thomasholmphoto

Hold Me Tight - Teaser

The endless sinner & Zsan in the Studio

All Open Shibari - Teaser

Here is a little teaser of what you can find in the full (and less shadowy) series on the Photographers and Vault tiers.

Remember, you can upgrade and downgrade anytime.

All Open Shibari - BTS Multicam

A cool half hour Shibari movie with CB Modelling that does not leave much for the imagination.

All open Shibari

I don’t remember where I got the idea, but Cassie was in the studio. We had about an hour left before we had to head to the airport for her flight back home.

The idea was to create a tie that would spread her cheeks apart.

Why? I had tried something similar before with Wiana, and I managed to overcomplicate things, thinking I had worked out a more straightforward solution.

Cassie was game, so we had time, and we went for it.
Cassie has a (gorgeous) soft butt, but frankly, the third image with the rope squeezing into it is not the most flattering angle. But understanding how tension on the rope changes when a model hip-hinge, or other movements, is where experience comes into play.

Good fun to make, though.

Enjoy.

For Photographers and Vault tiers, check out the bonus material on Discord.

Don’t know how to connect your Patreon with Discord (or set up a Discord)?

Read this guide.

Out of my Hands

I had Silas Ash in the studio in early June, and we shot these two images. I had actually pegged them for entry in my book, but I decided to replace them at the finish line. They felt wrong in the sequence I had placed them, but on the flip side, you get to see them here :D

It’s natural light from the windows in the control tower and a black flag providing negative fill on her right.

These were shot with a Sigma 50mm f/1.2 lens. It has an artful look, somewhat reminiscent of the Canon Dreamlens 0.95, although not as powerful. On the positive side, it features autofocus and is exceptionally sharp, even at full aperture. I'm still getting to know it, but I do like these larger-aperture lenses from Sigma.

Spread’em Wide

I was in the studio with Zsan Of Sweden, having just shot some gorgeous sculptural images, and we both felt like making something completely different and perhaps erotic. So I brought out a spreader Bar and some leather cuffs, and off we went.

I put on my 50mm ƒ0.95 lens for the smallest possible depth of field and shot this nice little series. And it did indeed turn out slightly erotic.

Alien Landscape

I think this place, Goblin Valley, near Hanksville, Utah, makes the top five on the most alien landscapes I've ever shot in.
It's very early morning (before the Park Rangers start the day), all natural light, and the model is Roarie Yum. I also included a panorama image just for completeness' sake.

Can't be bothered

Early June I had a shoot with Silas Ash in and around my studio.

Silas is very inventive, and as some point she did this, which is decidedly not common posing. But somehow it's very authentically her, and I love it.

Light is from windows more or less all around but with the strongest light just above her, and I have a foldable black plate providing negative fill just to the right of her.

Takeaway Sushi

If your model wants nipple clamps and you don't have any, you get some takeaway sushi with extra chopsticks.

Takeaway Sushi

The Endless Sinner flew in from Spain. I picked her up at the airport, drove her to the studio, where we had coffee and chatted.
She wanted to do a sexy shoot with some improvised nipple-clamps and asked if I had any chopsticks.

I didn't, so we quickly decided to get some take-away sushi, obtain some extra chopsticks, and make some Japanese-looking clamps.
And as said, so done.

I decided to go for a gritty, intimate paparazzi-type look, so Vicky applied a lot of oil, and I brought out my ring flash with a grid to focus the light.

Unfortunately, I never made a BTS movie from this set (due to a disk error during recording). There are many more still images to come from this set; stay tuned!

My New Book on Kickstarter

Hey everyone – exciting news!

As some of you may have seen elsewhere, I’ve just launched my third coffee table book on Kickstarter:

Dopamine Driven Art

Here is a video about the project.

This isn’t “just another” collection.

Yes, it’s a greatest hits of my strongest images from the last decade, some of which you may have followed here on Patreon from sketchy first test shots to award-winning photographs.

But this book also has another layer:

I’ve spent years digging into how our brains actually respond to images, why some stick with us and others fade instantly.

