Discover the intricate connection between the human form and nature in our exclusive interview with renowned photographer Paul Veron. Through his lens, Veron explores the beauty of the human form while creating visually compelling fine art imagery.
Join us as we explore his creative process, inspiration, and tips for budding photographers looking to develop their own fine art figure photography and create thoughtful, expressive images.
From concept and composition to location and natural surroundings, Paul Veron shares insights that can inspire your next fine art photoshoot.
Q1. How did your journey in photography start?
Ans. I was looking for a new challenge and interest just over eight years ago, when I began to ease back from my long-term career. Since my education and training had largely been based in science and analysis, as had my career, I was particularly keen to find an outlet for my largely latent artistic and creative side.
For more insightful interviews featuring photographers like Paul Veron, explore our photography interviews.
Q2. How would you describe your style of photography?
Ans. Like artists across many artistic disciplines throughout history, I have been interested in exploring the human form. Initially, I worked mainly in studios, where I could carefully control the lighting to emphasize curves, lines, and form.
It took several years to discover my preferred genre and develop my own artistic style and the key ideas behind my work. Today, I work outdoors in nature almost exclusively with natural light.
I am continually exploring ways to show the beauty of the human form while also highlighting our instinctive connection with nature and natural environments. My work aims to express the sense of belonging and connection that humans share with the natural world.
Explore posing ideas for professional photography to refine your next shoot and learn more about techniques used by photographers like Paul Veron.
Q3. What do you think are the challenges in shooting fine art photography?
Ans. For someone new to photography, there are many technical challenges to learn, from capturing the image to editing and processing it to achieve the desired result.
However, one of the greatest challenges has been dealing with negative or judgmental attitudes toward artistic representations of the human form.
I find it surprising that society can be so accepting of violence in films and television, yet sometimes express strong or irrational reactions to the human form when it is presented through an artistic and thoughtful approach.
Q4. What would be your 5 tips for someone just starting out in fine art photography?
Ans. 1. Work with the best models you can afford. Early in my photography career, I was advised to work with the best models I could afford. In my ninth year, I still regard this as one of the most important and helpful pieces of advice I received. Professional, experienced, and talented models can take care of posing, allowing an inexperienced photographer to focus on the technical aspects of the shoot.
2. Collaborate with your model. Do not simply dictate what you want. Almost all of my favorite images have come from collaboration, where I discuss an idea with the model and we develop it together, even when the final result differs from my original concept.
3. Choose your model carefully. Review a model’s work across different portfolio sites and consider whether their skills suit your concept. For example, a talented portrait or boudoir model may not be the right choice for a dynamic fine art photoshoot that requires athletic ability or ballet training.
4. Do not be afraid to break the rules. Try new approaches and experiment with different ideas. While creative experiments may not always produce the results you expect, stepping away from conventional approaches can sometimes lead to striking images.
5. Share your work and develop your own style. Share your images on reputable social media platforms and seek constructive feedback from photographers, models, and other artists. Learn from their experience without simply copying their style. As a fine art photographer, develop your own approach by shooting what interests you and exploring your own creative vision.
Q5. Which photographer’s work do you look up to the most?
Ans. I admire the photography of Helmut Newton and Bob Carlos Clarke, especially because they developed distinctive styles and were always searching for new and innovative images that differed from the work of other photographers. Both were cutting-edge in their approach.
There are also many contemporary fine art photographers across different genres whose work continues to inspire me, including Randall Hobbit, STEIN, Balm in Gilead, BenErnst, Images, Thomas Holm, and Thomas Bichler.
Outside the fine art photography genre, I particularly admire the work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. His photography offers powerful social commentary on people around the world and explores topics that are important to our cultures and social development. His thematic projects, including Amazonia, Workers, Migrants, Sahara, and Environment, are among the best I have seen to date.
Q6. Tell us about your favorite shoot you have ever done. Why is it your favorite?
Ans. Oh dear—it is rather difficult to pick out just one or two shoots as my all-time favorites, but let me select two and explain why.
The first was a studio dynamic fine art photoshoot in 2015 with the multi-talented and highly experienced models Ayla Rose and Anna Rose. Both models were very athletic and flexible, so I asked them to pose together in a dynamic fine art set.
