A lovely benefit of being in the profession that I am, is that I also get to learn and experience photography in front of the camera every now and then. My good friend and wonderful photographer/conversationalist, Luciano Fileti, was the mastermind behind this particular shoot. A brief bio:

New-York-based photographer, Luciano Fileti was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. Upon receiving a degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in 1999, Fileti moved to New York where he worked as a freelance photographer for agencies including Young and Rubicam and Publicis.

In 2004, Fileti was presented with the opportunity to expand his experience with studio photography when he was offered a position as an assistant to legendary photographer Irving Penn. Fileti worked with Mr. Penn until 2007 when he returned his focus exclusively to his own commercial and artistic pursuits. He now shoots for magazines all over the U.S. and Europe, including the French edition of Vogue.

Haha, whhhattt a character that Luciano. Anywho, this shoot was of a nature that I've not ever explored before - in front, or behind the camera. It requires an unusual mix of both confidence and uncertainty to connect with the camera. The tricky part is being fully aware of every single muscle in your face and in your body (which as a standard, always applys), though without the comfort of material, you have nothing to hide behind.