More Triangles
December 28th, 2006
How many triangles can you find in this photo? This was shot in my studio a while back. The model is Gia. I worked with her several times, but it’s been a while. I have several photos of Gia that I am very happy with, but this may be the best of them. Just taking advantage of the sun through the windows in the studio.
This works for me as a cubist composition. I particularly like the light on her face. The triangles don’t hurt, either.
I’ll be traveling over the next week or so. I’ll post when I’m able, but it may be sporadic because I don’t know when I’ll have web access. I’ll be doing one shoot while I’m on the road, so I should have some new photos to post soon.
Shelly under a bridge
December 27th, 2006
This photo of Shelly was taken about a year and a half ago during my first shoot with her. She is in the Tar River under a bridge. I’ve often found good light and settings under bridges. I think this one worked very well. A beautiful model doesn’t hurt either. I like the light, the reflection of Shelly and the overall color palette.
It pays to go back and look through old shoots from time to time. I had pulled this shot out and put it in my “selects” folder when I did my first edit, but never did anything with it. A look back through brought it to my attention and now it has the place it has always deserved in my body of work.
Triangular Kris
December 26th, 2006
Triangles are fun to play with in compositions. Especially when the light offers them to you. The female figure, of course, is full of triangular possibilities.
Here I was photographing Kris in an empty building owned by a photographer friend in New Albany, Indiana, across the river from Louisville. The light was doing interesting things later in the day and Kris did a great job of posing to take advantage of it.
I’ve been trying to contact Kris about setting up another shoot sometime in the next month or two. Hope I succeed. I’m sure there are a lot more great photos to be made with her.
In the middle
December 24th, 2006
Here’s a studio shot in between the extremes of the last two posts. This photo was actually done on assignment for a magazine, one of the very few times there has been a commercial application for my figure photography. It was used to illustrate a story on back pain in a national women’s magazine.
The model does not normally do nude work, but was willing to pose this time because of the magazine tear sheets it provided for her. I’ve photographed her many times, but this is the only figure shoot we’ve done. That’s a bit of a shame because she has a wonderful, powerful body, as you can see, with great potential for fantastic figure work. But, I never try to talk any model into posing nude. That’s a very personal decision and I’d never want a model to do a shoot and then feel bad about it afterwards. Afterall, it’s only photography.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
High Key
December 23rd, 2006
This is a studio shot of Nemesis from a while back. Several tattoos back, in fact. Couldn’t do this shot with her now without a lot of photoshopping. Here it’s just high key lighting and exposure with a bit of adjusting in photoshop as you would do in the darkroom when printing a negative. I like the little touch of color in the lips and nipples. That’s what I think makes this one stand out a bit from the many millions of similar shots done over the centuries.
Thanks Nemesis…
You can buy a 2007 calendar of Nemesis photos here: http://www.lulu.com/Wayward
Low Key
December 22nd, 2006
Like most everyone I’m very busy with holiday things this time of year. It will be that way for the next couple weeks, but I’ll try to post as much as I can.
I’ve decided to post some of my older studio work, for a change of pace. This is a low key shot of a beautiful black model, Miana, who I worked with a few times some years back. Haven’t heard anything from or about Miana for years now.
Consider this my tribute to yesterday’s winter solstice, the darkest day of the year.
Red on Black
December 20th, 2006
Red on black is a special color combination for me. There’s a lot of symbolism there, especially for someone like me who grew up and lived in Appalachia. It’s the symbol for blood on coal. I’ve used it a lot in my photos because it always has an emotional response for me, and maybe for other viewers. I hope so, anyway.
Of course, this isn’t coal and it isn’t blood. But the colors still work for me. And the pale skin adds something else to the mix.
This is Jessica getting dirty and scratched by volcanic gravel outside Flagstaff, Arizona. I took her up to the volcano there because of her red hair and pale skin. I knew it would look interesting on that black volcanic rock. We got a late start on the shoot and had to rush, so I didn’t get everything I had in mind, but I think this one works.
Jessica is a fun model to work with. She knows how to work hard and takes a very professional approach to shoots.
Mystical Doorway
December 19th, 2006
I’m always looking for good locations for photographs, especially in the winter when I can only shoot outdoors on a rare occasion when the weather happens to coincide with a very brave model. This photo came about because a friend of a friend saw my work and said, “You really need to come and shoot in my house.” Her house was once a church, then an art gallery and then she and her husband bought it and made it their home. The wonderful painting was done by the owner of the art gallery. The light was quite wonderful that day.
This photo later became the theme photo for a one man show I had at a gallery called “The Mystical Doorway.” It seemed an obvious fit. That gallery, which was also a “New Age” type gift shop, became my best location for print sales for some time until the owner decided to close it and move on to a new phase in her life. I miss that shop and my occasional visits with the owner, who is a delightful woman.
So, this photo has many connections for me with a bunch of my favorite people, including, of course, the model, Charlye Raine, who appears in a number of my favorite photographs. My thanks to all the great people who made it possible for me to do this photo.
Another of Candace
December 17th, 2006
Another Candace photo. This one was shot in a DC hotel room. I like the way her skin tone and texture matched up with the tone and texture of the wall paper in the room. Lit by window light.
Candace and her friend Elizabeth will be visiting Ohio January 8-11. This is a rare opportunity for Ohio-area photographers to work with one of the top figure models in the country. Contact Candace or Elizabeth to discuss a shoot.
Candace: www.candacenirvana.com
Elizabeth: http://www.onemodelplace.com/member.cfm?ID=180514
Candace
December 16th, 2006
Candace photographed near Frederick, Maryland. Candace is a great model who does a fantastic job with figure work. She’s also an accomplished photographer and artist, so she “gets it.” I’ve worked with her several times and it’s always been a pleasure. In this case I was interested in breaking up the lines of the figure as we are accustomed to seeing them. I used the light and shadow to almost create a camouflage effect. I was also interested in the monochromatic nature of this composition with the touches of color that nature provided. And Candace provided a pose that worked perfectly with the themes I had in mind at the time.