I found that what makes an image unforgettable isn’t random luck, but dopamine-driven attention circuits you can actually strengthen.

That research made me re-evaluate my own practice:

• How do you compose so that an image can stop someone in their tracks?

• What role do novelty, surprise, and emotional honesty play?

• And how does all of this tie into creativity, memory, and even ADHD?

The book dives into those questions in short essays scattered around the photos. I hope that you’ll not only enjoy the imagery but also walk away seeing art, and maybe your own attention, a little differently.

For me, this is the most personal book I’ve ever made.

It’s not just “here are some pretty pictures,” but a record of what I’ve learned about myself, why images matter, and how they shape our inner world.

If you’ve enjoyed my work here on Patreon, this is the perfect way to both support it and to own a piece of it in the most tangible form I’ve ever produced.

👉 Here’s the Kickstarter link again.

If you’ve already backed, thank you!

If not, I’d love for you to take a look at the project, and just as importantly, spread the word. (Share this post anywhere you want).

Sharing is genuinely what makes or breaks these campaigns, and it means the world to me.

⬇️ But don't just take my word for it...

In science, every important paper is peer-reviewed. I decided to do something similar with this book: I sent a prerelease to photographers and artists I deeply admire, asking them to share their honest thoughts. Here’s some of what they said:
And do check out these guys' links - they are absolutely world class image makers:

Ellis Artimages
Instagram - Patreon

“Thomas delivers powerful, compelling photography surrounded by words that all creatives need to read.  It will open your eyes to the importance of creating personal work and managing yourself through the process.  Highly recommended!”

---

JJ71 Photography
Instagram - Bluesky - Website

"This is not only another outstanding art book, but also an ambitious exploration of one of the most fundamental questions of human culture: Why art? Thomas tackles this timeless question with remarkable depth, insight, and visual brilliance, and he does not disappoint.

Dopamine Driven Art is a photographic essay, a philosophical reflection, and a celebration of creativity itself. It’s a book that resonates beyond the art world, inviting every reader to reflect on the role of beauty, inspiration, and desire in our lives.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this timeless work.
I am certain it will stand as one of Thomas Holm’s greatest contributions, a book to return to, to ponder, and to cherish."

---

Dan Katz Photography
Instagram - Website

"The photography, of course, is a Wow. Gorgeous, elegant, and sensual. He’s the master. But the concept of the book is really fascinating, how dopamine has the power to ignite the creative spark, leading to unforgettable work. And how a few simple lifestyle changes can turn lethargy into productivity. Who knew!"

---

Bob Walker Pursley
Instagram - website

“What I love about the book is that it gives a real insight into yourself as a human being, as well as how you go about creating and taking images.
I found the honesty about Thomas’s diagnosis and the detail of how he has worked through this to emerge from the darkness and continue to create some incredible images in both the book and his life to be very thought-provoking.
The detailed explanation of the process Thomas uses in creating great images, as well as the guidance that may help the known and undiagnosed ADHD audience, will resonate with a lot of people.
The lasting message for me is the recognition that you have to work hard at what you want to do to achieve the deserved ‘dopamine hit’.”

---

Charles Nevols
Instagram - Bluesky

"Thomas Holm has produced another masterpiece, “Dopamine Driven Art.”

This book contains 160 pages of his finest photos, and in the accompanying text, he defines the creative process. It involves neurochemistry, especially dopamine, and personal ambition, i.e. passion and perseverance. Importantly, he charts a course that anyone can follow to realize their artistic vision.
"Dopamine Driven Art" is a mature and insightful book that will appeal to photographers and art aficionados alike.

If you’ve ever wondered why some images fade from memory while others stay with you for years, this book is for you!

👉 Support Dopamine Driven Art today and be among the first to hold a copy.

My first dancer

I had been wanting to shoot a Dancer for several years, but was unable to find someone interested in shooting nudes.

The Danish Girl, a member of the Royal Danish Ballet, posted a message seeking a photographer as she became an ambassador for the recycling and organ donor foundation - images 2-4.

