This was the second time I'd actually worked with Perrin. She's an amazing amazing woman and what I wanted to do with this particular sitting was create something raw and stripped back. A lot of my work is heavily edited fine art which is a little bit glossier, and so I set about creating something with her that was different and very honest and very raw. I don't usually even shoot in black and white, so this was a big challenge for me. The day we shot it was going to be about 45 degrees outside, so we decided to shoot at dawn and this shot was taken pretty much in full sun, probably the worst photography conditions imaginable, and it felt like photography Survivor, getting my settings right. But it was this beautiful honest moment that we caught together, and it was very hard for her to keep her eyes open because the sun was so bright and that's what we got. I think it speaks to her presence and power, and I think it opens up a dialogue about our idea of femininity and it kind of challenges society's views on femininity and and beauty in general. I'm really proud of it.
