Simon Bolz

Simon Bolz (born 1976) lives and works as a photographer in Frankfurt. He studied design at the Academy of Visual Arts (aka FAKD), graduating in 2002 as a state-certified designer with the highest grade (1.0) and distinction. He has been working as a professional photographer since 2006.

His work centers on sensual nude photography. He has published three photo books: Frisky (2014), Sublime (2018) and Mellow (2024). Since 2009, a calendar of his work has been released every year.

He has been photographing for Playboy Germany since 2012. Alongside this, he creates productions for calendar publishers as well as independent artistic projects.

In my work, I celebrate the beauty of the female body. To me, nudity is the most natural thing in the world; we were all born naked. My nudes are meant to convey warmth, authenticity and freshness, carried by an eroticism that suggests rather than exposes.

I almost always work with natural light, yet light is not what matters most to me. What matters to me is authenticity in gesture, posture and facial expression. I look for unusual poses, colorful motifs without kitsch and surprising elements with attention to detail.

My retouching is so subtle that it goes unnoticed. I do not alter bodies, create composites or add image elements. Every image remains a genuine photograph.

I work with ease and intuition. My sensitivity is visible in my images, even in a genre where one might not expect it.

We live in an age of sensory overload, surrounded by negative news every day. My images offer a counterpoint: lighthearted stories that invite a moment's pause and bring joy.

I work exclusively in series, never on single images. Yet none of my series follow a formula: I am constantly searching for new themes and poses. In fact, my whole life revolves around images.

Simon Bolz