Can you give me a little intro about yourself?

My name is Miechele and I’m a photographer based in Northern Wisconsin and Western North Carolina, USA.  I live with my Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Monty and 2 horses. My preference is film photography and landscapes/the outdoors as well as travel photography.   I am currently attending university for radiology. 

What led you to create your profile?

I created a separate profile for my self portraits actually, I live in a very small town and a couple years ago I had some issues with someone in my area that didn’t agree with my style of self portraits and budoir photography. They were very outspoken about it on my profile and in the community. Eventually I removed the photos from my photography profile and created a new one and I don’t aggressively direct others to finding my artistic profile. 

Which camera and lens do you shoot with, and which software do you use to edit your photos?

My primary cameras for my self portraits are my 2010 Canon T3i, my late 90s Minolta Maxxum 35mm, a ’76 Canon AE-1, and my Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus smartphone. I don’t have super expensive cameras or equipment, though I’ve recently started to expand my collection into external lighting and backdrops. I also use Adobe Photoshop, Snapseed, CoffeeCam, FIMO, LightX and VSCO for digital post processing.  My favorites are Snapseed and CoffeeCam.

In your opinion, how do you decide when something you create meets or exceeds your expectations?

For the longest time I have been doing my self portraits using the stock 10 second timer on my phone, therefore it would often take several shots before I could get the one that I am looking for.  Sometimes they turn out the way that I want them to, and other times they can often be disappointing. Usually I prefer to have darker moods and contrasts in my photos, but often times I actually find something unique within those disappointing shots.  I usually process my photos in a similar fashion throughout the shoot, to fit a certain mood, or to pay homage to the shoot location.

Could you please describe your perfect shoot if it could be done without any restrictions?

If I could do a shoot anywhere it would definitely be somewhere with an urban vibe and lots of lighting and reflectors and things that I don’t normally have access to!  An abandoned building or an awesome structure all to myself, or in a city like Boston or maybe London or Paris outside.

Have you also been visual when expressing your emotions? 

I notice my facial expressions throughout my modeling career, and now my self portrait art, tend to be similar in nature.  Occasionally I have tried to experiment with more vivid emotions, though sometimes I find this difficult as a neurodivergent on the spectrum.

What motivates you to keep posting?

My motivation to keep posting is the self portrait community.  In spite of the different levels in photography and processing knowledge, in spite of whether we agree with mature content and nudity, we still have a connection. While our art can often times be so different, and we as individuals can be quite different, we tend to find courage and strength in one another.  The courage to try something new. The courage to feel vulnerability, and to know that we are not alone.  

Is there anything you wish to tell everyone that your photos don’t say?

I feel like with self portrait photography there can be an assumption of vanity or narcissism. I actually hate the way I look now, compared to during my modeling career 15 years ago. I believe there are often assumptions about others based on content that is shared.  A lot of my portraits are nude, and while I am not shy about my body, my mind is shy. I realize I cross a lot of boundaries with my content in regards to my culture, and even though I am a model, models deserve the same respect from others regardless. 

Do you think social media sites restrict content creators or makes them more creative in finding different ways to express themselves?

I understand the restrictions that are placed on social media, particularly in the United States.  I see it both ways, I find it irritating as an artist that I have to edit my work, and at the same time I’ve learned to have fun with it. I also enjoy pushing the boundaries and I have yet to have a photo flagged or taken down 😉.

How do you handle the attention (Good or Bad) your profile brings? As I hear, attention can come from pushy men or random people, mainly because your profile is not private.

I have struggled with the public/private profile idea. If the privacy policy did not restrict hashtag distribution, I would likely have a private profile. I have separated my main photography from my self-portraits as well to avoid some scrutiny. I am selective about who I respond to in DMs and err on the side of caution.

As an artist creating sensual imagery using yourself as a model, what is your process behind revealing your face where so many choose to stay anonymous

I struggle with whether or not to include my face sometimes, but I feel as if it is already done, so there is no reason to alter my work in another direction. I also can’t find models to aid in creating my ideas. Someone will find a photo of me with my face and my body naked on the internet, and I know my work is not erotic cheap pornography. I’m proud of my work, myself as an exhibitionist, and who I am.