I am in a constant state of awe as I photograph these beautiful women for my Winter Nudes gallery. Their courage, trust and daring is enough to prompt one to bow at their feet. Today was an excellent example. My model on this cold grey February day was a woman who generally ducks out of sight whenever pictures are being taken. Yet when I told her about my Winter Nudes project and invited her to pose for me, her response was, "I don't want to do it, so that probably means I should!" And she did. Beautifully, I might add. The mask was her idea and I was delighted when I saw that she'd brought it. I'd already laid out a large selection of scarves on the table in my studio for anyone who might want to use one. Interestingly enough, my friend chose a scarf that had been given to me during my visit to Beirut, Lebanon in November 2005. It felt wonderful to have it used in this way.

Technically speaking I was very happy with how my new backdrop worked out. Thank you, dear Pat! And my search to find and buy daylight bulbs for my lamps paid off. The colors turned out to be true to life without any need for photoshop manipulations. I'd also turned up the heat which was much appreciated by today's model! And I had carefully chosen a CD--Margie Adam's piano solos on "Naked Keys"--that I felt would make my friend feel comfortable. And that's what it's all about--making your model feel at home. A body at ease is a body that shows its innate grace and beauty. When you see the gallery of photos from today, I think you'll agree that this masked Winter Woman is innately beautiful. But it will take awhile before this gallery is up and running. I have 85 photos to go through so I can select and prepare the best of the best. Today's image is just a preview of coming attractions...