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Me By Me 2025

It’s back! The Me By Me project is returning to SEAF in for one final time in May 2025!

In 2015 I created the Me By Me project, where I asked participants to draw a life-sized nude version of themselves and then pose alongside their artistic creation. Instead of just displaying the images online, I transformed this project into a three-day installation at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival. I set up a large photo booth at the festival so attendees could partake in the Me By Me process. The project went so well that I repeated it in 2017 and 2022.

Well, it’s time to do it once again. I am now prepping Me By Me to return to SEAF in May 2025. Like before, I need to take some shots prior to SEAF so I have some printed images to display and serve as bait to lure in the next participants.

Exciting Update! This time, I’m encouraging couples (or thruples, or whatever) to draw each other! You can team up with a romantic partner, a friend, or even someone you just met 15 minutes ago. Of course, solo artists are still welcome!

 

DRAW YOURSELF NAKED! BECOME ART AT SEAF!

MeByMeProcess

So How Does This Work?

It’s actually pretty straightforward:

  1. You puzzle over how you want to draw your naked image.
  2. You achieve a moment of artistic inspiration.
  3. You do your drawing.
  4. You toss aside your clothes.
  5. I take your picture with your drawing.
  6. The world rejoices!

I am looking for several brave volunteers do drawings and photos prior to SEAF. And from what past participants told me, the “brave” part has to do with the drawing rather than the posing. Everyone is always eager to throw off their clothes, but draw a picture? That’s some scary stuff.

 

Just the Facts

  • I want you to come to my basement, draw a picture of yourself then pose naked next to it.
  • It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw! Take a look at the gallery to see the wide range of styles people have used. Whatever you can do is absolutely fine.
  • I’ll be making a nice print of your image, which will be displayed at SEAF. After that, you can have the print if you’d like it.
  • I need to finish all photography by the end of March 2022, so don’t dilly dally.
  • Interested? Finish reading everything on this page and then be in touch!

Not-So-Fine Print

By now you should have a pretty good idea of what this is all about. There are, however, several things I want you to read and be OK with before you do something as silly as go to a stranger’s basement and let him take a naked picture of you.

  • Who can participate? Absolutely everyone, as long as they are at least 18 years old. Beyond that, there are no requirements and no exclusions. I like variety!
  • My basement studio is not exactly ADA compliant (1929 house with steep stairs). If you have special requirements let me know and we’ll try to figure something out.
  • Shooting happens at my house, which is on the north end of Green Lake in Seattle. There are several bus routes that have stops nearby. I’ll provide the exact address once we book a session.
  • You will be fully nude in your pose. No props, boots, hats, or ferrets.
  • Need to be anonymous? We can definitely work something out. You could, for example, cover your face with your hands, or pose with your back to the camera.
  • I occasionally have someone helping me with photo styling, so there might be that extra person present for the shoot as well.
  • You will need to sign a standard model release allowing me to use your image for this project. You can choose whether or not your image ends up in an online gallery.
  • Sorry, I do not provide raw images or contact sheets. You will, however, get a nice print of your image once the project is wrapped up.
  • You must be able to coordinate your photo session with me via email. At any given time I’m typically in conversations with up to a dozen participants and I need to keep everything centralized or all hell will break loose. Well, 90% of hell.
  • IMPORTANT: I consider our time together to be a true collaboration. I’ve set up the framework and established some guidelines, but your creativity is what makes your image a fantastic part of the project. For myriad reasons, however, that collaboration has to end as soon as we’re done with the photo session — from that point forward, it has to be all me. I will comb through all the shots to find the one that works best and will then integrate it into the overall project. Sometimes the photo I choose isn’t necessarily the best one I shot of you, but it’s the one that works for the project so that’s the one I’m going to use.

Your Next Steps

At this point you are likely trembling with excitement over your opportunity to take part in Me By Me! Here’s what you need to do now:

  • Send me an email at info@theyareonlypixels.com to let me know you’re interested. To minimize the amount of back-and-forth emails, it would help if you told me when you are available to make the trip to my house (I work from home so I’m quite flexible). You will probably be here for less than 45 minutes, depending on how fast you draw.