I’ve lately been perusing the catalog of Abby Winters, as you may have noticed from all the pictures recently popping up here. Winters is a photographer based in Australia who—along with other photographers in her network—focuses on young amateur models, with an emphasis on capturing real people in casual environments.
Now, I’ve got nothing against professional models—they need loving too, you know—but there’s something to Winters’s approach with amateurs that I find enormously appealing. She’s not after a perfect type. Hair is mussed and freckles are not retouched. Awkward poses abound. You can imagine the models cringing at times, asserting, “You can’t use that one! I look ridiculous when I laugh.”
Rather, Winters goes for moments when people are people—as in the photo above, which just happens to feature my girlfriend Marla Jo in the center. Hi, Marla!
This gives her photography a certain intimacy, as when she captures two women together.
Each model is described with biographies, including handwritten autobiographies, which flesh out the person whose flesh you are oogling. They are often presented in relaxed “as you are” situations, as in this image of Axelle.
Axelle is certainly cute in her panties and piercings. But more, there’s something so endearing about the fact that she really needs to vacuum her room—or is that just me? (Axelle, please write. You need me to take care of you, honey.)
For those who care about such things, Winters takes care not to exploit her models. If for any reason a model decides that being naked for the world was not the right decision, she is removed from the catalogue and people who have posted her image (people like me, for example) are contacted and asked to do likewise.
For this reason and others, Winters is very selective about where her photographs are permitted to be displayed. I’m glad she allows me to post them here for you.
Take her tour and get to know her work. Set aside some time, as there's so much on her site. And remember, if you subscribe through the links provided here, you support One Life, Take Two.
Enjoy!
