At Ease

Simon Bolz, the photographer, said something pretty straightforward in his caption about Marie: she’s such a positive and open young woman and extremely photogenic. Looking at the photos, you can see it immediately. She looks comfortable. Not like someone performing comfort or playing a part – just actually there.

Marie is 22, from Giessen, used to be on Germany’s Next Top Model show. She did this shoot in Spain for Playboy’s February 2019 issue. She’s a rock and metal fan, started playing guitar at thirteen, was in a band for a while. Just naturally uninhibited.

What stuck with me from the interview was how she talked about sex and relationships. If there’s no desire, no passion – just routine and a head that’s not really there – I’d rather not. And then: You have to have fun and let yourself fall. That kind of honesty doesn’t usually make it into print. Most people soften it. She didn’t.

Looking back at these photos now, years later, what’s actually interesting is how genuinely at-ease she is. Not performing that ease – actually at ease. It’s harder to capture in professional photography than you’d think. Usually there’s some kind of tension underneath, some awareness of the camera. Not here.