Nude Form Interview Leila-Hazlett

We at Nude-Form had the pleasure of interviewing Leila-Hazlett Our aim with this interview series is to provide insight in how other people approach their work but also allowing us in getting to know our fellow group members. Below is interview.

Question 1: Let's start by telling us something about yourself?

Answer: I'm a pretty quiet and somewhat antisocial person who happens to feel very comfortable being nude in front of a camera. I always had a strong love of art and science but ended up choosing to study science in college however I never fully gave up my creative pursuits even when I had to spend long hours working in a lab. I am also a Buddhist and tend to like animals more than people.


Q2: How did you get into modeling?

It wasn't something I thought much about at the time. I was in college and a photography student wanted to take nude images of me for an art project. I was nervous at first but quickly started got comfortable. Once I saw how well the images came out I knew I wanted to keep modeling. I never thought of myself as attractive before but seeing those images made me realize I actually had a nice figure and was fairly natural at posing.


Q3: What attracted you to the medium?

I started off as a photographer before doing any modeling. I started shooting 35mm film in high school however I had to borrow a camera from the school since I couldn't afford my own. I was more interested in photography than modeling but modeling was cheaper than trying to be a photographer. I'm not exactly sure why I had an interest in photography at first. There is something about black and white film that is so expressive and emotional regardless of the subject.


Q4: Do you partake in any other creative endeavors?

I've started painting again after years of being too busy to make art (I will likely have some images of my painting posted on here soon). I've also started writing although I'm not sure if it's anything I will ever publish.


Q5: Work long enough in this business, you're bound to experience some comedic episodes even if its only funny in hindsight. Would you be willing to share one of yours?

I love shooting in fun locations like in the woods or on rooftops. Once when I was shooting nudes with another model on a rooftop we joked about possibly needing to run inside quickly if someone in a neighboring building saw us and decided to call the cops. Sure enough right after that the photographer looked over and saw a guy in a window staring right at us. We started to grab our clothes but then noticed the guy had called a friend over and the two of them were in front of the window smoking out of a huge bong. At that point we decided to just finish the shoot since they weren't likely to call the cops.

Q6: What do you like to do in the rare moments you have free time?

Meditate. Read. Watch cartoons.

Q7: For the sake of this question, we'll take for granted that "respecting the model as a human being" is the unspoken first piece of advice. What other advice would you give a photographer, perhaps working w/ their first nude model?

So this may sound a bit counterintuitive but I feel it's best to view the model not as a woman standing nude in front of you but as an object. That isn't to say you should "objectify" the model in a negative sense, I just mean you should focus on line, form, and composition. All of the principles and elements of design are a part of the model's body. That is how I view my body when I pose for artistic nudes and I feel that is what makes me a successful model. If you are nervous about shooting someone in the nude viewing them as the art you are going to create may take away some of that anxiety. However you should always treat the model as a collaborator and not some sort of living mannequin. This does go back to the whole respect issue but while I think it may be obvious to most people that you should respect a model as a person not all photographers view models as collaborators who are truly a part of the artistic process.

Q8: What do you feel are your strengths whether they are as a model or just in life?

As a model I know my body very well. I know what angles work for me, I know how to accentuate my curves and present myself in the best way possible. I've been doing this for so long that posing comes very naturally.  


Q9: What's the story behind your username?

Leila is actually my name, it's an old gaelic name that not one person I have meet has been able to pronounce correctly at first.


Q10: Any nuggets of wisdom you'd like to share w/ other models pursuing their dreams?

You are only as professional as you want to be and you will only get out of this what you put into it. Learn how to pose for your body type, learn to love your body and acknowledge but don't hate your flaws. If you want to make a name for yourself you have to be more than a pretty face. Bring your creativity and energy to everything you do.

Q11: We each have a defining moment in our lives (sometimes more than one), where it changes us from the person we were to the person we became, even if its only recognizable in hindsight. Would you tell us about one of yours?

