I haven’t yet figured out the fascination people have with themes like death and blood, but for whatever reason, these tend to be the ideas that my models love… and many of my viewers too. I don’t mind doing them, but it’s not really the personality or the mark that I want to leave on my body of work. What to do?

To me, the power of this photo is the angle. Yes, she’s twisted in a pose only a corpse would be comfortable in. Yes, she’s covered in blood, eyes wide and mouth gaping. But to me, it’s the fact that we the audience are experiencing this photo at eye level that really sells the idea. We’re not looking down from six feet up, like a forensic photographer. We’re looking straight on, from the point of view of the rat that’s about to come lick up the blood…