I made a compelling sales pitch, and she was interested, but had some reservations.
Curiously, the main one was not being photographed nude, or that anyone would see the images, but that she was anxious about being nude between the shoots.
That was an easy problem to solve, as I told her she could just put on a bathrobe.

That never occurred to her, but regardless, she accepted, and we took some great shots, including the one above, which has won numerous prizes at competitions over time.

I don't remember exactly what I used Lightwise for, but it appears to be a medium to large matte silver umbrella (I have one of those, approximately 120 cm in diameter), and judging by the shadows, that is my best bet. And then, indeed, a black V-flat on the right to provide negative fill.

If you want to see more, search for "Benita", "dance", or "that Danish girl". As always, all my images are tagged so you can easily find more of a particular model or style.

Barbara on Bornholm

I was visiting family on the Island of Bornholm, and I met a model there whom I wanted to work with. And luckily, she was game too. So I set up a sunrise shoot (4.30 AM in June in Denmark).

This, however, turned out to be one of the more expensive shoots I've done: I had to cross the island about an hour before sunrise to pick her up and then cross it again to be on site for sunrise.

But on the way to fetch her, it was pitch-black night, and I had to drive through a forest, and it was very curious. There were lots of rabbits crossing the road, and when they were illuminated by the headlights, they would freeze in place, which meant I had to swerve across the road to avoid hitting them. But during one such quick swerve, a deer jumped out in front of the car from the opposite direction, and I hit it...

I stopped the car, of course, but it had run into the forest. So I marked the place and sent a text to my brother, who had a hunter drive out with his dog to find it so it wouldn't suffer (it had died just 10 meters/30 feet from the road).

My car could still drive, but the hood and the front left side were badly dented and required a week at a garage to fix.

And the model did raise an eyebrow when I picked her up...

Beyond that, it was a great shoot at a great location.
I've previously posted some of the other pictures (in the Vault).

Derelict Bondage BTS movie

CB Modelling in a sweet 2-camera BTS movie. It's a little different from what I usually do, but still fun to do.

Derelict Bondage - Teaser

It seems the elastic band in Sweet CB Modelling's knickers is a bit loose.
Oh well...

Derelict bondage

Sweet CB Modelling agreed to do something sexy, so I asked her to put on a tiny thong, briefly, and then take it off again. It's not really my genre, but it was fun to play with a different theme that day (more like that to come).
All natural light from her left and behind the camera.

Venus Redux

Way back in 2015, I shot these with Anoush Anou at Kullaberg in Sweden, fairly soon after having acquired my Canon Dreamlens 500 ƒ0.95. Both were shot with my old NEX5 APS-C crop sensor; the focal length is effectively 75mm. And had I not done that, I could not have shot the first image at full aperture, as the lens is not in focus near the sides of the glass at full aperture. I only learned this when I upgraded my camera to an A7R2 full-frame sensor.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss...

Shining Star

Aja in the studio. Precisely the same light as yesterday, and the same light on both images. For these two, the only difference is that I placed a fringe curtain in front of the window for the second image, and the first is shot 20 minutes later, where the building on the opposite side of the road starts to cast a shadow.

Amadea's window teaser

Gorgeous Amedea.

Amadea's window

This set with the gorgeous Amedea Model was shot 5-6 years ago and then horribly neglected since then. Luckily, that flaw has now been corrected.

The light here is late afternoon light streaming in through the windows behind the model, and light from another window illuminating her.
Both easy and effective.

Pastel boudouir

Clara Sinclair from the UK is doing her thing on my old studio couch.

The light in this image is simply from the studio windows, but modulated by my blinds to prevent too much light from hitting and illuminating the floor.

Clara, as you can see, is quite uninhibited and a joy to work with.

Art of War

I shot with Tala Artmodel during an extended 1:1 workshop I conducted in June, and shot all these within 5 minutes.

It's the entrance to a bunker on the derelict airfield, and it's all natural light.

It might be worth mentioning that was why I went there. The walls work as a sort of tunnel of light, coming straight behind the camera, as if it had used a very large ringflash, and blocked the bottom part (the ground when talking about natural light).

