French-Men STYLE magazine
How did you start your work of photography? (By chance, a dream of youth?)
When I was young I was an artist and a musician. These were the two things during those formative years I thought were to be what my career would eventually become. But toward the end of my college years I was in a fairly bad car crash which ended my music and put me into a state of confusion as to what I did want to become. During my recuperation (which lasted almost a year), it was my doctor, an amateur photographer himself, who suggested I buy a camera due to my art background. I quickly fell in love with the medium and began to buy all the books I could on 'how to' photography. I soon began to teach myself via those books and through trial and error. In only a couple years I began to sell my work to a few magazines here in the U.S. It was five years into my photography when I was discovered by Playboy and brought into their fold. Yet working for them was not a life-long goal, more one that developed from a few acquaintances who told me I should pursue it. That my work with women 'looked like Playboy' so I should try to work for them. How that happened is another story.
How was your Playboy time? (The reputation/experience you gained). The feeling you kept of this period.
Working for Playboy was probably the most important period of my life. Not only did it bring my level of photography up to the highest of standards, but it also taught me business life to a large degree. Though born in a large city, I grew up in a small town with small town ideals. You might even say I was naive to the ways of the world. That quickly changed once I became a staff photographer and began to travel around the world for them. Though I felt I was a fairly proficient photographer, working there gave me the opportunity to work with the best equipment, as well as call some of the most famous photographers in the world my friend... Pompeo Posar, Richard Fegley, Arny Freytag, and Ken Marcus all come to mind. There were many days of watch and listen. So it is a fond memory I am glad to say. It was basically my photographic formative years that brought me to where I am today.
How do you define your work now? Do you comprehend it differently?
To be honest I do see my work differently now than when I was at Playboy. Playboy has a distinct look and a direction that had been developed for some 30 years already by the time I came to work for them. There were traditions and signature shots, the gatefold (or centerfold people call it) for one. That image that would swing out of the middle of the magazine like a gate (thus the name) was only found in Playboy. There were other 'centerfolds' yes, but not another gatefold. The production of a gatefold shoot was incredible. The amount of preparation, lighting, wardrobe, everything, was the size and magnitude of a full-blown commercial shoot for an advertising campaign of today. Yet it was for the purpose of achieving one picture! This sort of preparation and attention to detail would filter down into my work on the pictorials as well. So there was always a very precise sense about producing the images of the models. They must 'look' like they're Playboy models. The poses, the lighting, the wardrobe, etc., always had a similarity, a familiarity that the reader could relate. Nowadays, I am completely free to do what I, David Mecey, wish to shoot. I shoot for the sake of creating a beautiful picture of a model. No history to adhere, no certain look, no ideal, other than make the woman look desirable and gorgeous in the photograph. I feel my work now is much more me again. It's more of how I shot as I was developing as a photographer but with way more skill and experience behind it. Though I will always be very proud of what I did for Playboy, I feel I am now doing the best work of my life.
Can you give us some information about your book: Passion a B&W Portfolio?
Passion came about in a rather peculiar way. It was actually a kind of catharsis of sorts, a way for me to channel my creative energy into something after my departure from Playboy in 2002. Though I had been with the magazine for some 23 years, it was just time for me to go. I was at a crossroads in my feelings about my photography, about how I wanted to shoot more for myself, and the magazine was also going in other directions from where I had begun with them. So it was simply a time that had come. When it did happen though, I suddenly felt I was alone. After so many years of 'living as a Playboy photographer' I was suddenly cast in the role of simply, a photographer. It was during this period that I decided to produce a book of images, specifically in B&W, which would be far from what I had been doing for Playboy over those two decades. It would also be with models with whom I knew and who liked my work. It would be a sharing of sorts of my talent with theirs. The makeup and hair people were also friends in the business who respect my work and shared my love of photographing women. So they too gave of their talent, their time, and their skill. Add to it that this was all done on a piece-by-piece basis over the past few years. The locations were those that were most available, and might I say, the most economical as well. No mansion settings, just the model, bits of wardrobe here and there, and for the most part, natural light. Where I normally work with assistants on all my shoots, for these I rarely did. It was much more about the moment and the model than the scene.
Though the locations played a huge role in developing the look for the book now that they have all been put together. Also, this was in a lot of ways homage to those photographers who had blazed the trail before me. Photographers whose work became ingrained in my mind as works of art, and works that will remain there forever. So for me, it was my art I was hoping to impart as much as producing a book. In fact, I feel that was a larger part of what I wanted out of this project, my work to be accepted as art. Something that I could leave behind other than what I had done for the magazine.
What are the specifics of working with nude models? Is there a limit between art and eroticism? How do you choose a model?
When I work with a model, nude or otherwise, it has always been based on trust. From the moment I first meet a model it is that trust that I am hoping to build and instill in her before we ever get to the actual photo-shoot. If a woman trusts you she will give herself to you, which is what I have tried to do with the images here. Give a part of those models to the viewer as they were entrusted to me at the time of the shoot. In most cases I had worked with the models before, but in many more, I had not. In fact, in a number of the shoots for the book, many are with models that had never posed nude before. So this was a huge undertaking for them. But I am proud to say they loved the results. Which is what mattered most to me. I knew that if I could create stunning images they would have no qualms with the nudity aspect. Which brings me to your next question, art and eroticism.
To me, it's simply the photograph of the woman, be it with or without clothes that is the final goal. I'm not setting out to create a moment for the viewer to actually use as a way to ‘be excited' sexually, but more, to be moved emotionally. Now I will say that even with that goal in mind, with the results of a photograph that are that stirring to the viewer, passions (there's that word) will be raised and the fire of desire or eroticism will probably be ignited. That's just human nature. I didn’t set out to shoot erotic images as much as photograph the woman. It's her visual appeal that is going to do the rest. To me, a stunning photograph of a woman is art if it moves the soul of the viewer. Again, with or without wearing clothes.
As one will note, there is one particular pose I've avoided in all the shots in my book, as I felt that particular pose wasn't necessary for what I was doing. My goal was never for the purpose of arousal but simply photographing a beautiful woman.
How I choose a model is almost how we choose each other. She must want to work with me as much as I with her. So it's a mutual thing. She must be of a free spirit and completely comfortable with her body in order to be shown so completely as in the photos in my book. Yet, she doesn't need be an exhibitionist either. In fact, I prefer the more demure to be quite honest. They exude more sensuality as they are being shown in a way they've never been shown before. They must also be fun and relaxed as that is how I shoot.
Any model let you a special memory? (Good anecdotes of your work/meetings are of course welcome)
All of my models leave me with special memories! Seriously, when I shoot with a model it's always a good time, very relaxed and I try to make it fun for everyone. Since the book was not for any particular purpose other than the photographs, it's always been considered just for fun. Which is how we treated every shoot. In fact, I do the shoots as much for the model as for my book. I try to get some shots the girls can use themselves for their own porfolios. It makes for everyone having a great time. This question COULD fill a book in unto itself so you know! Maybe I'll come back to it later as I sit down and write down some of the things from each model. Needless to say, I am so proud and excited on how the book has turned out thus far. And it's not done. Now that I think about it, it may never be done. I intend to continue to shoot and add to my Passion in the future. We'll see where it takes me. Thanks!