Detroit Nude- Tell us a little bit about you.
Abby- I’m a ragdoll circus freak with a special place in my heart for the lyra (that’s a person-sized steel hoop that hangs down and spins). I’ve been practicing for a bit over four years and nothing makes me feel better than being in the air. Beyond that, I’m pretty much a total geek – the kind that has very strong opinions on casting for superhero movies.
DN- How did you come to be involved with Detroit Nude?
Abby – I heard about the project from my partner, Zac. He suggested I reach out to you, but you actually got to me first, asking for some circus – specific shots. And, well, I always have been a bit of a show off.
DN- How was your shoot? Was it fun? Was it what you thought it would be? Were you nervous before you shot? Would you do it again?
Abby – The shoot was so much fun! I haven’t done any public nude modeling before so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Honestly, my biggest concern was being cold! I wanted to bring my panda onezie to wear between shots, but I was afraid it might draw too much attention. I would absolutely love to do a shoot like this again though, especially ones where I get to work off of existing structures (aerialists can turn anything into a playground).
DN- How much modeling experience had you had before this shoot?
Abby – I’ve modeled for figure drawing and anatomy classes before, as well as a couple of aerial photo sessions. Zac’s also a photographer though, so I very often wind up being a model by virtue of being present. Usually I have clothes on for those though.
DN- What is your artistic background?
Abby – My background is in theater, I was a fairly decent actress and a pretty good director but my favorite was always stage combat. I would go do fight demonstrations with rapiers, daggers, broadswords, and battle axes. I also learned welding and blacksmithing while I was in school (let’s hear it for liberal arts education, right?) and made my own lyra.
DN- What line of work are you in?
Abby – My day job is as a chocolatier. I’ve always loved baking and making sweets for people and it turns out that if you do something for fun enough times, you really can get good enough to do it professionally.
DN- Would you recommend shooting for this project to anyone else?
Abby – I already have actually! I don’t know if any of them are planning on following through, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes going on adventures in the middle of the night and is comfortable being naked in public around strangers. But seriously, everyone was very nice and very professional.
DN- Can you tell us about any specialized training you have had?
Abby – Other than the four – plus years of training my muscles to stretch way beyond normal human limits and building the muscle needed to support and manipulate my whole bodyweight in midair? Nah. No special training.
DN- If you could tell the world one thing, what would it be?
Abby – I would encourage everyone to keep questioning themselves and the world around them. Don’t settle for the simple or the mundane when you don’t have to, and don’t accept the parts of the world that need to change. Listen more, judge less, and give back whatever you can to the people who need it and the people you love.
Abby can be contacted at abbyraewood@gmail.com