Tag: jasonlee

Jason Lee photograph of Hannah for the Personal Spaces Project - shootwithgenesis

Me and You

Posted on by jasonlee

MODEL / Hannah
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
INTERVIEW – CHAPTER II

“[Modeling nude] is the most powerful thing to do.” – Hannah

Leading up to their final shoot together, Hannah and photographer Jason Lee Stern take a moment to record a conversation about her experience overcoming personal battles post-sexual assault, and reclaim confidence through nude modeling. Explore themes of vulnerability, self-love, and societal perceptions in this compelling interview series. {Read Part One Here.}

Note: the first part of this entry talks about Jason’s Personal Spaces Project, which features photos of models at home in their own space, being naturally nude and doing whatever it is that strikes their mood. The photographer and model collaborate to capture a personal vibe and natural body energy in a relaxed, chill home space. The Personal Spaces Project explores the personality, mood, creativity and environment of each model. It is shot in high contrast black and white.

Hannah is a treasure. We have worked together on several occasions and on the drive out to our most recent shoot, I got to ask her a few questions and she agreed to allow me to record our conversation and share it. She wanted to share with me about how the experience of shooting nude with Genesis Modeling and Photography has helped her overcome personal battles following sexual abuse. It was a long conversation and so we’ll break it up into a few chapters. We talk about some heavy topics, so if that triggers you, be forewarned. Hannah and I were privileged to shoot together on multiple occasions and this interview is excerpted from an audio-recorded session.
Jason Lee Stern

Here’s part two of our interview:

Personal Spaces and Standing Strong: Navigating Criticism After a Nude Shoot

Jason: Of the shoots that we’ve done so far, which ones were your favorites?

Hannah: I really like the Personal Spaces apartment shoot. And I liked the waterfall one. I liked the winter one too, but it was cold! Basically all of them!

Jason: How did it feel to be in your own personal space?

Hannah: In that environment? Yeah, I felt really good. I just felt very relaxed. I normally feel relaxed, but it was a different feeling.

Jason: You seem like you’re really able to relax and get into the moment.

Hannah: Yeah, it was a really cool experience. I’ve never done anything like that before. I love how we did the football helmet… and the flowers were so fun.

Jason: How would you contrast the Personal Spaces shoot with those we’ve done in nature?

Hannah: I dunno. Outdoor – is more… expressionist. I mean, indoor is expressionist as well, but I feel like outdoors is very, like “floaty.” In my house, I felt very, very, like, I guess, intimate. Intimate is the best way to describe that experience. I’m in my space, and I’m naked, and I’m embracing it right now. It’s so weird because normally, I never think about it. I’m thinking “I don’t usually do this. I mean, why don’t I do this more often, you know?” It was eye-opening. It helped me realize how comfortable you can really be in your space without having to wear clothes!

Jason: So talk to me more about – that feeling.

Hannah: It’s what I’d call comfortability and safety… very open… a feeling of love and acceptance in your own home. I think we criticize ourselves more when we’re in our own space – more so than we do out in public – because we don’t want to seem insecure around other people. But when you’re home alone… In that moment when we were together in my space, it was different. I did not feel any insecurity. I feel like I was in my own element as well. I didn’t really need to worry about anything. It felt like… well, it was a really good experience. I loved how we took concepts from around my place and using those elements.

Jason: Switching gears a little. How do you think nudity can be used to overcome trauma?

Hannah: Falling back in love with yourself! For sure. I think that’s the main thing. Because when you go through trauma, you start to waste away. It’s really easy to give up and be like, “Well, this is where my life is now.” Embracing nudity can help you bring back what you lost by being vulnerable again with yourself, putting yourself out there again. I think that’s the best step to actually get there. After you go through any sort of trauma, not just sexual abuse, also mental or physical trauma, reclaiming yourself is powerful.

Jason: If you had to put that into words, what would the steps be?

