She is unique in that she is able to capture a level of eroticism that is distinctly feminine. When asked how her work was different than most male photographers, she offered “The difference is that I don’t stand behind the camera drooling. I think that women open up more to a female photographer. It’s like little girls playing around. You can be a bit naughty and do things you wouldn’t do in front of boys. It’s more relaxed somehow. I think it’s an empowering experience – and no, I don’t believe they are objectified.”
She encourages movement in her images “because I know what it feels like to be in front of the camera, I can be more sympathetic to my subjects.” Von Unwerth continues “Being in front of the lens, you are very vulnerable. It’s not a nice feeling, and I don’t miss it. But it’s very helpful to know exactly what it’s like. When I was a model I hated when I wasn’t allowed to move, so I love movement and I encourage my subjects to play around, to move and to be silly.” It’s important to her that she and her models enjoy themselves — to have fun, she believes, is to be in control, “which is the most important thing: a woman should fight for that”.