Most people prefer to pleasure themselves in complete privacy, but 22 plucky women proudly posed for this photographer while they did so.
Marcos Alberti thrust his camera in the faces of an array of females while they enjoyed a ménage à moi - to document their expressions before, during and after they reached climax.
Speaking to LADbible, the Brazilian snapper has now lifted the lid on how he set this sensual photoshoot up back in 2017.
Following the success of his series 'The Wine Project', Alberti got the urge to 'explore another human reaction' through photography and significantly raised the stakes.
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This time, he decided to shine a spotlight on female pleasure. As he believes this is a 'subject that is still considered taboo', he hoped that his work could encourage people to view masturbation through a different lens.
Why it was important to capture the female orgasm
Explaining how he concocted the idea for 'The O Project', Alberti told LADbible: "Usually, when we see a woman experiencing orgasm, it’s either in a real-life situation or through explicit content.
"In both cases, there is a shared sexual experience between the subject and the viewer. What I did here was remove that layer completely.
"I isolated the physical and emotional expressions, focusing only on the face, turning something typically seen as sexual into something observational, almost scientific, but still deeply human."
Alberti said that when he initially ran the concept for his boundary-pushing project by people, they 'immediately associated it with pornography'...which pretty much proved his point.
"That reaction itself showed how limited the visual language around this topic was," he continued. "So for me, the most interesting part is exactly that, presenting a completely different perspective on something so familiar, and challenging the way people are used to seeing and interpreting it."
Only 22 models decided to go through with the experiment
Alberti put the call out for candidates willing to take part while he was visiting Singapore - and incredibly, a whopping 2,000 women applied.
"However, as we started talking more openly about what the project really involved, many of them decided not to continue," he recalled, explaining that he ended up whittling it down to 24 models.
The photographer explained that those selected 'truly understood the concept and felt comfortable with it', saying: "They agreed to participate because they saw it as something bigger than just a photoshoot.
"They believed in the purpose - to challenge perceptions, normalise conversations around female pleasure, and help open a more honest and healthy dialogue about the subject.
"There was also a shared feeling that the project had the potential to resonate globally, much like 'The Wine Project'."
He spent two hours with each individual before whipping his camera out and said that they spent the majority of this time 'just talking, building trust, understanding her personality, and creating a safe environment'.
"Only in the final 20 minutes did we actually go to the set and take the photos," Alberti said. "That connection was essential for the authenticity of the project."
Capturing the female orgasm in the moment
More than 20 women, who were each armed with a personal massager, then let loose while the photographer took an array of images to document each stage of the masturbation process - the first showing them in a natural state, the second documenting the build-up, the third capturing the moment of climax; and the fourth immortalising the afterglow it left them with.
Inevitably, a lot of his muses looked quite demure in the first shot - but their expressions soon became a lot more animated and uninhibited as they worked themselves up to the height of pleasure.
The headshots taken 'unveil the slow or, in some cases, rapid progression of each woman’s facial changes as she reaches and recovers from orgasm', Alberti said.
The photographer also answered the million dollar question on everyone's mind - just how exposed were his subjects who took part in The O Project?
Explaining how he structured the intimate photoshoot, Alberti told LADbible that he rented a 'small, intimate studio' and 'built a private set-up'.
"There was a panel with a small opening where I placed the camera, directed only at the participant’s face," he said. "The women were seated behind a table and covered with fabric, so I couldn’t see anything beyond their facial expressions. I didn’t actually 'watch' what was happening. I could only see their faces. Before each session, I carefully explained how everything would work and made it very clear that I wouldn’t interfere at any point.
"My role was purely observational, I was there to capture authentic moments, not to direct them. We would start with a simple portrait of them looking directly into the camera.
"Then I asked them to choose a song or artist they liked, and from that point on, they were free to do whatever they wanted."
Alberti said two of his subjects did ask to be removed prior to the release of his photography series, as they were 'concerned about potential professional implications' due to their high-flying jobs, which is a decision he 'completely respected' given that his project had 'strong viral potential'.
The important message behind the The O Project
Reflecting on the success of The O Project, the photographer said: "What I love most about this project is that it talks about sexuality without actually showing anything. It’s not erotic, it’s not vulgar, and that was very intentional.
"The concept is very unique, and it connects with multiple layers of human experience. It touches on a taboo subject, but in a way that is not aggressive and not explicitly erotic. It’s also not designed to provoke or offend.
"I believe that’s the key to its success - it approaches a complex and sensitive topic in a light, almost playful way, making it more accessible and opening space for conversation rather than confrontation."
Topics: Art, Sex and Relationships, Originals
Olivia Burke