THE VENUS SITTINGS

An average of 360 seconds per portrait in warlike circumstances as in hundreds of men with big cameras and even bigger flashes surrounding me like hyenas as I was setting up my shoot in the mids of booths and stages at one of Europe's biggest Erotic Trade show; Venus with over 30.000 visitors. The concept of my sittings was to create a nonsexual space, a place of rest for just a few seconds. I was curious to find out who was able to leave his or her character for a brief moment. I had to be fast so that those flashlights would not ruin my picture which of course they did at times. I had to find a corner away from the crowds in order to shoot. Although most everybody I shot was in a rush, that was especially true for all performers, everybody was truly focused and drawn in to my moment. I shot performers, sex workers, exhibitors, visitors and models. I have about 40 portraits which all have one thing in common; they are seated in an upright posture. I shot on 3 consecutive days in 2015 and 2016. I first shot a b&w documentary in 2014, which was published in Berlin Newspaper; http://www.tagesspiegel.de/suchergebnis/fotostrecken/?sw=venus.