Flesh or tone?

Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone interested in subscribing to my Patreon, but he had some doubts. At first, he went around the question, but eventually, it became clear that what he really wanted to know was how much of my body I show. Apparently, he had previously subscribed to the Patreons of a few other models who, despite describing their content as erotic photography, never posted nipples or nudity.

I explained that it depends on the tier he choose. My content ranges from regular cosplay — which is only sexy if the character itself has that vibe or kind of outfit — to pin-up photos with a playful, campy, and lighthearted sexy tone, all the way to my erotic tier, which includes everything mentioned before and, of course, nudity.

I’m not sure if this is a cultural thing, something tied to the country you’re from, or even how comfortable you are with nudity — like growing up near a beach where topless sunbathing is normal, as it was for me — but I honestly don’t understand the fear of showing a nipple if you're already doing erotic photography and come from a modeling background. This isn’t a critique; it’s just something I genuinely struggle to wrap my head around.

That said, for me (here comes the long answer) eroticism doesn’t depend on how much skin you show — that's a point I’ve tried to explain many times. Eroticism is a mood with countless nuances. It can be fun, innocent, kinky, sensual, sexual, gross, or elegant, plain or provocative. Sometimes it involves nudity — I personally find it hard to imagine a big erotic art project without some level of nudity — but I also acknowledge that, when well-crafted, eroticism can be conveyed without it. It all depends on the photo session, the idea you want to express, and the story you want to tell.

For example, you could create an erotic photo set around the concept of lifting your skirt in public to adjust your stockings without anyone noticing — and you wouldn’t need to strip naked in the street to capture the sensuality of that moment. Or you could have medical photos taken completely nude, in the most neutral and non-suggestive poses imaginable and despite the nudity, there would be nothing erotic about the scene.

With that in mind, I always strive to explore different shades, tones, and moods in my erotic photography projects, because I perceive it as something that triggers your imagination and imagination is a very complex business.

Speaking of which, my T’Pol set — touching the Pon Farr Star Trek classic theme— takes on a more intense and sexual approach. Given the nature of Pon Farr (and the great opportunity it is for creating this kind of photography I do), I wanted to reflect a sense of escalating tension — more physical and primal this time. For a Vulcan, logic reigns supreme, so being caught in that situation isn’t just about lust; there’s an struggle (or at least, that’s what I aimed to convey).

I plan to divide this set into 3 folders because I want it to be a LONG, immersive photo series (split between the Facehugger and Xeno Warrior tiers) capturing the buildup from the explosion of desire/struggle to the ultimate surrender.

I hope this thoughts somehow gives some insight into my creative process approaching those themes!
Have a wonderful weekend my awesome Xeno-crew!