ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – What is your full name and how long have you been a photographer?
BRUCE JENKINS – My full name is Bruce Anthony Jenkins. I started photography around 30 years ago, capturing scenes at local car drag races. Life took a turn and I stepped away from photography for 25 years. I picked up the camera again about 5 years ago, and I’ve been creating ever since.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Where are you based, and what are some photography challenges you face in your area?
BRUCE – I’m based in the California Bay Area, United States. The biggest challenges here are finding the time to shoot and securing suitable locations for the kind of artistic and intimate work I create.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Your portfolio strongly features nude art and boudoir photography. What drew you into this genre, and what inspires your creative direction?
BRUCE – It all started quite unexpectedly. I was invited to a casual event organized by people I followed on social media. I didn’t know anyone personally, but I knew it would be a photography gathering. During the event, some of the women started posing nude, and organically, we all began collaborating on artistic shots around the property.
While my work naturally evolved toward artistic nudes and boudoir, I draw deeper inspiration from surreal and dark-themed photography. Artists like Brooke Shaden and Miss Aniela influence my style significantly.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – You did a striking photoshoot involving snakes. Can you tell us more about that experience?
BRUCE – That shoot was organized by a talented Bay Area photographer, Daniel Chase. He set up a workshop with two models: Sativa_Grace, a local model and friend, and Poetic.minx, a traveling model from Australia. We shot with a 13-foot Burmese python—actually, two snakes were brought in, but the shoot was nearly canceled because they were agitated and starting to shed. Fortunately, everything aligned, and we captured some fantastic, one-of-a-kind images that blended elegance with primal tension.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – How do you find and connect with models for your concepts?
BRUCE – My journey began with Craigslist, and later I moved to platforms like Model Mayhem, which can be hit or miss. Most of the time now, models are recommended by friends or discovered through social media. While I bring my ideas to the table, I always make space for the models’ input—they’re artists too, and they often have creative ideas that don’t get explored enough.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Is photography your full-time profession? How do you structure your rates?
BRUCE – Photography isn’t my full-time job, but I’m constantly working on improving—whether it’s lighting techniques or post-processing. If I’m producing work to sell, I pay the models. If a model reaches out to me for their own project, we discuss my fee. I also pay traveling models when I specifically want to work with them.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – What are you doing to grow your visibility as a photographer?
BRUCE – Honestly, I’ve mostly relied on social media platforms like Instagram and Vero. I’ve been published in a few magazines over the years, but I know I could do more in terms of marketing. That’s something I’m working on improving.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Any advice for emerging photographers who want to explore nude art photography?
BRUCE – Start with research and be patient. Being new makes it harder to gain trust with models, and your first shoots may fall through. My biggest advice is to shoot for fun and to experiment with many styles. Over time, you’ll find your voice.
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Where can people contact you or book a shoot?
BRUCE – You can reach me through:
- 📧 Email: B.a.jenkins@comcast.net
- 📸 Instagram: @Bjenkinsphotography
- 📱 Vero: Bruce Jenkins
- 🌐 Model Mayhem: #3084354
ARTISTIC VIGILANTE – Thank you, Bruce, for sharing your journey with us. We’re excited to see your continued evolution in the world of fine art nude and boudoir photography.