It was clear from the start that both women enjoyed the challenge. Although they had never worked together on such a set before, they sparked off each other and produced the most creative and challenging studio shoot I have done to date.
I ended up completely exhausted after the demands of the four-hour shoot, but the resulting images won several international competitions and brought my work to a much broader audience.
The second such shoot was a solo shoot with professional model Cariad Celis in May this year at two Ice Lagoons in Iceland. How Cariad could pose so beautifully and naturally in such low temperatures with a biting wind chills factor was incredible. Iceland’s scenery of snow and ice was stunning, but add Cariad’s harmonious posing and the resultant images are amongst my personal most loved images.
Q7. What can we find in your camera bag for a regular fine art photography shoot?
Ans. My Canon 5D Mark IV camera, paired with the Canon EF 24–105mm f/4L IS II USM zoom lens, which I find ideal for my work in nature. It allows me to capture both wide landscape shots and closer compositions where the subject appears larger in the frame.
I would also carry a standard Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens, as well as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 portrait lens.
In addition, I carry two spare batteries, several memory cards, a lens cloth, spare lens caps, and, because I work mainly outdoors in nature, a small first-aid kit.
Explore this camera buying guide for beginners to choose the right camera for your photography needs and follow Paul Veron’s approach.
Q8. How do you select your models?
Ans. I spend many hours exploring fine art photography portfolios and identifying models whose work I particularly admire. I then review their recent references to assess reliability, professionalism, and work ethic. While I prefer working with professional models, I also look for people who are artistic and creative so that we can collaborate effectively.
Once I find models I enjoy working with, I often continue collaborating with them. The more you work with someone, the more relaxed and natural the process flows. At the same time, I like to keep things fresh by discovering and working with new models.
Get practical guidance on directing female models to create more confident sessions, inspired by photographers like Paul Veron.
Q9. What are 3 of your top posing tips every photographer should know?
Ans.
1. Give a clear brief in advance. Be clear about what you hope to achieve from the fine art photoshoot and the agreed boundaries. Never push beyond what has been discussed.
2. Always respect the model. Give them time to ease into the shoot and avoid over-directing them. Allow them to feel comfortable and confident during the fine art figure photography session.
3. Encourage experimentation and creativity. Do not be too fixed in your approach. Offer encouragement rather than criticism, focus on the positives, and gently guide the model toward the result you want to achieve as a fine art photographer.
Improve your sessions with these professional model posing tips to refine your posing approach, inspired by photographers like Paul Veron.
Q10. If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
Ans. Unquestionably, I would choose to be an author of both factual and fictional books.
While my writing would not be limited to photography, my ultimate dream is to combine my photography and writing skills to create a book with a meaningful message featuring my best work. I would love to bring together my experience as a fine art photographer with my passion for storytelling.
Q11. What message or feeling do you hope to convey through your fine art photography?
Ans. I am always seeking to convey the intrinsic connection and sense of belonging that we humans have with the natural world and our environment.
This message is especially important in a world where digital and virtual experiences are rapidly replacing face-to-face interaction and time spent in nature. This growing connection between nature and well-being is increasingly being recognized worldwide by psychologists and other health professionals.
Q12. What do you consider your biggest achievement so far?
Ans. While I have been very pleased to have won several international photography competitions and to have been published extensively in many magazines across several continents, my most satisfying achievements have come from exhibiting my work alongside other talented artists and photographers in galleries and juried exhibitions in Hamburg, Lisbon, London, Miami, Milan, and Seattle.
However, perhaps the pinnacle has been my first-ever solo exhibition at the beautiful Le Passage Gallery in my home in the British Channel Islands. The exhibition, held from 2nd–9th September 2023, featured some of my favorite studio dynamic fine art photography alongside fine art figure photography captured in natural settings across several European countries..
In wrapping up our chat with Paul Veron, it is clear that his work as a fine art photographer reflects the power of visual storytelling and the connection between people and the natural world. His approach to fine art figure photography combines creative expression with thoughtful compositions inspired by nature.
Through his photography, Veron encourages viewers to look at the human form from an artistic perspective and appreciate its connection with the environment. His work demonstrates how a fine art photoshoot can communicate ideas about nature, creativity, and human connection.
Explore more of Paul Veron’s photography here.
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