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Photographer Dave Naz often shoots beautiful women stripped down to basic undergarment and clean faces. He spoke with us about his drive to capture the innocent sexuality of natural women and his three books that compile these images.
Eros Zine: Your book Panties is striking in its candid simplicity: women with no make-up (gasp!) wearing only cotton panties. How did your models react to this undertaking?
Dave Naz: Some loved it and some hated it. I personally don't like models caked in make up; I like the more natural look with maybe just a little make-up to even things out. It's funny, that's the book I always hear of models complaining about (never to me, though). If I had to do it over again, I would have kept the complainers out and the people who appreciated it in.
Models that usually wear a lot of make up in their shoots like Emily Marilyn, Kumi and Persephone (to name a few) really embraced the project. I was honored that they allowed me to shoot them in a way that they had never been shot before. The book is in its third pressing, so I guess I'm not the only one into the natural look.
EZ:Your other book, Lust Circus, portrays a wide variety of women. Where do you find your models and how well do you know them?
DN: Lust Circus is a collection of photos I took over a period of two years. I shot everyone I knew in the fetish community. As the photos started getting around, I had models contacting me as well. Most of the people in the book are friends of mine. I think the photos of Simone are some of the most striking. She has such a unique look it's hard to take your eyes off those images.
EZ:You have a knack for capturing the naughty, playful expressions of seemingly "innocent" women. What's your trick for turning good girls bad?
DN: Ha! Thanks! I like to shoot models when they first get into the industry and aren't really sure how to pose. You can get the most natural look that way. I try to make them feel at ease. I also like to shoot the real innocent looking ones in really dirty, vulnerable positions. It may not be the PC thing to say, but I think it's sexy.
EZ:Do you have a muse (or muses) or do you prefer to constantly photograph new people?
DN: The model I shoot the most is my girlfriend, Barbara. When I submitted the photos for my upcoming book Legs the editor said the best photos in the book were of her. I do constantly shoot new models as well.
EZ:You shoot a lot of well known models like Aria Giovannia and our recent cover girl Tall Goddess. Yet you also work with unknown and occasionally anonymous women. Do these shoots differ and if you how?
DN: When I'm shooting for magazines like Barely Legal or Tight they want girls who are between 18-20 and fresh in the industry. When I shoot for Leg World or Leg Show, they like more established models who are capable of doing the difficult poses needed for the layout. When you've got someone like Aria or Tall Goddess, it's hard to take a bad photo. Those girls can work it!
EZ:What's your preferred setting for a shoot...a studio, a bedroom, outdoors....?
DN: I rarely shoot in studios. I like to shoot outside during the summer months and in different rooms during the winter. Locations are tough to find. My budgets are low so I use my place and pretty much anything that is available to me. I see so many photographers using the same backdrop and props. I think that gets old quick, and I feel like they're not even trying. I guess I just like the look of a room instead. It makes it seem more real.
EZ:You admit to no formal photography training, and yet you're so well known and successful. How do you think this works to your advantage in such a competitive field?
DN: I have a good amount of on the job training. I've assisted Richard Kern a number of times and learned all about shooting layouts you could never learn in school. The Silva's let me sit in with them quite a bit too. Most of the serious photographers out there have a very similar polished, generic look. I like my photos to have more of an edge to them. The lighting isn't perfect, but that's not the look I'm going for. My photos will never look like Robert Maplethorpe (whose lighting I greatly admire), so why try?
EZ:You played in a band before getting involved in photography. What kind of music? How do you think the two realms are connected for you?
DN: I started off playing punk rock. I played in Chemical People & Down By Law, toured and put out records from 1986-1997. The first two Chemical People albums featured porn stars Jeanna Fine and Taija Rae on the covers. Also Jack Baker from the Dark Bro's movies sang on one of our singles "Black Throat." Jack was a great guy. He came to most of our L.A. shows in the 80's and sang with us. He passed away a while back. I really miss the guy. We had some fun times.
Chemical People also scored two Dark Bro's movies, New Wave Hookers 2 and Between the Cheeks 2. The record Soundtracks features that work. That is the only similarity between music and the photography I do now. I guess that tells you I've always been a perv.
EZ:What's next for you?
DN: My new Hardcover book Legs on Goliath will be out in November in Europe and February in the U.S. The book features work I've done for Leg World and Leg Show, but also lots of photos I shot just for the book over the last two years. You can get it on my website davenaz.com.
Thanks Dave, we hope it's a great success!
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