Flower Child
July 28th, 2010
I’ve been enjoying shooting with Kelsey again. She is such a wonderful model that I always want to shoot with her, no matter what else is going on. Unfortunately, what else that has been going on every time we’ve shot so far this summer is bright, hot sunlight. Not the ideal light for what I’m trying to do. But I do enjoy the challenge of working with light that isn’t easy, even though it does limit what I’m able to do.
I know I could add lots of artificial methods to control the light and bend it to my will. But I’m not really interested in doing that. I know how. I have the tools. I’ve used them in the past. But the results are not anything that interests me. I’m interested in what the light does naturally, not what I’m able to force it to do. I don’t want to force the light to conform to a preconceived idea of what “good” light looks like. Rather I like to try to find good photos that work with what the light presents me with.
That’s not really easy. It would be far easier to just slap on a flash unit and do flash fill, or bring out the reflectors and scrims and move the light around and block it in places. But I find photos done that way uninteresting. And I also find that “bad” light can sometimes offer surprisingly good photos if you work with it. So, that’s what I try to do. I don’t always succeed, but when I do I’m much happier with the photos than I would be if I went the other route.
Of course, I love it when the light is being cooperative and there’s a nice cloud cover to soften the sun. Every day last week was like that, except the day Kelsey shot with me. So it goes.
Kelsey is such a nature girl that I thought this photo was a good representation of who she is, so I like it even though it’s more of a glamour portrait than the kind of thing I usually am trying to shoot. But I don’t feel any need to keep my work inside any little box that other people want to put it in…so here you have something a little different just because I like it.
Wet Angie
July 24th, 2010
It’s way too hot. I has been way too hot for way too long. So, to cool things off, here’s the lovely Angie getting doused in a local waterfall. I’ve shot several models at this waterfall, but never gotten a photo I was really satisfied with. I think this one comes close, but I guess I still feel there is something better to get at this location. Gives me an excuse to keep trying.
Another of my favorite models, Kelsey Dylan, is back in the area for the summer. I did some shooting with her yesterday. Did I mention that it is too hot? We got some good stuff despite the heat and sun, and we have another shoot scheduled for this coming week when I hope there will be cooler temperatures and a bit more cloud cover to help with the lighting. You’ll be seeing the results here soon.
My son is back to work and doing well, so it seems that crisis is now in the past.
Angie in the Sun
July 20th, 2010
Angie was in the studio a few days ago when I saw this light. She wasn’t there for a shoot, but she humored me and took off her clothes and did this pose for me. I just can’t resist when I see a light pattern and quality that I want to photograph. It’s nice to have beautiful helpful ladies handy to make these photos possible. Thanks Angie.
My son went home from the hospital yesterday. I haven’t heard from him yet today to know how it is going. He was hoping to be able to go right back to work, but I suspect his body may make some other demands on his time, at least for a few days. But the worst is past, at least for now.
I’m working on several new shoots with a variety of themes, some familiar, some marking some new directions. You will probably be seeing how it all goes here over the next few weeks.
Another Point of View
July 18th, 2010
Brooke has put up a post on her blog about the whole “posing, sucking in the stomach” issue as seen from her perspective as a model. There are some good comments on her post too. You should all go over there and take a look.
Moving Forward
July 17th, 2010
First let me say publicly what I’ve already said privately to Mo. I did not intend my last post to come off as “snarky.” I was trying to be light and funny. Obviously I failed. I probably shouldn’t have written it quickly between trips to the hospital, or should have let it sit for a while and come back to edit it before I posted it. So it goes.
It turns out my son’s medical problems are more serious than we first thought. He is recovering, but his condition could return or worsen and it could be life threatening. So that’s been my priority for the past few days. He is doing well now, but still in the hospital, mending, but with no clear idea of when he will be able to go home.
I’m nearing the end of the photos from the north shore. The one of Brooke above may be the last I’ll post from that shoot. Or I might find another one or two to show you. I have new things I’ve shot since that trip and will be shooting more new things in the near future if all goes well.
Not Politically Correct
July 14th, 2010
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back here to respond to Mo’s comment. It’s been a busy time. The long drive back from Vermont and trying to catch up on things from being gone almost two weeks…then my son had to go into the hospital. Nothing too serious, but still much more important than blogging. I’ll be leaving in a bit to go see him in the hospital, but thought I’d try to write a little something in the time I have.
First I must admit that I really am not interested in this discussion. I think it is stupid beyond my ability to tolerate it. So, this is going to be the end of my commenting on it. I’ll post your comments if they aren’t abusive, but I’m done.
I’m not going to repost Mo’s comment here. You can go read it here if you want.
The short version of my response is just: I’m not buying it. No Sale.
I have so many problems with this whole thing that I don’t really know where to start. So I guess I’ll start by giving Mo a hard time. That’s always fun. It seems Mo is suggesting that we, photographers and models, need to be more politically correct in how we present the female form in our photographs. It’s a real surprise to hear that coming from Mo, the Princess of Political Incorrectness. So, Mo, please put on your tiara and sash and dance naked around your house. Take photos and send them to me. Be careful not to suck your stomach in.
