Nude Portraits & Self-Care: A Day in the Life of Maria Kn

The importance of self-care and sexual health can never be understated; the Lust Zine Wellness Series invites various experts and guides to help teach practices that will greater expand what wellness means to you. All episodes of the series are available to watch on my Youtube and right here on Lust Zine for free.

Model and photographer Maria Kn invites us into her home for a sneak peak at a day in her life. From slow mornings with yoga and smoothies, to taking nude portraits as self care – Maria shows us how she connects to her body and a more vulnerable side of herself every day.

Step into Maria's world and be prepared to want to slow down and connect with your body on a private and intimate level. Watch her video below and then read her interview to find out more about her inspirations, her sexuality and what exactly goes through her head when she's shooting.

Q: What inspires you most as a photographer/model?

By daydreaming. I love just coming up with things in my mind and then trying to put these ideas into some sort of visual reference. I’m also very inspired by nature and by traveling. I love seeing different landscapes and kind of the feeling you get when you are there: the humidity and the air pressure and whatever makes you feel like you are in that place and what makes you feel different.

Q: Why do you photograph yourself in the nude?

I take nude portraits of myself because I think clothes usually give you a certain sense of style, a certain sense of time period, and I prefer my portraits to be timeless. And also that they could be taken anywhere at any time and nobody would know.

Q: What’s your favorite part of your body?

My favorite part of my body is actually my hands. I don’t know. I have a weird connection and obsession to my hands.

Q: What goes through your head as you’re shooting?

What goes through my head when I'm shooting is probably music that I’m playing in my head if there's no actual music playing. And I’m connecting to this inner kind of movement and just trying to synchronize my body with those emotions that I have at that moment.

Q: What do you feel most proud of?

I am very proud of having a healthy relationship with myself more and more each day. It's not always been like that, and I think it is hard to find a way to be yourself and stop caring what other people may think and how they may judge you for what you're doing. So it's a day by day process, but I'm very proud that I am trying to get there every day.

Q: What is your relationship to your sexuality?

I think for me since I’m using my body for work all the time, it is a very interesting question how my relationship with my sexuality is. Most people think when you shoot nude especially, that this is a very sexual process all the time. And I have to say that for me, it is very detached from that. I feel when I shoot, I am almost not a sexual being. But of course I am, and I think that when I do have sex in my private life and there is no camera there, it’s just my partner and me, it is a much more animalistic and primal or intimate side of me. There is no camera watching me. And I don't care if anybody is watching me. It is more like I’m letting go, and I think that is maybe the biggest difference for how people perceive sexuality that is on a professional shoot and maybe the more private sexuality that is not surrounded by cameras.

Q: What makes you feel sexy?

What makes me feel sexy is probably a healthy relationship to my body and definitely a way of trying to not feel judged or not caring about being judged.

Q: When do you feel most free?

I feel most free when I'm on a road trip, and I don't even see the horizon.

In this free Lust Ed video, performer and creator Nat Portnoy teaches you the ultimate masterclass in taking your own sexy photos. From tips on posing to working with lighting, get all of the tips you need to take artistic, nude self portraits that you can shoot on your smartphone. Watch and learn!