The nude muse

Slovakian photographer Peter Juhás has two great loves in his life….

The nude muse

Peter Juhás has two great loves in his life. Interview by Paul Rouse.

Artists get their inspiration from different sources. Slovakian photographer Peter Juhás has no doubts as to where his comes from.

“I have been keen on photography for over 20 years,” he explains, “and during that time, I have photographed many different women. But I always felt there was something missing. A real connection. We weren’t on the same wavelength. Then I met my fiancée Alexandra and discovered her charm. She is my inspiration, my muse. Now I only take photos of her. When I see her naked body, I am immediately flooded with so many ideas for photos.”

So it was love at first sight?

“Not exactly!” admits Peter. “I was travelling a lot on business and had just returned from Vietnam. I was tired and grumpy. A friend had recommended Alexandra to me because she wanted to have some photos taken. We kept in touch afterwards, and started writing to each other. We then met up again to take more pictures. That's when we fell in love. We discovered that we both loved photography and naturism, and had so much else in common too. Our love became everything.”

Time

Peter works as a production director in an outdoor events company, so by his own admission, doesn't have much free time on his hands.

“I now take photos exclusively for pleasure,” he says, “not for the money. I did it in the past, when I was photographing models for fashion shoots. But it didn't fulfil me. And since meeting Alexandra, I have now completely changed my approach. It’s now exclusively about the passion, and portraying my thoughts. Like me, she doesn’t have a problem with nudity, and she is also my best and greatest critic.”

The main showcase for Peter’s work these days is his website (damien.sk) on which he curiously goes under the pseudonym of Damien Manson. What’s the story?

“I used to be a member of a local photography club, and exhibited at many exhibitions,” he explains. “I was still looking for myself and my style. I tried different genres of photography until I finally fell in love with nudes and staged photography. I began to get offers to organise my own exhibitions in different cities in Slovakia, and started using my nickname from university, Damien Manson, so I opened a page under that name. It stuck, and as it became more established, it didn’t make any sense to change it.”

Although only a labour of love, he is however keen to see his photographic work appreciated outside of Slovakia. “That’s why I have set up my accounts on social media in English, and communicate only in English. I have many followers from all over the world, and to my pleasant surprise, many of them are naturists, who give us ideas and inspiration for our future journeys. I love getting to know new places, and especially those where we can be naked, and which are photogenic too.”

Balance

The couple are keen on maintaining the life/work balance, and as Peter says, “we spend as much of our free time as possible travelling, taking photos, and visiting nudist beaches together. Alexandra has recently got into yoga, and we have found many opportunities to combine the three worlds: yoga, photography and naturism.

“We love the freedom of swimming and sunbathing naked. Whenever we go on vacation, we are always looking for a nudist beach nearby. We enjoy the seclusion, and hate being on a beach where you are crowded like sardines in a can. We have discovered lots of beaches in Croatia (such as Crikvenica, Selce, Petrčane, Vodice and Baška Voda) and last summer we did a road trip around Kefalonia. It’s beautiful place, with huge beaches without too many people, crystal clear water, and a feeling as if we were castaways. We really liked that you only have to take a short hike to each beach, and you can find your own piece of paradise there. We also love Zen Beach on Koh Phangan in Thailand. It’s an island for yogis and hippies, so we felt completely at home there!”

Home

Whilst he loves the great outdoors, Peter feels equally at home in the studio. “It has the advantage that I can set all the lights exactly as I need. I have more time, I can see all the photos immediately on the PC, and we have the advantage of a relaxed atmosphere. The downside is that I can only use a limited background, so I have to edit the photos more. Shooting exteriors is certainly fun, with almost unlimited possibilities, and I hardly need to do any editing. The disadvantages are finding the right time and place, because of the position of the sun position or the weather. And sometimes people interrupt us, and we have to stop shooting.”

Slovakia’s winters can also be harsh, which further limits opportunities. But like most naturists, Peter and Alexandra love the sun when it does put in an appearance. “We live in a small town surrounded by beautiful lakes with pristine water. In summer, sometimes we'll just run outside with all our photo equipment, take off our clothes and take pictures. At other times, I'll just take a camera with me without any equipment. Spontaneous photos are often the most interesting.”

Getting his message across however can be frustrating.

“I'm fairly new to social media,” he says, “and like many artists, I hate the restrictions and the censorship. Social networks try to cover people's eyes, but in doing so they devalue art. Nudity is not porn. I have however had my accounts blocked on several occasions. I guess it's about compromise. It's a very thin line when we're talking about nudity. Some love it, some despise it.”

What’s next for him?

“I love gadgets. I have invested a lot in packable photo equipment because we travel a lot, and am always on the lookout for anything else I can reasonably stuff into a normal suitcase. I'm also thinking about buying a drone because I've always been intrigued by video. Beautiful shots from the beach: just sand, water, sun and naked bodies.”

Plural?

“Never say never,” says Peter.