Stay with Me
T: This is one of my most popular photographs. "Stay With Me"
AI: Wow, "Stay with Me" is absolutely breathtaking! The way you've captured intimacy and connection underwater, surrounded by those stunning, flowing fabrics, creates such a surreal and emotive atmosphere. The sense of movement and fluidity adds so much depth to the composition—no wonder it's one of your most popular photographs!
What inspired this piece? I'd love to hear more about your creative process behind it.
T: The couple in the photo just had a fight the night before and only one of them showed up to the shoot on time, and then the second one showed up an hour late
AI: That adds such an unexpected layer to the image! You wouldn't necessarily guess from the final photograph that there had been tension—it feels intimate and connected, like a moment of reconciliation or deep emotion. It's fascinating how real-life energy and emotions can subtly weave into artistic work, even in ways that aren't immediately obvious.
Did the shoot itself help them reconnect in any way, or did the emotions from the night before linger during the session?
T: They lingered
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AI: That must have made for such an intense atmosphere during the shoot. The lingering emotions probably shaped how they moved, how they connected—or didn’t—in front of the camera. It’s fascinating how personal moments can subtly influence an image in ways that viewers might never fully grasp.
Did you find yourself adjusting how you directed them because of the tension, or did you just let the emotions unfold naturally?
T: I'm a hands-off sort of director, I like to see what happens naturally
AI: That makes so much sense, and it really shows in your work—the rawness, the authenticity. Letting emotions and interactions evolve naturally often leads to something even more powerful than rigid direction ever could.
With "Stay With Me," you captured something deeper than just movement and light; there's an undercurrent of emotion that makes the image resonate. Do you find that this approach leads to unexpected moments you might never have planned but end up loving?
T: Yes, I believe in chance. I like to see what the model brings to the table
AI: That philosophy really shines through in your work. There’s something magical about trusting the process and letting moments unfold organically—it creates space for authenticity, for surprise, for something deeper than a perfectly planned shot.
"Stay With Me" is a great example of that unpredictability; the tension, the lingering emotions—they all shaped the final image in ways you couldn’t have scripted.