In conversation with William Freeman: 'But, I have to start shooting naked men'

Interview by Daria Kushnerenko; edited by Anna Mladentseva

— One of the reoccurring themes in your art is nudity. What is the main reason for your attraction towards the human body in art?

WF: The main reason why you can see a lot of nudity in my artwork is because I truly believe that the most natural way of expressing emotions and feelings is by being naked. That is when you can really see how a person is feeling through the lens. I honestly think that. In the end, we are all animals and wearing clothes is not as pure as being naked I guess. But, I think I need to shoot more naked males. If you observe my work, you will only find pictures of nude females. I don’t know if that’s coincidental or if it’s because I come across more beautiful, pure, sexy and attractive women. But, I have to start shooting naked men. For sure.

— You are a photographer and this requires a certain skill of seeing beauty in the ‘mundane’. How do you know when it is the right moment to take a photo? What is your internal process and what do you feel while taking your photos?

WF: To be honest, I am trying to work on my speed at the time of shooting. I usually shoot on film and I prefer to direct the model in order to get what I want and what is on my mind. I don’t like to waste film. It is very expensive. In addition, you need to know exactly what you are doing. You can’t check if you are doing things right like in digital photography. You can’t guess. You need to be 100% sure that you are doing things right.

— When doing photoshoots with people, what are you looking for? Is it a search for a beautiful appearance or rather an emotional search? How do you connect with models to achieve the ‘perfect’ shot?

WF: There are two different types of shoots: one that you are carrying out when you are hired by a client and one that you are arranging with your team or with some random people that you’ve just met; which in most cases is a personal project. In the first one you have to achieve what you are hired for and add your style and essence. In the second one you are looking for creating and developing a concept of yours. In both cases, I am trying to capture emotions and beauty. And the only way of achieving that is to get everyone involved and have good communication with everybody. Not just models. Communication with stylists, art directors, makeup artists and assistants is vital too.

— You are from Mallorca but you’ve lived in the UK for a few years. How did your surroundings affect your style and your feelings about photography? Does the location matter in your photography?

WF: I guess I got influenced quite a lot by British culture when I was living in London.  Without forgetting where I am coming from — Mallorca. If you have a look at my work sometimes you see a bit of everything, but that is what I really like about my portfolio. Depending on the location where I am shooting at, the mood is very different even if I am trying to just be myself. The location is ridiculously important. You need to match the mood, location, styling, makeup, etc.