A year ago I had to have a spinal fusion for the second time (I didn't have any type of accident, I was just born with a vertebra that didn't fully fuse). The first one was very painful and had a long recovery but this time around the surgeon assured me that the second surgery would be less invasive, have a shorter recovery time, and would result in me having less pain and more of a "normal" life. None of that turned out to be true. I suffered permanent nerve damage and am more disabled than I was before. I am still adjusting to having a vastly different life than I had before. I can't model as often which was upsetting and I had to give up a job that I really loved. However I have been able to rediscover my passion for art. Since I can't go out much I have started painting and writing again. In a way by losing my physical abilities I have regained some of my creative abilities. It is not a change I would have asked for but now that I am in this position I am happy to have rediscovered a part of me that I had so long pushed aside.


Q12: What are the most common set of difficulties you've experienced as a model? How did you or how are you working to overcome them?

Communication. Over the years I've learned to only set up shoots via email. I have had people want to set up shoots via the phone and then when I arrive to work with them they have claimed I agreed to do things that I would never shoot. Even when setting things up via email I find it best to repeat details including the time and date of the shoot to make sure the photographer is on the same page. I once showed up to a studio only to have the photographer claim he didn't book me for that day. I had to make him check his email in front me to prove I was supposed to be there. This is why I mostly just work with people I know well at this point.


Q13: What is the proudest moment you've experienced as a model?

Having one of my self portraits published in a magazine.


Q14: Pretend personnel & budget are not an issue. What's your dream project that you'd drop everything in your life to do?

I'd love to do a project where I transform myself into an animal-human hybrid, not via photoshop but with make-up and high quality prosthetic pieces. I've always liked the idea of being something more than human. I have the vision in my head of what I'd want to be transformed into, just not the funds to make it happen.


Q15: Pretend you're omnipotent. What would you change about the photography, modeling, or the industry in general?

Lots of things. Certain aspects of the industry are worse than others. I am far too short to have ever considered fashion modeling but have meet plenty of girls who do or at one point did fashion modeling. A girl I went to college with had a bad coke problem that she picked up at 16 when she started doing fashion work. It's not easy to be almost 6 ft tall and a size zero without having to do something unhealthy to stay that thin.

Q16: Who are some visual artists you admire, whether they be here on deviantART or elsewhere? The answer need not be limited to the photographic medium either.

I tend to like art that is a bit darker and stranger than what most people like. Dali and HR Giger are my favorite visual artist.


Q17: Favorite cartoon character?

I really enjoyed bugs bunny growing up. I loved his carefree yet defiant attitude and that he would randomly crossdress.


Q18: Who'd win in a 3-way fight: pirates, ninjas, or robots? How do they win?

Robots. They just use their laser eyes to fry the crap out of everyone!


Q19: Favorite movie?

For sentimental reasons I would say Watership Down but The Watchmen has to be the best made movie I have ever seen.


Q20: What's your favorite book? In what way has it effected you (if at all)?

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it at a young age (maybe 13?) and it made me feel like I wasn't the only person who was dissatisfied with the world around me. I know that sounds negative but I mean it in a good way. I really enjoyed Vonnegut's view of life and humanity and started reading anything by him that I could get my hands on. Reading his work made me feel less alone as a teenager and made me hopeful that there were other people in the world who saw things from a different perspective.

Q21: Anything else that you'd like to add or ask us here at the Nude-Form group?

This group is a real treat to follow. Keep up the stellar work.

We appreciate you allowing us to pick your brain. Keep up the great work & best of luck to you in the future.

For those who are interested (or are new & have not had an opportunity to read them all), here is a list of our past interviews. Feel free to comment away if you so desire because we here at the Nude-Form LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE feedback. Don't be shy in leaving a comment below. It reminds us that there are people out there who actually read these.

Also in case you wish to read &/or comment on our past interview subjects, they can be found by following the links posted below.

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Beyond that if anyone wishes to have something asked on a regular basis (it can be photo/art related or just irreverant), you are encouraged to privately message the group. The same applies if you wish to be interviewed (it saves me the energy in thinking who I should pitch the offer to & whatnot). It doesn't matter if you're mainly a model or a photographer, we're interested in a variety of perspectives for this series.