I Love My Models
January 13th, 2010
The things my models will do for me…it’s just amazing. They are totally wonderful human beings. And tough as nails. And beautiful.
When Kelsey told me she was going to be back in Ohio for the holidays I knew I wanted to work with her again. She is so wonderful that I’d never pass up the chance to do a shoot with her. But the problem I had was that I just didn’t have any good ideas of what to do with her in December. I shoot in my studio, but I didn’t have any major projects going on, other than my head scarf and burqa photos. So we planned to do those. Kelsey particularly wanted to be in the head scarf project because she shares the underlying concerns for women’s rights that are driving those photos.
But what else to do with this fantastic model? I just didn’t know.
Then I woke up on the day of our shoot and saw a lovely gentle snowfall underway. And the temperature was pretty moderate for December. So I asked her how she would feel about going outdoors getting naked and freezing her pretty ass off for some photos. Kelsey thought it was a great idea, so off we went to one of my favorite local nature spots.
The snow was still falling gently, which I think adds a nice touch to this shot.
I’m actually not a huge fan of nudes in snow. It’s a pretty unnatural situation, unlike, in my opinion anyway, nudes in nature where the nude figure is as natural as the surroundings. Most nudes in snow just make me think about how cold the model must have been. The only thing they seem to say is, “Hey, look at that! She got naked in the snow!”
Well, I hope some of the photos I did with Kelsey go beyond that simple thought. I guess I think they do or I wouldn’t be showing them here.
There are a few photographers out there who really know how to make snow nudes work. Alex Ingram in Scotland and Dave Swanson in northern Minnesota immediately come to mind. They both live in places where it is very cold for much of the year, so I guess they know snow. I actually hate the cold and snow and want to move somewhere where I’ll never see snow again. But it doesn’t look like that is going to happen, so I guess I’ll have to keep looking for things to do over the winter.
It seems I’ve gotten on a snow nude kick…I’ve done two more shoots in the snow since this one with Kelsey last month. Must have something to do with it snowing all the freaking time since then, except for Christmas, of course, when it was warm. You’ll be seeing the frigid results of those other shoots here over the next few posts.
Meanwhile, someone hand that girl a sweater or something.
3 Responses to “I Love My Models”
1Shadowscapestudio
January 13th, 2010 @ 7:36 pm
Excellent image, Dave. Add your name to the list now.
I did some wonderful images of a gal in the snow a few years ago, but alas she is a school teacher and it wouldn't go over well with the school board if I posted them.
Abigail and Erin have always been up for a little snow and cold. And if you get a chance, Brooke has done some good snow stuff with me and she is as hardy as anyone out there.
I hope you will be posting others from this set.
2Bill Ballard
January 14th, 2010 @ 11:20 am
Like you, my first reaction to the nude in a snow/ice/winterscape is to wonder how cold the model must be. Then, like you, I get the impression someone said 'hey – there's a naked lady in the snow. Take a picture!"
Unfortunately, much of what is called art nude work these days falls into the "hey-look-a-naked-lady-take-a-picture-quick" category. In all honesty, while I would hope it hadn't, I'm sure some of my work has been seen that way.
Personally, nude work shot in a public environmental setting, whether urban or natural, often comes across to my eye as exhibtionistic. The purpose seems to be more for shock value, for lack of a better phrase, than anything else. Few photographers can pull it off, and you mentioned two of the finest.
Your work does not come across this way. Not by any stetch. I feel your nudes in the landscape are some of the best I've seen. Thank you for your work, and keep doing what you're doing. Please. A big 'bravo' to the models with whom you work is certainly due.
3D.L. Wood
January 14th, 2010 @ 6:44 pm
Great image. I agree with Dave S. and Bill. Keep shooting in the snow. It's there you might as well use it.
With her dark hair matching the color of the woods, to me, it has a little of the feel of one of those camouflage paintings that were popular some years back. Bev Doolittle's art comes to mind as she did a lot of outdoor nature ones.
It looks like her hair is long. If it was pulled to the front she could be be somewhat hidden yet right there to be discovered.
D.L. Wood
Leave a Reply