Sorry, Mo, I couldn’t resist. I’m weak.
OK…second: Of course we try to look good in photos…and good photographers try to make their subjects look good in photos. Duh! Maybe I should have my models make nasty or funny faces when I take their photos…after all, not everyone has a pretty face and we don’t want to make those folks with ugly mugs feel inferior. I try to make beautiful photos. It’s my idea of beauty because I’m the artist. If you have a different view of what is beautiful, take your own photos. I work with lots of different sizes and shapes of models. I’ve considered working with some large “plus” models, but I haven’t for my outdoor work because I don’t think that shape of model would work for what I’m trying to do. I think the model would be a distraction in that case, not an integrated element of the composition. I could change my mind about that, and if I do and the photos work that will be fine. But it’s my decision and it has everything to do with the art I’m trying to create and absolutely nothing to do with some teenager’s neurotic body image problems. Not to minimize those problems, but they aren’t my problems and I am not responsible for those problems. Look somewhere else if you must find someone to blame…I’m not having any of it.
And, as my friend, Dave Swanson, pointed out on his blog, Brooke isn’t really sucking her stomach in for these photos. That’s just how she is built. Deal with it.
So, I absolutely reject the idea that I or any other artist should alter their vision to accommodate people with mental problems that prevent them from living normal lives. As soon as an artist starts to bend to the will of the Political Correctness Police they stop being an artist and become just a tool of whatever is the priority of the day for the art Gestapo. I’m not going there.
Oh…and I’m not really interested in that challenge. I do what I do to try to make art. I’m not going to waste my time trying to make someone else’s version of art. And, Mo, you know how I work. You have to know that there are thousands of photos from every shoot where the model looks all sorts of different ways from what you see me present. I edit and present what I want the world to see…because it reflects my ideas. Look through the work we did together and post things where your stomach is sticking out if you want to. I don’t care to go there myself.
To quote Patti Smith: “I am an American artist and I have no guilt.”
People with eating disorders should seek professional help. I can’t help them by having my models stick their stomachs out when I take their photo. This all made me remember an excellent treatment technique highlighted in this video from Mad TV. Perhaps those who need help with these issues could benefit from this treatment:
Suck it in (or up)
July 8th, 2010
OK…there’s Brooke on the north shore with her stomach sucked in to get this started. Sorry Brooke.
Thanks for the comments Dave and Robert. And thanks for asking the original questions, Mo.
Here’s the gist of what Mo said in her comment:
Why do we frequently see the nude model with her tummy sucked in? It’s not a natural state that women tend to walk around or lay around in. And yet tme and time again we see it in nude art – the woman with her breath exhaled and tummy all sucked in. And yet we say the nude photograph is all about celebrating the beauty of the natural human form.
I have the same question/problem with all the photoshopping that so many photographers do of their nude work. I know you don’t but there are others who use so much photoshop that the end product isn’t really a photo of the model anymore. If a photographer or model claims to be in this for the celebration of the natural human form then isn’t it a bit hypocritical to photoshop away all her freckles or her moles or wrinkles or what have you?
I have to go with my friend Dave’s assessment as far as the first part of Mo’s question goes. Models pose that way and we tend to shoot them that way because we generally tend to think they look better that way. That’s a simple way to say it, but I think it’s a bit more complex than that, so I’ll try to say it less simply. 😉
I can only speak to my own work. Every photographer who is trying to do serious work brings his or her own vision to the task and shoots in a way that tries to express that vision. There’s probably someone out there for whom protruding stomachs are the essence of what he is trying to present. Nothing wrong with that.
But in my work I’m not usually trying to present “real” or “average” female bodies. I’m presenting an idealized version of the female figure. I often say that the models are not the subjects of my photos. They are an object in the composition. And that object is an icon…a symbol. They represent all of “woman,” all of “creation,” all of lust and romance and sex. And their curves are intended to relate to the natural environment where I pose them. The relationship, the similarities of the shapes and curves, are often the essence of the composition. And that’s not real nature I’m showing in my photos. Mo knows very well just how unfriendly, uncomfortable, hot and sweaty, cold and miserable, nature can be. Nature stinks and stings. But my photos are a romantic, idealized version of the world, of beautiful naked women and lovely natural scenes.
So, I often want the models in my photos to look their best. I want their poses to show their natural curves and shape because I find those curves and shapes repeated in all the things we call beautiful in nature. That doesn’t always mean the stomach must be sucked in, but if doing that makes the body look more pleasing, then she can suck it in.
Now the whole photoshopping thing is a very different situation for me. I do very little photoshopping of skin and blemishes. I find the whole “plastic skin” thing very unattractive, even disturbing. I have no interest in doing anything like that. It would not add to what I’m trying to present with my work. So I don’t do it.
But, if someone else wants to make all their models look like they are made of flawless plastic, that’s their business. I have no problem imagining that some serious artistic statements could be made using that technique. I don’t think most examples of it are of any artistic merit, but that’s a different question.
