with a person. Each participant is required to provide a personal statement, her body/soul conversation, to accompany her photograph, so, I ask them to pretend that they’re speaking that statement to the camera.
The personal statement further humanizes the photograph and further distinguishes my book from most collections of photographs of nude women.
MM: Tell me about something in your book, a favorite portrait, something you’re really proud of.
Herb: It’s very hard to zero in on one “favorite.” I guess I’d have to say that I’ve been most impressed by the women over 40 who, through participation in the project, have moved beyond their self-imposed limitations and concerns about what others might think. I’m really proud of the way that I’ve been able to establish rapport with all of the women with whom I’ve worked and gratified by the positive feedback that I’ve received from them after their sessions.
MM: Are you planning a book tour and if so, where will you be going?
Herb: That question is difficult to answer, right now. The book is still, very much, a work in progress and things haven’t yet been firmed up with a publisher. I do visualize a nationwide book tour and look forward to meeting and talking with readers and getting their feedback on the book. All of the participants are joining me in visualizing our appearance on Oprah.
MM: What new opportunities do you think the Portraits of Eve project will afford you?
Herb: Well, I hope that it will lead to opportunities for me to work with other women on future projects. I hope to gain the kind of recognition that will lead to opportunities to exhibit my work in galleries. I also think the project, by calling attention to my portrait photography ability and style, may help to expand my client base for professional assignments.
MM: Will you be writing another volume?
MM: What have you learned about women in the process of creating Portraits of Eve?
Herb: I’ve gained some valuable insights into the complex nature of women — the souls within the bodies. Each woman that I work with helps to expand my artistic vision in some way. Every body has a story and the body acceptance issues show up in women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. I continue to be fascinated, inspired, and humbled by the women that I photograph. I’m very moved by the way that some of them have overcome hardship and trauma to emerge whole and beautiful.
MM: What do you want people to come away with after reading Portraits of Eve?
Herb: I hope readers will see the beauty in the women in the book, acknowledge them for their courage, and, perhaps, draw some inspiration from them. I’d really like to have people come away with a much healthier attitude toward nudity than that which prevails in our society. I hope the book will help some readers to move beyond their hang-ups to accept the human body as the work of art that it is. I also hope readers will gain insight into their own body/soul conversations and the ways in which those conversations are determined by ethnicity, culture, values, and life experiences.
About
Originally trained as a military photojournalist,