Hannah: You have to forgive yourself first. I think that’s the biggest step— forgiving yourself and realizing that every choice that you make has a cost. But you can’t control other people’s actions. You can only control your reaction. So you can either let things get to you and become a depressed, anxiety-ridden person, or you can take back your life and be like, “I will not let this define me.” I think forgiving yourself is probably the biggest step; loving yourself again is the next step as well. And definitely putting yourself back out there even though you’ve been hurt by people. Not everyone is out to hurt you. There are still good people out there.

Jason: So what do you do if you take that step to embrace nudity—you decide to do a nude photoshoot like you have—and then people in your circle come after you?

Hannah: Well, I don’t think that they’re really meant to be in your circle. If people can’t respect your choices and decisions, then they don’t really care about you. Unless your decisions are going to hurt you, if someone really loves you, they should respect you.

Jason: Something I run across more often than I would like is people who experience freedom and joy from doing this. And then a little time goes by, and somebody—a boyfriend, a parent, a boss, or really, anyone else—starts putting pressure on them or teasing them, bringing negativity.

Hannah: Uh-huh. Yeah, and it’s frustrating because you go into it with confidence, and you feel great about yourself. But then, suddenly, someone else’s opinion makes you second-guess everything. And it shouldn’t be that way.

Jason: And I’ve seen models who were so confident after a shoot, but then later they become totally afraid.

Hannah: Like the complete opposite of how they were when they first did it?

Jason: Yeah. I get messages like, “I know this was amazing and everything was awesome. I loved our photos, but these people are saying such-and-such… Can we take them down?” Because now they’re feeling that pressure externally.

Hannah: Mmhmm. And that’s the part that gets to me. Why do we let other people dictate how we feel about ourselves? They weren’t there. They didn’t experience that moment of self-acceptance. So why do their opinions carry so much weight?

Jason: I wrestle with what to do in that situation. Because I don’t want to just say, “Well, your friends are right.”

Hannah: Yeah, because they’re really not. They just project their own discomfort onto you. People act like nudity is this shocking thing, but really, it’s just a body. It only becomes controversial when people make it that way.

Jason: Right. And I feel like that’s exactly the kind of thing we’re speaking against—trying to push back against. Because whenever we shoot together, we have these great philosophical conversations.

Hannah: Mmhmm.

Jason: And we build that intimacy and trust. We make our mark. We take a stand.

Hannah: Mmhmm.

Jason: And then for someone to roll back on it—it’s like, okay, what do we do now?

Hannah: I think that really shows a lot of insecurity still inside them. And I think society puts a lot of pressure, especially on females. Like, guys can go to the beach and be shirtless, no problem. But if a woman does the same thing? Suddenly, she’s being “indecent.” That double standard is exhausting.

Jason: Yeah.

Hannah: If you show your body, people assume you’re asking for attention, or that you’re in sex work. It sucks. But that’s how a lot of people view nudity. In order for it to change, we just have to keep fighting for it. I do think people are starting to come around, though. Personally, I see nudity being more normalized, at least in my social circles. But again, a lot of it is still sexualized, and that’s the problem. People struggle to separate nudity from sex.

Jason: That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot too—how much of this is because we’ve been conditioned to see bodies in only one way? If we were exposed to non-sexual nudity more often, do you think that would change how people react?

Hannah: Absolutely. I mean, look at cultures where nudity is normal. They don’t have the same obsession with it that we do. It’s just part of life. But here? We’re bombarded with the idea that nudity equals sex, and that mindset is hard to break.

Jason: It’s frustrating because I see so many people go through this cycle—first, feeling empowered, then feeling ashamed because of outside judgment. And that’s what I want to change. I don’t want people to feel like they have to hide from something that made them feel strong in the first place.

Hannah: Exactly! It should be about your own experience, not what other people think. If it made you feel free, powerful, and beautiful in that moment, then that’s what matters. People will always have opinions, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who has to live with yourself. And I’d rather live with confidence than regret.

Jason: Anything else you want to say?

Hannah: Well, I want to speak to people considering a nude shoot. First of all, you’re my favorite photographer. I definitely feel super safe and very comfortable with you. And I know that it’s not anything remotely sexual when it comes to nudity. It’s just loving yourself and experiencing and expressing who you are as a person through your body without clothes. So I just enjoy the comfortability and safeness; and that you allow me to work in an artistic way that’s safe and comfortable.

