The Waterfall
July 10th, 2007
Here’s a wider view of that wonderful waterfall in West Virginia.
Sorry posts aren’t coming more frequently, but it’s just a busy time right now. I’m still working on editing my last month and a half worth of shoots, but I’m also doing family things, getting prints matted and framed for a gallery show in Detroit at the end of the month, and, of course, I’m still doing shoots. Next week I’ll be off on another shoot for most of the week. After that my good friend from NYC, Dave Rudin, will be visiting and shooting here in Ohio for several days. So blog posts will happen as time allows.
There has been a discussion on a forum about how photographers decide what models they want to shoot. My take on that may be a bit different from some other photographers. I’ve never been much interested in what I call the “notch on the camera strap” practice of some who seem to want to shoot as many models as possible. I’m much more interested in finding a few models who really understand what I’m doing and want to be part of it. I like to work with the same model many times. It is a great help if we become friends during that process. Gaea is a great example of the kind of person I enjoy having model for me. That’s why you see her on here frequently and will be seeing her again many times, I hope.
Here’s my response in that forum thread:
“No offense to the wonderful models who make my work possible, but models are pretty much interchangeable in most of my work. I’m looking for a nude figure to add to the composition. Pretty much any reasonably attractive figure will do, within a wide range of body types/shapes.
“So, I’m looking first for someone who gets what I’m doing and wants to be part of it. Experience as a figure model helps. Other experience can be just as good. Dancers are wonderful. Often it is difficult for me to give detailed directions on posing (just try making yourself heard over a waterfall from 50 feet away), so it helps a lot if they can pose with just general direction and I don’t have to worry about what they are doing with their ankles and wrists, for example. They have to be willing to get cold and wet and dirty, get poked and stuck and bitten by various forms of nature and, of course, take the risks inherent in getting nude in somewhat public places.
“Once we get past that, I’m only willing to work with people who I enjoy being around. I’ve shot some models who were beautiful and/or very good at posing but a total pain in the ass to be around. I don’t work with them again. I often go on multi-day shoots in wilderness areas, so the model has to be someone I can get along with…preferably someone I’d call a friend.”
Leave a Reply