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Like many photographers, I tried shooting nudes in my youth. I was reacting against the boring “artistic nude“ of the seventies and eighties, and I looked to make pictures that drew on the eroticism of the female form.
Some of the pictures are good, but for the most part I was not satisfied. The pictures were either well-achieved photographs, or worked on a sexual level. Rarely both. As I said to Richard later, it’s the "mistake" pictures that were sexy, and the “good photographs” were unexciting.
Hence, when I started seeing Richard Kern’s images in the late nineties, I recognized a master at work. There is nothing like trying and failing to develop appreciation for a genre.
His seemingly simple approach betrayed a master's grasp of visual storytelling. Somehow he managed to convey his personality and the models’ in often cluttered environments, without losing the narrative focus. He made a challenging thing look easy.
With a couple of Instagram DM‘s, we scheduled a portrait meet-up at his home in the East Village. I decided to bring my regular first assistant, Sophia Pallwein-Prettner, as I calculated that bringing a charming young woman would ease the process. Was this too on the nose?
Collaborating with Sophia on planning the shoot was genuinely helpful. We did a phone call a couple of days ahead, brainstorming ideas. As well, she was open to being a hand, and maybe even a foot, model.
We arrived at his building and, at the appointed time, rang his doorbell. As we ascended the five flights to his apartment, it was like an indie movie from the 90s being played out. On the staircase, an attractive young woman approached us excitedly, asking if we were going to see the photographer who lived in the building. She said, “Please tell him: I love his work!”
As we came into the apartment with the last pieces of photo gear, Richard hurriedly shut the door, seemingly worried about hot young girls storming his apartment.
When photographing other shooters, I try to avoid the portraits looking like their visual style. I love Kern’s naturalistic lighting and muted color palette, yet made notes to try to photograph him in a darker, moodier style, to stay away from his aesthetic.
His apartment had great window light, and even though we brought a couple of artificial sources with us, we relied on this natural source. As it was, I leaned into the strong side and back lighting coming from the window, and put a 4-foot gray seamless behind him.
Richard struck me as a subject who could suddenly decide that he’s done and the shoot would wrap, so I acted as if this was finite. We tried some pictures with a mannequin hand, but once I saw that he was agreeable, I pitched Sophia‘s foot with his face.
Richard was happy to try the setup, but talked about her foot being smelly, and then “wet and clammy.” He talked like he was grossed out, but he also seemed to be having fun.
Although these moments were amusing, I struggled to make sure the images were also beautiful. Making pictures that are outrageous is great, but if it’s not balanced with some grace, it feels thin to me. It’s the delicate balance of surprise and elegance that makes something special.
Plus, Kern is someone I respect, so making a picture that is extreme but not beautiful feels like a wasted opportunity.
We ran through different options with her foot placed flat against his face or on top of his head. At one point we had it on his head, and he asked, “Is her foot arched?” And I could see that Sophia was spreading her toes in a way that was playful and elegant. Kern’s pedigree with Leg Show magazine was showing.
I don't consciously think about making the shoot adventurous or fun for the subject. I’m trying to make pictures that would be interesting for the viewer, and perhaps over time I’ve developed a practice of making it a fun journey for the subject, to help them get there with me.
Top Image: Richard Kern, September 23, 2026. New York, NY.
Second Image: Kern, with foot provided by Sophia Pallwein-Prettner. See more body parts here.
Bottom Image: BTS photo by Sophia.