Hannah: Now, for readers who are thinking about doing a nude shoot and you’re scared, because I definitely was terrified my first time! Just remember, it’s about you, it’s not about anything else. It’s about expressing yourself and loving yourself again, finding that comfort within yourself and being vulnerable again for the first time. It’s really empowering when you can look at yourself naked and be like, “Wow, I love that.”  You’re not scared of how you look or how other people will see you. It’s definitely an empowering thing, and you should just go for it. Don’t let anxiety get in the way of things in your life.

Jason: Thanks, Hannah. You’re amazing!

Photo by Jason Lee, Model in front of waterfall

In the Beginning

Posted on by jasonlee

SOURCE / H & E Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY / JASON LEE
INTERVIEW / MARK HAMILTON

 American photographer Jason Lee Stern believes the human body reflects God’s glory.

How many other artistic photographers found their vocation courtesy of a personal dare? “It was 2006,” recalls Jason Lee Stern. “I had been told throughout my upbringing that nudity equalled lust, and that it was impossible to spend time with a naked person of the opposite sex and not be automatically aroused. I thought this was absurd, but I wanted to test myself, and the theory, and find out if it was true. So I put out an advert as a photographer to set up what I thought would be my only experience.

“Probably not surprisingly, to those who already know how benign being nude in nature really is, I found that my model’s beauty did not distract me from capturing her likeness as art. We had a marvellous time shooting together, and I found that I had a knack for capturing art nudes. What started out as a personal challenge turned into a passion for pushing back against the negative narratives of body shame and porno-prudish thinking.”

It was the start of a new career, and Jason’s company Genesis Modeling & Photography (shootwithgenesis.com)  – which now offers a range of services including personalised shoots as well as workshops with both models and photographers – was born.

 “The name I chose is directly reflective of the creation account in Genesis, where man and woman were made naked and unashamed. I believe this is the original intent of God and that it has never changed, despite humanity’s fall. As a Christian, I believe that by experiencing and appreciating the beauty of the human body, we are reflecting God’s glory in which we were created. Genesis tells us that we were created in the image of God and in His likeness, completely without shame. My work as an artist in creating nude photography and body paintings is a way for me to present that viewpoint to the public.”

Approach

Jason’s beliefs are fundamental to his approach to work, and life.

“I base my understanding of naturism on what I’ve read and studied in the Bible, so I have settled on the term ‘comfortablist’.   Practically, this means I’m comfortable whether in clothing or without it. I definitely think of clothing as only necessary for specific purposes or decoration, and find it completely unnecessary for the protection of ‘false modesty’. I believe modesty is an attitude, not a dress code. Though I wasn’t raised as a naturist, I made the personal choice to sleep nude around the age of seven and haven’t looked back.”

Jason recounts that his upbringing was “no different to most adolescents in America who were raised in a middle-class conservative family: namely that nudity is reserved for married intimacy or taking a shower, and that it is not to be shared. Something inside me, however, never bought into this idea. I can remember being fascinated by the beauty of the human body, even as a child, yet not really having a sanctioned way to perceive this beauty.

“I was exposed to pornography while visiting a cousin when I was about eleven, and found it to be shocking and degrading. A few years later, I went to the library (this was before the internet was a big thing) and tried to search out pure forms of nudity. What I found were classical art paintings and a section of shelves that were supposed to hold art nude photography books but instead, they were empty. Apparently even tasteful nudity was too much to just leave out on a library bookshelf. The books had to be requested via a librarian and couldn’t be checked out. It seemed absurd.”

Hooked

It should come as little surprise that Jason discovered naturism, although as he admits, it came a little later in life. “It wasn’t until moving to Idaho that I began to experience social naturism and incorporate it into my photography. Idaho is home to two naturist resorts and has many hot springs. I learned after moving here that it is not only acceptable, but often expected, to soak naturally in nature in these hot pools. After experiencing it for the first time, I was hooked and never wanted to wear a swimsuit again!

