The shape of ease
Julie, what made you pick up the camera that day?
I had to hang up the backdrop anyway — it was too hot and the sun was blasting into my apartment. But while doing it, I felt that familiar discomfort. And that always invites me in, somehow.
The heat was the trigger?
Yes. It was the spark. Normally I work with soft, moody light. This time I wanted to play with the harshest noon sun. It became a playful moment: creating something out of something uncomfortable.
There’s something I can express through self-portraiture that doesn’t come out otherwise.
You work with self-portraits often. Why?
That’s a good question. There’s something I can express through self-portraiture that doesn’t come out otherwise. It’s not just expression, it’s also discovery. At some point in the shoot, something shifts, gets closer to my core.
What do you see in the final image?
This time, my body really became the canvas. It always is, but now with a twist: I created my own shadow using a plastic Ikea branch. That tiny act of control changed everything.
What do the shadows mean to you?
I believe deeply in the idea that we can re-make ourselves. Learn new things. Unlearn old ones that don’t serve us. This image didn’t “just happen” — I made it. That makes a difference.
Was it an intuitive shoot?
Half-half. The idea of the fake branch was intentional, but the rest was experimentation, what felt right and looked good.
The image feels both vulnerable and guarded.
That’s a good summary.
What does ease mean to you here?
The greatest art is to make something difficult look easy, which I find funny as hell.
What do you hope people take away from the photo?
That even in nudity, it’s not about sex. It’s about vulnerability, and how strong that can be. I’ve let go of needing everyone to get it. But I hope someone sees and feels it, maybe even sees that they too, can change themselves for the better. There’s always a choice.
