I know firsthand how deeply personal it is to step in front of a camera or allow an artist to capture your shape. Twenty years ago, when Kordian and I began photographing women, we made one decision that has guided our work ever since: the woman in front of us must always feel safe.
For us, her comfort was never an extra detail. It was the foundation of the entire experience.
Over the years, we’ve welcomed women at completely different stages of their lives. Some were young models taking their first steps in the industry. With them, we felt a particular responsibility. A first experience in a studio can shape the way a woman sees art—and herself—for years. We wanted that beginning to be respectful, professional, and encouraging, especially in a field where not everyone understands the importance of clear boundaries.
Other women came to us after experiences that had changed them: a long illness, a difficult relationship, a divorce, or another private turning point. They were not simply looking for beautiful portraits. Often, they were trying to meet themselves again.
We often thought of these as sessions of self-discovery. Not because we were trying to change anyone, but because the experience itself was quietly transformative. A woman might arrive feeling uncertain or disconnected from her body and leave having seen herself with greater kindness. The process was never meant to take away her confidence. It was meant to help rebuild it.
I bring exactly the same philosophy to every body casting session I create today.
Trust is the first material I work with
When you come to us for a body cast, you place an extraordinary amount of trust in our hands. I understand the weight of that trust, and I will never treat it casually.
Body casting is intimate by its nature. It asks you to be present in your body and to allow an artist to preserve its shape at this exact moment in your life. You may feel excited, vulnerable, proud, and nervous—sometimes all at once. Every one of those feelings is valid.
The session takes place in a private, calm atmosphere. To ensure the casting process is as smooth and quick as possible for you, my husband, Kordian, assists me in the studio. His role is strictly technical: he prepares and mixes the materials, manages the tools, and ensures we work efficiently so you never have to hold a pose for longer than necessary.
With decades of experience photographing women, Kordian’s approach is entirely professional, respectful, and grounded in discretion. He only enters the workspace once you are fully prepared, positioned, and comfortable. However, please know that all direct work with you, including the application of any materials to your skin, is carried out exclusively by me.
You deserve to know exactly how the process works and who is in the room. I also keep nudity to the absolute minimum. Only the part of your body required for the cast is ever uncovered. If I am creating a cast of your buttocks, you remain dressed on your upper body. If I am casting your torso, only that specific area is uncovered, while the rest of your body remains clothed or carefully draped. There is never a reason for you to reveal more than the artwork requires.
Privacy is not simply about closing the studio door; it is about helping you retain a sense of dignity, choice, and control at every stage of the experience.
As little direct touch as possible
I follow a simple principle: if touching your body with my hands is not absolutely necessary, I avoid it.
For example, I will ask whether you are comfortable applying the moisturizing oil carefully to your own skin. The first layer of casting material is applied with specialist spatulas rather than with my hands.
Only when I begin working with the plaster bandages do I need to use my hands to shape and support the material. Even then, I wear medical gloves. This may seem like a small detail, but small details are often what create a genuine sense of safety. Your comfort is not something I assume. It is something I protect throughout the process.
Professionalism, to me, means more than technical skill. It means respecting your personal space, your dignity, and the trust you have given me.
A patch test before we begin
Before the casting itself, I always perform a small skin patch test.
I use professional, skin-safe materials selected specifically for body casting, but I also know that every body is different. A product that is well-tolerated by most people may not be right for absolutely everyone. The patch test is therefore an important precaution that allows me to check how your skin responds before we proceed with a larger application.
It is a simple step, but it reflects something essential about the way I work: I never want routine to replace attention. No matter how many casts I create, the body in front of me is always individual and deserves to be treated that way.
Protecting your skin and body hair
If you have read about body casting before, you may already know that silicone can catch very fine body hair as it sets. To make the removal process as comfortable as possible, we prepare the skin carefully before the session.
Moisturising oil helps create a protective layer, and on areas with more body hair, I apply a generous layer of cosmetic petroleum jelly. This helps the silicone release easily and prevents unnecessary pulling when the mold is removed. My aim is not simply to create an accurate cast. I want the experience of creating it to feel considered from beginning to end.
You are not an object in my studio
Perhaps the most important thing I can tell you is this: you will never be treated as an object, a mannequin, or merely “a body” to be copied.
You do not need to look like a model. You do not need a perfect figure. You do not need to wait until you are younger, slimmer, braver, or more confident.
You arrive with a life already written into you—with experiences, changes, joys, losses, and strength. My role is to honor that story and preserve a part of it with sensitivity and care.
The finished cast matters, of course. It should be beautiful, precise, and worthy of becoming part of your home and your history. But the way you feel while it is being created matters just as much.
After two decades of working with women, I know that trust cannot be demanded. It must be earned through consistency, discretion, and respect. That is the promise behind my process.
Your story deserves to be remembered. And throughout the experience of preserving it, your comfort will always come first.