Meet NYC erotic photographer: Leo Brooklyn

Leo Brooklyn is an erotic photographer based in NYC. She’s one of those magic people, in other words the artist and the muse, and as a sexually liberated woman, she is helping other women to step into their sexual power. Her astonishingly powerful photos tell the rest of the story.

Could you introduce yourself and what you do?

I’m a portrait photographer and I love photographing women who exist in the erotic space- performers, sex workers, cam girls, show girls, etc. Women who own their sexual power are an inspiration to me and I love to capture them the way I see them- sexy and powerful.

What was your journey into this world?

I’ve been a photographer for 15 years- I used to run a full time wedding photography business in Philadelphia and I often did boudoir shoots for my brides for many years. In the past 4 years I went through many personal changes. I sold everything I owned and move to South Korea for two years.

In 2021 I moved to New York City. I decided to start asking photographers to photograph me and I started my Leo Brooklyn instagram to showcase sexy photos of myself.

Hot is an attitude. I had always wanted to do sexy modeling but I didn’t act on it until the past couple years, at age 37.  Eventually I realized I should use Instagram to share the photos of powerful hot women I photograph and since I’ve started this project I’ve attracted some of the most interesting and amazing people into my life- my favorite kind of people!

What type of photography services do you provide?

I do boudoir photo sessions for women and couples, promotional photos for sw’ers, and I have many years of experience shooting weddings and events including nightlife.

How would you describe your photography approach in a nutshell?

 I create a warm and welcoming environment for all of my models, muses, and clients.

Feminine energy is my favorite energy to photograph and my photos are often colorful and fierce with my subject clearly owning her erotic power.

Are you able to present one of your favourite photos/photoshoots by you and explain why it is special to you?

I absolutely love this shoot I did with Lily Kasai who commisioned me for work photos for her twitter:

We shot in the Liberty Suite of the Standard Highline Hotel which is such a dope retro 70’s elevated love hotel kind of space and she put together 3 of the most iconic looks to create a really unique and playful story line. She’s been a sex worker for many years and she has such a wonderful imagination and a unique and playful approach to her marketing. It was really cool to capture her energy. You can view more of the photos here.

A good erotic photographer understands the power of owning your desire, understands and respects the industry of sex work, and always mantains a strict level of professionalism.

Many people who are not photographers or models might not understand all the elements that create a powerful photo. It’s not about having a perfect body or being the exact weight you want to be. It’s important to trust a photographer’s vision.

I have been helping women pick out and put on lingerie for over 10 years. I’m obsessed with lingerie and I love that I get to be immersed in erotic fashion through shooting boudoir and through making photos of sex workers.

It’s fun to know how to buckle garter snaps onto stockings quickly and how to lubricate latex!

What is your usual process for a shoot from start to finish?

Clients can reach out to me through my booking form on www.leobrooklyn.com at which point I send them a questionnaire, and a contract and invoice for 50% to book. I send them preparation tips a few days before the shoot. My shoots usually last 1-2 hours. I shoot efficiently and I love getting to know the amazing women who book me. I deliver a gallery of images within one week for them to choose their final images.

Who are your artist inspirations?

Erotic photography has always been my favorite genre. I love the work of Nobuyoshi Araki- very snapshot aesthetic kink and sex parties in 1980’s Japan.  I also love the bright and bold portraits of women and fetish by Hakif Akan Celebi. I’m inspired by Catalina Pinotti who photographs showgirls and sex workers in a very colorful and strong portrait style.

And I love Maria La Sangre who does erotic photography with this deep kind of spiritual energy. I am very inspired by how Alexandra Kacha has created such a successful boudoir business through photographing sex workers and civillians.

How has your relationship with what you do evolved over time?

I am always a portrait photographer at heart.

I will photograph people for the rest of my life whether that’s street fashion, boudoir, studio portraits, or whatever I do.

When I first started shooting boudoir photography I had to learn how to pose women who were not used to being in front of the camera and I became very good at that. As I’ve begun photographing professional hot girls in the past two years, it’s been so cool to be immersed in their erotic power and expertise in front of the camera.

What are your hopes for the future in this world?

I hope that social media platforms will stop censoring our art but I don’t think that’s very likely. It’s very sad how limited our reach is on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest. I am forever shadow banned so all of my networking and follows come from within the community and I really need someone to help me with smarter marketing on Instagram!

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