Swamp Thang
August 4th, 2010
You wander around in the woods around here long enough and you are bound to come across a scene like this one. It’s just like hunting mushrooms. You have to know where to look. It also helps if a beautiful model like Kelsey Dylan is hiking along with you and looking for just the right place to pose.
I really don’t have time for much of a post tonight. I wanted to get something new up here because I’m going to Chicago in the morning to pick up my prints from the show at Gallery Provocateur that has now closed. It’s going to be a fun trip because two of my oldest and best friends, also photographers, are going along with me. We plan to see the “Hank Carter” show at the Art Institute while we are there. No shooting on this trip. I’m not even going to take my Nikon kit. I’m also not taking my laptop, so I won’t be on line while I’m there. I’ll be back Friday night and will catch up with all of you then.
The Tree Of Life
August 1st, 2010
That’s a photo of Kelsey on a friend’s farm last week. Once again the light was not cooperating with me, so I just determined to use the light that was there to make something. This photo would not have been possible on the overcast day that I was wishing for. Whatever light is there naturally presents its own opportunities. The challenge is simply to be open to what is there.
This has been a season of loss and this morning a phone call told me that another loss had occurred. Quite a few years ago Rob Steele opened Steelepointe Gallery just around the corner from my home. When I saw his “Art” sign out in front of the building I got my wife and we went right over to see what was happening in our neighborhood. Rob built a beautiful gallery and filled it with art, both from nationally known artists and from local artists in our area. When I showed him my work, way back then, he immediately invited me to exhibit in the gallery. My work was on the walls there and in shows that Rob put together in other locations from that time on, until last week.
That was when I got a call from Rob’s wife to tell me they were closing the gallery. Rob had been fighting cancer for more than a year and it had reached the point where he did not have the energy and strength to keep going to the gallery, as he had nearly every day as he went through treatment. So I went in last week and picked up my photos along with the work of two of my friends who also were showing their work in Rob’s gallery. It was a very sad chore.
Then early this morning the phone rang and it was Rob’s wife telling me Rob had died in the night. He is going to be very much missed. Rob was a kind and gentle man, full of love for art and artists. He was always ready to offer support and encouragement. Rob wasn’t exactly the typical gallery owner. He was a strong man in excellent physical condition. He had been special forces in Vietnam. It was hard watching him get weaker and weaker as the cancer attacked his body. The last time I saw him, only a couple weeks before he died, he was walking very slowly with a cane.
His gallery was his life’s dream and he got to create it before he had to leave us. The closing of Steelepointe Gallery is a loss to all the artists in our area and a loss to my neighborhood. It will be missed. But I am already missing my friend who was always right around the corner, happy for me to stop by to chat or show him my latest work. But now Rob is free of the pain that was his constant companion for many months. And the world is a little poorer for his passing.
Claudine at Starved Rock
July 30th, 2010
Here’s a shot of Claudine out at Starved Rock State Park, that I did a while back when I was up in Chicago. I shot this when I was up there for the opening of my show at Gallery Provocateur. That show has ended and I’ll be back in Chicago next week to pick up my prints. No shooting on this trip, but I will be going to the Art Institute to see the “Hank Carter” show there.
I’ve been shooting a lot and have a couple more shoots coming in the next few days. It’s kept me too busy to spend time editing, but I’ll be getting to that soon and you’ll see the results here.
If any of you want to meet up while I’m in Chicago, drop me a note and I’ll let you know the schedule for this trip. It’s a quick “up and back” and there are some old friends making the trip with me, so there’s not a lot of time, but we could add a new friend or two into the group if the timing is right.
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.
