The lovely folks at Auroa Fotografi did an interview with me a few weeks back and posted the write up today and featured some of my work.

Their site is super awesome and they feature a lot of really great artists, not saying that to compliment myself, just flattered to be among many great ones.

Thank you guys for the honor!

aurorafotografi:

AURORA GOES WILD WITH

unusual interviews in the Pussy Pusher’s style.

Episode 19: DEREK WOODS

When did you decide to start shooting girls? What was your “mental process” behind the decision?

I’m not sure that there was ever really a decision to start shooting ladies. When I first got into photography and working in a darkroom a big motivating factor there was to be able to develop naked pictures of girls. When I was younger I always looked at photography as a way to capture this kind of fleeting moment of naked girls.  Almost like documenting the moments I was lucky enough to see a girl naked. As I shot more, and got older,  and that grew it became more about the art behind it and working with the female figure, and more recently how clothing can became a part of that by working with Julie (my own lady) who is a stylist and likes to blur that line of adding clothing to nude photography.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Haha. As I type it I wish it weren’t true but I wake up, read e-mails, check social networking (instagram, tumblr, vine nowadays, ect.) Then I lay in bed for about 30 min and browse through the blogs/tumblr/artists that inspire me. Its kind of this need to stay current with whats happening in the world at large. 

Does your mother appreciate your pictures?

Good questions!! To my knowledge no. Haha. She’s never told me directly one way or another, though I know she’s seen my work and said “well at least I know he’s enjoying what he does!” Ironically my first exposure to photographs of models were photos my mom modeled for when she was younger. 

A movie that we should watch.

Oh man. This is a hard one. I could list so many, but Id say something you “should” see, which means maybe you didn’t already see it, Id have to go with “Winters Bone” by Debra Granik (though “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” by David Lynch and “Matador” by Pedro Almodóvar are very close) 

Who is your “dream” model? Where would you love to set your shooting?

Three come to mind immediately but Id say Tilda Swinton would be number one. (Followed closely by Ke$ha and Belladonna). Id want to shoot Tilda in the streets of Tokyo. 

Are you keeping your work secret to someone?

Nope. Its all under my real name and completely searchable. I have younger sisters that I have selectively blocked from seeing some of my stuff, but they are teenagers so I’m sure they can get around any block I could ever put up. 

Are you usually turned on by the model you are shooting?

Nope. To me shooting a model is not a sexually arousing experience at all. Don’t get me wrong when you are working with a model there is a creative energy that goes back and forth. You direct them with your ideas and as the models takes them in and makes them their own this energy back and forth starts to form. When you are photographing a naked body, in my opinion, its not about the sexuality of the body, its about the form of the body. You work with the camera and their body to create a feeling, its not about trying to get personal arousal out of it. At least for me. 

Name three photographers that you consider masters.

For many years I’ve been inspired by Ellen Von Ulworth. I also have to list Sante D’Orazio because his work played a HUGE part in inspiring me early on. Lastly Id have to say David Lynch’s photography of women is incredible (his landscape stuff is awesome but not really my taste).

Did any model ever get mad at you because she was looking “ugly” in your pictures?

Nope never. 

What do you do in your free time?

Looking at art that inspires me, play with cameras and wrestle with Julie and Huxley (the girlfriend and the bulldog).

What is the difference between a good nude picture and an amazing one?

If the image conveys an emotion to the viewer. If it makes you feel something by looking at it. 

Who is, in your opinion, the most overrated nude photographer? And the one who is not appreciate yet?

Haha, Ive always been the kind of guy that doesn’t like to say bad thing about others, so part 1 I’ll pass. As for who is under appreciated, even though he’s got a big following Im surprised I don’t see his work in EVERYWHERE would be Corwin Prescott. His “Into the darkness” (I think that was the title) series is incredible.

Your biggest fault.

My lack of understanding of strobes!! Oh, well maybe you mean on a personal level….well, Ive been told Im a bit stubborn. 

What does your partner think about your work?

She loves it. She’s my collaborator on all shoots. Julie styles virtually everything I shoot and assists with everything I shoot. She inspires me and motivates me and pushes me to shoot more than anyone else in my life. I couldn’t ask for a better partner, collaborator, lover and all around creative cheerleader. 

Do you remember your dreams in the morning? Are you able to interpret them?

I use to. I don’t really anymore.

website: www.derek-woods.com

tumblr: derekwoodsphotography.tumblr.com

twitter: @dtwoods

flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtwoods/

email: derek@derek-woods.com