Sinful Sunday: strong and lithe

I did a little experimenting with direct light again, but only one photo of the lot was usable. The background is better lit than anything else, and overall the effect is dark, almost a silhouette in places. (Increasing brightness left the image a little flat.) And yet, despite all of this, I’m really pleased with how much this photo manages to express. Specifically, the curves of my shoulders and upper arms (as well as a bit of collarbone and a pair of shapely axillary fossae) illustrate the strength that I feel.

I have known for a long time that my shoulders are strong. When I first started this style of dance over 10 years ago, I was the only one in the class not complaining that my shoulders were sore. At that time, I credited the ballet-based training I had done as a tween and young teen for building the relevant muscles at the right time; the martial arts I did around the same time probably didn’t hurt either.

I didn’t think anything more about it until about four years ago, after I moved to a different city and started dancing with a new group. One of the women there (who is an all-around lovely person as well as gorgeous, and goes to the gym) complimented me on my shoulders and asked if I worked out. I don’t — I just dance. I had never really appreciated my shoulders until her comment, but now I’m proud of them.

(Sinful Sunday is a weekly meme featuring sensual and erotic photography. Click the icon at the top of this post to go to the homepage and check out the other links.)

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Edit: I’m delighted to report that this photo was chosen as one of the top 5 in the Sinful Sunday Weekly Round-up! Here’s what guest judge sub-Bee said about the image:

A fantastic use of black and white, the lighting in this is incredible. The way you have used the light to create shadows that pick out the contours of your body is stunning. I have a big thing for shoulders and I think yours are gorgeous and you are right to be proud of them.