Why I got naked for a porn shoot, and a gay photographer’s thoughts on why we’re still shy of our bodies [NSFW]

Kendal Mint Cake interviews Berlin photographer Goodyn Green

When it actually came down to it, getting naked wasn’t that difficult.

It was the hour before that was the hardest. Which boxers should I wear? What about my tan lines? What if someone at work sees the pictures? Why am I really doing this? What are people going to think? And really, why should I care? Somewhere between fumbling as I took my shirt off, getting in the shower and pretending to ride a bike with my ass out, I realised I didn’t have to worry so much. I just had to enjoy it.

This is what makes the Berlin based photographer Goodyn Green’s latest project, ‘The Catalog’, so effective. It’s disarming. Page after page of confident, queer women who are fine with their bodies and their sexuality. Their nakedness is often presented as beside the point. Many of the photos are explicit, but each image plays with and celebrates the gender expression of the subject. Borrowing poses typically found in gay male porn, Goodyn has crafted a collection of images that acknowledge queer female sexuality and pornography for what it should be: hot, provocative and refreshingly tongue in cheek.

I caught up with Goodyn after her visit to London:

What inspired you to start The Catalog in the first place?
I was inspired by the lack of pornographic images of hot androgynous queer women! And the fact that I get terribly provoked by female sexuality being so often is portrayed as something tender, soft and nymphic.

You’ve said that your work is heavily influenced by gay porn magazines. What is it about these that attract you?
The mixture of sexy asses and ridiculous poses, and the ability to balance on the thin line between the two.

Who was your first subject?
My friend Mia, who is my absolute favourite model. She has posed for me for other projects too. She came to Barcelona during the one month I was there and we shot the first photos for The Catalog, including the cover photo, and Mia and Ena looking at each other’s vaginas.

A lot of your photos make nakedness feel quite incidental and tongue in cheek. Do you think queer people find sex easier to laugh about? Or do you think everyone should take sex less seriously?
I really think many people should take sex and nakedness less seriously. But it is a difficult subject. Most girls and women grow up learning that their naked body is something that shouldn’t be shown in public – we have to cover our breasts in the summer or when we go to the public swimming pools etc. Pussies are private. Dicks are public, and they are funny, and sexy, and something to be proud of. At least that is how it seems.

I was always shy about my body, but at the same time I hated being shy, and I wanted to push my own boundaries to fight against this feeling of shame that so many women have. I want to be able to walk around in the streets in the summer with no shirt or bra on. But it is not easy to overcome that fear that has followed you since you were a teenager. A friend of mine actually once got a notice from the police for cycling in the city without a shirt covering her breasts – apparently it causes problems for the drivers… I think learning that our body has to be so private prevents a lot of women from thinking and behaving freely regarding sex. This creates this need for security and trust that we feel can only be shared with one partner – whereas most men don’t grow up being fed with this nonsense regarding their bodies. This makes it easier for them to behave freely when it comes to sex and nudity. Queer women often have a more liberal way of thinking these issues, because they want to fight against these stereotypical beliefs that women are not as sexually active or driven as men.

How easy is it to find willing subjects?
It is quite easy to find models in the circles I move in, but not as easy to find models who will show their pussies – hence the fear of showing our most private body part in public. That makes me sad.

And what would you like people to take away from your work?
I’m not sure. I would like people (queer women in particular) to look at my photos, and through them get a feeling of strength and need to expose themselves more frequently. And to be turned on of course! And I would like others to see what queer female sexuality is all about.

What are your thoughts on pornography in general?
When it is good it can be emancipating, empowering, groundbreaking, important, etc. besides of course arousing! When it is bad it can be stifling, misogynist, intolerant, racist, sexist, stereotypical, boring… And I guess it is up to you to decide what you find good and what you find bad.

Many of your photos play with gender ambiguity. What is it about this that intrigues you?
A broad variety in gender expressions always appealed to me. It is just more interesting when you don’t always know what to expect.

Where do you want The Catalog to end up?
It is due to be released in the beginning of November. The first release party will be in Berlin on November 12th, and it can be purchased from the Bend Over Magazine webpage, as well as in numerous queer bookshops. But I also want it to end up in places where not only queers come and go.

And finally- does your girlfriend mind you spending so much time taking pictures of naked girls?
Ha ha! My girlfriend is one of my models! So no, she doesn’t mind.

All photographs by Goodyn Green, from ‘The Catalog’
You can check out some of The Catalog on Goodyn’s website
And you can order the book through Bend Over Magazine
For you technophobes out there, both The Catalog and Bend Over Magazine are available to buy at Gay’s The Word.

Related:
An Interview with a Female Pornographer
Naked picture 101 : Things not to do (NSFW)
Lesbo laziness (Or, please stop telling me about this new club, I’m not interested)
Thoughts from a Confused Lesbian: the Feminist dilemma