One of my principles when I'm talking about light is this:
I don't care where the light is coming from (except not from below), but I care about the angle it strikes the body (usually it's best if it's partly from the side, as in all these) and therefore how it interacts with the model's body in regard to highlights and shadows.

In this case, we had Kayla apply an ample amount of oil to create the specular highlights that make her stand out so clearly.

Art of War - Teaser

Artmodel Kayla in a bunker.

Irresistable Anna

I shot with Anna some 6-7 years ago, and shortly after she produced several gorgeous kids, and we haven't had the opportunity to do a solo shoot before now.

And it was such a pleasure to meet again.

Anna at some point worked as a pro model and was in Playboy before they changed concept, but she said herself she was a little rusty. The allocated time was about 3-3.5 hours, and I (wisely) spent an hour chatting and bonding again.
But when we got going, we worked fast and produced a lot of great images.

Usually, I can narrow down a day's shooting to about 100-120 good candidates for editing. For this short session, I couldn't cull it down further than 200 😜🤷‍♂️

Michela Roundup - teaser

A couple of left-out images of the lovely Michela Elley

Michela roundup

For some reason, I’ve never published these of the lovely Michela Elley, who unfortunately doesn't model anymore.

Image one is a sidelight from a window in the studio. Image two is a tunnel of light from a window: three styrofoam plates set up on either side and above the model to ensure the light is directional from behind the camera, similar to a Ringflash.

Three and four are backlit by a window, similar to the booty shoot on 5th but from higher windows in a different studio, with more flagging to create a stronger rim light.

Five is a string curtain in front of a sunlit window, and six+Seven is daylight. Btw. The mirror cube is in fact a small theater stage in a park near Copenhagen.

Hang In There

Not too long ago, I set up a "shibari date" with The Endless Sinner, testing out my new red rope and doing some suspension, as well as shooting some duos with Zsan Of Sweden. This is the beginning of the first one suspension, more will follow (some with unexpected twists). Stay tuned!

Shot with daylight from my studio window.

Budapest Fiasco

This is from one of the weirdest and least productive shoots I have ever made:

The backstory: I was in Budapest, having shot for 4-5 days. On the last day my fight was at 7 PM, but I had checked out of my hotel at 11, so had about 6 hours to burn.
I was traveling with a lot of equipment, and I was hesitant about storing it anywhere, so I opted for setting up one last shoot.

The studio had looked promising, but turned out not to be. And the former Playboy model was super lovely, and weighed at least 15 kg/35 lbs more than the photos I had been sent from the agency (which I never worked with again).

So I was stuck in a place I didn’t feel like shooting in, and a model where I couldn’t shoot her midsection, so I spent 3 hours doing all I could think of, which equated to these images.
Gorgeous face and feet, right ;)

Round-trip with Regina & my camera progression

Here is another mega-set with Regina Piil from around Denmark and Sweden. The first two images were shot with my Canon Dreamlens ƒ0.95.

Image 4-6 on an old Sony A6000 APS-C with a Zeiss 16-55mm zoom ƒ4.

And the rest, from Sweden, with an A7R4 and a Sony G 24-70mm ƒ 2.8.

An interesting observation about cameras and lenses is that I started with Sony, looking for a small and lightweight but capable setup so I could travel without carrying too much gear. The limitation with most APS-C cameras (crop sensors) is that they have a fairly small maximum aperture (ƒ) for most zoom lenses.

Prime lenses have larger apertures like ƒ/1.8, or for the Canon Dreamlens, ƒ/0.95, which enable you to shoot in low light.

As my interest grew, I switched from APS-C to a full-frame and a 48MP A7RII camera. The larger sensor allowed for zoom at ƒ2.8 and reduced noise. I eventually upgraded to A7RIV with a 62MP sensor, which offers even less noise.

But honestly, I could still achieve about 60-70% of my results with the old APS-C camera and 24MP sensor. In studio and daylight conditions, it makes little difference. However, some of the low-light shots I take wouldn't be possible with my old gear.

Roundtrip with regina - Teaser

A couple of the images of the 11 pic set that just dropped in the photographers and Vault tiers.