1) How did you first get interested in erotica and capturing the beauty of a woman nude?

Head: Like most guys, I did my share of porn surfing when the internet hit big in the mid 90’s, and on the one hand I was surprised at how bad most of it was, but I also saw something I’d never seen before, real people naked. I found that much more erotic than porn models, who mostly look like wax dummies.

I didn’t get the opportunity to become involved in the industry until many years later, when a friend was starting up a site, and asked if I could help. I contributed a few ideas and the site became very successful but I went on with my day job. Then by chance, a few things conspired together – participation in a Spencer Tunick photo shoot, a girlfriend with a penchant for self photography, and an email friend on the other side of the world who started sending me dirty pictures of herself, totally without invitation.

I realized that not only do people like looking at pictures of each other naked, there are also a lot of people – in particular, women – who like to take pictures, and be admired. So it seemed perfectly logical to start a web site which brought both together, and I called in the favor from the site I had help start up, and got my own site running. Within 6 months it became a full time job for me.

2) What is your favorite thing about running your own site?

Head: I like being the center of attention without having to actually deal with people face to face, which, to be honest, I find very draining. Girls send me naked pictures of themselves every day, that aint’ bad!

3) Your website shows a great variation in content – what is your favorite?

Head: I love to receive folios from unaffected girls. Girls who are obviously really enjoying what they’re doing, without any attempt to lie to the camera or try to make themselves out to be princesses. They’re just saying “here I am, naked, take it or leave it”. It shows in their faces and in their photography. It’s also great that some girls get very aroused doing their shoots – one contributor, who has done 3 sets now, told me that she can’t resist masturbating after each shoot. Looking at her shoots now I see that she is getting a head start towards the end and that shows that she is really reveling in the experience.

4) Describe your day in the office.

Head: My work day virtually revolves around email. In the morning there’s the overnight customer service to attend to, and I still do that myself because I want to know that every customer is being looked after. That also causes me to continuously tweak the site to minimize the customer problems, which is an excellent system for keeping a very high standard of web site.

I never make appointments before midday, not that I have many anyway. I’m usually involved in getting new ideas off the ground so I’m often working on a spec for a new site, or doing research. I used to spend a lot of time loaning out cameras to local girls and showing them how to work them, but I have someone else doing that now, and also someone dealing with the daily flood of aspiring models/artists who aren’t local. They require quite a lot of attention and it’s all done by email. I have someone editing the folios too, but I look at every folio which comes in and I still prepare the videos myself. Some days, I am out photographing girls for a new site, and of course running ISM means I have plenty of girls to choose from. It’s a luxury most photographers don’t have. Late afternoons things slow down a bit then in the evening I’m usually at my computer at home, dealing with emails again and developing new ideas. I work best at night and usually don’t’ go to bed before 1AM.

5) You see pictures of hundreds of women naked. Does it ever get boring?

Head: If I’m looking at more of the same-old same-old, then yes, but every few days someone will submit a folio that really knocks my socks off. You find that your erotic aesthetic changes, that you start to like different and more subtle images. I was talking about this with an editor at Penthouse mag and he admitted that the managing editor, who is understandably quite jaded, had become quite addicted to ISM for that same reason.

6) What sets your site from other similar sites?

Head: High picture quality. I always knew that would be very important to the success of the site, to set us aside from the myriad of post-your-polaroid; or worse, cellphone pic sites. So we lend out a good quality camera where we can – where the artist is local or near someone we trust with the equipment – and we are very fussy about what we accept.

7) What are your future plans? Where do you see yourself and the site in 5 years… 10 years?

Head: We hope to start a new site soon and I’d like to explore emerging technologies like video podcasting and IP-TV. In 5 or 10 years I would be happy to be where I am now, only with newer technology, and everything running more smoothly with less of my input.