Art
'Being [photographed] naked gives a person a different expression'
Photographer Daniella Midenge is known for her audaciously sensual nude portraits that walk a fine line between provocation and art. She traces the roots of her incredibly intimate vision in her first coffee-table book, 'Sex & Cigarettes'
Midenge’s compelling photographs walk a fine line between provocation and art. The images hold a power of expression; they elicit a certain gaze.
“When I started photography, I was really only doing what came from my heart. It was, and still is, all about taking photos that feel more like photography — not like fashion photography — something you put on the wall, something timeless,” she says.
Midenge’s background — she comes from a creative family and has previously worked in makeup and art direction — put her on the path to being a photographer. Her photographic expertise is self-taught and driven by her desire to create beautiful images of women.
“I always thought being a photographer was such a technical thing, but it’s not really — I’m not a technical person at all. It’s more about feeling and art direction and knowing what to add and what to take away,” she says.
The book contains 132 black-and-white and vivid colour images of female models only, over 192 pages and includes self-portraits of Midenge.
“There can only be one man in my images — his name is Stephan,” Midenge quips. Stephan is her cat.
• This article was originally published in The Edit Holiday 2017, a fashion and beauty magazine sent out to select subscribers. Read it online now.