“Since that first experience, I have enjoyed social naturism many times and find it beneficial for building lasting friendships and promoting body positivity. I have participated in three World Naked Bike Rides, and my wife and I have visited several resorts and beaches, including one in Italy on a recent holiday.”

Of course, not everybody is as relaxed about nudity as that.

“For every one model who agrees to a naked shoot,” reckons Jason, “there are another nine that say: I love your work. But I can’t shoot nude because I have body hang-ups, I’m afraid of what my family/boss/friends will think, or my boyfriend/husband won’t allow me to. I think this is one of the toughest parts of producing artistic nude work. People are afraid. They’re afraid to participate. They’re afraid to admit they enjoy the experience of viewing or owning it.”

Would switching the gender balance make a difference?

Jason isn’t convinced. “I mostly shoot with female models, but occasionally work with males. Sometimes I have received a little negativity for not including more males in my work, but I often invite the person complaining to go and create their own male nude work. I can’t do it all by myself! We need lots of new art and lots of new participants if we’re going to change attitudes. But I’m happy to say that I work with a lot of models who are experiencing nude photography for the first time, and have developed a reputation for being a safe person with whom to shoot.”

String

Photography isn’t the only string to Jason’s bow – he also paints abstracts, plays music, builds furniture and restores vehicles – but he does restrict his work behind the camera to the nude.

“When people ask why, I reply because nudity is pure. It’s always my goal to present the purity and soul of a model’s personality, not a fashion show. I’m not selling clothes or cosmetics. I am not interested in being coy but nor am I trying to sell my model’s sexuality in a photo. I look for the raw, innocent essence of who she is – and as much as she would like to share of herself in that space. My work reflects the goodness of the human body in its beauty, as created. It’s as simple as that.”

Jason doesn’t just believe that what he does is art for art’s sake. “I am humbled by feedback from models and patrons who find that my work touches them in a profound way. I’ve had models who have found freedom from body shame and dysmorphia, and reported experiencing a new personal ownership of their bodies. Sometimes this even happens in the middle of a shoot. I have had others who have reported that our work together has helped resolve sexual trauma from rape and abuse. Others have remarked on how their lives have been forever made brighter, and freer, and empowered.”

Given the choice, Jason prefers the great outdoors.

“I most often shoot on location in the Pacific Northwest of the US. My home base is one of the most beautiful (and unknown) places on the planet, though I love to travel, and I’m willing to shoot practically anywhere in the world. I have an invitation to shoot in Puerto Rico soon, so I’m looking forward to that. I’d also love to have my photographic travels take me to places like the UK, Spain or New Zealand, so if any readers are interested, feel free to reach out!

“As for favourite locations, I love to include water of some kind. We have shot around water in every season, even in ice and snow. I always feel that water, whether as a waterfall, steam-filled hot pool or snowy backdrop, incorporates so many elements of nature into one place. I try to always keep my eyes open for new potential shooting spots. I once spotted a couple of abandoned milk vans down in a ravine while on location for a different spot. Of course, we had to climb down and explore.”

Elements

When not braving the elements in the winter months, as part of his Personal Spaces Project, he also shoots models at home where, as he explains, “they can be naturally nude and do whatever it is that fits their mood. It’s designed to capture a personal vibe and natural body energy in a relaxed environment, and explore the personality, mood and creativity of each model.”

Indoors or out, Jason explains that “to come up with a subject or theme for a shoot, I will collaborate with the model. I am also incredibly inspired by the natural handiwork of God in nature. I love to explore a new vista with a model and chase the light and shadows, and compare and contrast the model’s form, emotions and style against the natural features of a landscape or even an abandoned manmade space. Body paints are often similarly imagined while on site, though occasionally a theme will be developed beforehand.

“I have had quite a bit of interest in seeing my work published in book form, so I am assembling my first book of art nudes, and debating on whether I should self-publish or go for the traditional route.

“Apart from that, I am perfectly content with life the way it is. I am happily married, and my wife and I are raising our children to hopefully be well-balanced members of society. We’ve incorporated our beliefs about the body into raising them, and believe this helps to prepare them better for life as adults.”

God willing.