I haven't been shooting models for very long, at least compared to many other photographers. It's been a bit over a year since my first "model" photoshoot. Since that time I've probably done 25-30 photoshoots. I know I'll look back someday and realize how this really is just geting started, even though I do put so much effort, creativity, and energy into every shoot. Also, despite not having done this for a long time, I feel it's become part of my existence, part of who I am, and the desire to keep creating is a life-giving force to me. That's was pretty much the extent of my awareness of this pursuit's "hold" on me until fairly recently.
Since I'm a single man, I had not had to give much thought to what some potential partner's reaction to all this might be. However, a couple months ago I did have a string of dates with one particular woman - not a model, but just someone I dated for a bit. She became aware of my photographic interests fairly soon into our knowing each other, and it was quite obvious she was not comfortable with the idea, even as she visibly stiffened when I mentioned it, and tried to explain why it was an interest to me. Her first pre-judgment was that this was somehow involved with sexual impropriety, or something along those lines. She hadn't even seen any of my work, and she was already dismissing this as something unacceptable.