Every artist chooses the tools, techniques and working methods that work for them. It is absolutely their choice. We can like or dislike the results. We can debate “is it art?” We can ask why those tools and techniques were chosen…but it is the artist’s choice. There is no right or wrong way to make art. And there is no real answer to Mo’s question of why these things happen in photos in general. Only specific works of art can provide specific answers to those “why” questions. Each artist may have a completely different “why” answer. Someone else shooting work similar to mine my have completely different reasons for what he is doing.
All we can do is look at a particular photo and try to understand it. I think the photo I posted above looks right to me with Brooke in that pose. I think the tension in her body relates to the violence of the water around her. The curves and lines of her lovely figure are like the curves and lines of the rocks…and also different from them. The tones of her skin contrast in a lovely way with the darkness of the rocks. I don’t think the pose would be as effective if her stomach were relaxed. That’s all…
Thanks Mo. Those really are good questions, worth talking about. And I don’t presume to have the final word or the absolute answer. More comments are welcome.
On other matters, the heat wave continues in Vermont. It’s almost gotten to triple digits. We took my mother-in-law to the doctor today because we were concerned that she was being weakened by the heat. The doctor said she is fine, but needs to drink more. We’ve been keeping her at our motel to keep her in the air conditioning during the day. Today her son found what may have been the last window a/c unit in Vermont and installed it in her house (against her will, of course…she doesn’t know about it yet). We’ve also added a couple fans and the a/c is slowly making a difference in the temperature at her house. We’ll be bringing her back home tonight so she can sleep in her own bed where she is more comfortable. We hope the temperature will be down a bit by then.
Sweatin’ With An Oldie
July 7th, 2010
Sorry for the lack of updates. It’s not my fault. I’m in Vermont visiting my mother-in-law. Her 95th birthday was yesterday. There is no air conditioning at her house, which is usually not an issue in Vermont. But this record heat wave the eastern part of the U.S. is experiencing is here now too. It’s been in the mid-90s pretty much every day since we arrived here.
Since many family members are also visiting, we are staying in a motel, so we get to cool off at the end of the day. But the motel has wi-fi that doesn’t work, so I can’t be on line there. My brother-in-law has installed wi-fi at his mother’s house now as a birthday present, so I can get on line while we are at her house…where it’s in the upper 90s. But we’ve been pretty busy with family things and just going for drives in the mountains to get away from the heat. So my on-line time has been very limited.
If you look at the comments on the last post you will see that my friend, Mo, has asked some questions about figure modeling and photography that deserve a response. I intend to respond appropriately, but it is going to have wait at least another day or two until I have the time to spend writing. Meanwhile, if any of you out there have something to say about the issue Mo has raised I encourage you to go ahead and comment. I won’t approve disrespectful or stupid comments, however. But if you have something to say, go ahead. I’d like to hear some other points of view on this. I know how I feel about it, just need the time to order my thoughts properly. So that will be coming soon.
Meanwhile enjoy another photo of Brooke doing a somewhat unconventional pose during our north shore trip.
A Perfect Dilemma
July 1st, 2010
Usually when I’m working outdoors and I find a good location I look around for a little bit and find the photo at that spot that works for me. I often shoot a few variations and sometimes back at the computer doing editing I’ll find that the one I like best is not the one I thought would be best when I was shooting.
It’s good to allow a little bit of time between shooting and editing to aid in that process of finding the best photo without being influenced by what you were thinking when you shot.
And usually I’ll only allow one photo from a given location to end up in my “body of work.”
But what do you do when you are out with a perfect model and you come across a perfect location? That’s my problem here. We found this spot up on the Gunflint Trail. Those fallen trees were just perfect. And Brooke, as usual, was just perfect in her posing.
So I’ve ended up with a bunch of photos, all obviously taken at the same time in the same spot, but each one strong enough to stand on its own. I guess maybe a little portfolio of these might be in order.
I’m still thinking about what to do about this dilemma. It’s such a nice problem to have. Anybody have any suggestions?
Just a snapshot
June 29th, 2010
This is the last photo I’m going to be posting from my first day of shooting with Brooke on the north shore of Lake Superior. I’m calling this one a snapshot because we were taking a quick look at this location and were not planning to shoot, so I didn’t bring my camera backpack with all the normal gear. But when we got out there the light was cooperating, which we hadn’t expected, and I saw this photo. Fortunately I always have my little Canon S90 on my belt, so I just pulled it out and did the shot. I love that little camera.
I think you can see from the number of fine photos we got on that first day just why I think Brooke is the best figure model on the planet. I love working with her. If she lived closer to me I’d be shooting her at least once a week, if she would let me. She is so good for more reasons than just being beautiful. Brooke totally gets what I’m trying to do with my work. She understands what I’m after and what she needs to do to make her lovely figure work for the composition I’m working on. Working with her is a breeze because all I have to do is point out what I’m trying to do with a shot and where she belongs in the composition…then she goes where she needs to be and does what she needs to do. And it works. Add to that the fact that Brooke is one of the nicest people you are ever likely to run into and has an amazing ability to put up with me for days at a time. Yep, she’s the best.
