Nina, American Housewife

When we photographed Nina in early Spring, the snow was just starting to fade and her separation still felt fresh. She had arranged for an unusual trade between the home where she raised her two enthusiastic boys, a beautiful large house in the woods, for a cozy home closer to town. Some of the complications of a modern day commitment, such as healthcare, were still being worked out.

With The American Housewife, I wanted to stretch creatively. Even though I had never done nudes before, I felt they would be a powerful statement. Nina offered to disrobe if I was also willing to, but upon realizing I had no qualms about accepting the proposed quid pro quo, she ended up deciding not to!

She offered to dress in négligée instead, but my concept of the nude was not one of sexy but of empowerment. If you can stand comfortable and relaxed in your own skin, nude and unashamed, this is powerful! The idea moved us to explore another approach and our collaboration resulted in the bedroom/mirror image, a different but still compelling outcome.

Although many folks may have already seen the poignant viral campaign from Dove, it’s worth posting here as I believe this is a strong commentary on understanding the challenges of what so many women face in our culture.

Besides being a lover of all things wild (nature/wildlife) and having a brilliant and dark sense of humor, Nina is also a very talented photographer who has devised her own lens fixture for creating beautiful and surreal imagery of her experience in the world.

See more images from the series below.

To see a few of the other subjects from the series, visit www.davemoser.com.