Most of the comments on this blog are from people who want to know where I find my models and how to work with nude models. Here’s a charming article about someone who worked as a nude model for art classes in NYC.

Perfect descriptions that also fit photo sessions. Except that I want my models to move–no getting chilled sitting too long in a drafty studio.

The photo is a fun impressionistic example of the fact that my models don’t lay around waiting for me to get the picture right.

Enjoy.

This is a photograph done with reflective mylar in the background–NO PHOTOSHOP. That needs to be said these days when any photo can be manipulated in a multitude of ways.

To me, this suggests that mythic characters of old might not have spring from the imagination. Someone could have observed a similar reflection in water or mirror and wondered what was looking back. Or, maybe, we all have an inner cyclops. You just have to be looking in the right way.

That said, this is not a photograph for all tastes. I’m surprised by the people who see body distortion and think ick. Some even say it. Evidently, most of us prefer to keep all our body parts in the right places.

Art should be edgy but in a time when any photo can be distorted, changed or rearranged, a straight-up, as seen photograph might be the most edgy–most artistic. It’s just hard to convince people that this one has–NO PHOTOSHOP. Enjoy!

This is for all you blog readers who complained that I didn’t have photos of male models in the pool.

Nice bright day. Lots of sunlight from above. Bubbles. Great model. What else could anyone want?

The thing about water is that you never, never know how the coloration will come out. Lavender? This is not enhanced in photoshop except to take out some dust from the film scan. Yes, I said film. I’m still using film underwater–go figure.

I like the drama of this one–those hand reaching out. It could be printed large or small (one of the virtues of film).

Enjoy.

Ok, you’ve seen this image before but the background wasn’t working. So it was time to have some Photoshop fun.

What do you think?

The giraffe mask was my prop. The shoes were what the model wore to the session and they just had to be included. Serendipity!

I like the attitude. This model is always good for attitude. You learn that about the various models after you’ve worked with them a while.

I think the words work. In fact I’m thinking I might like to do a whole series of these mask and words photos. Gota try new things. Besides I’m taking a class on Jungian symbols and this has all kinds of suggested possibilities that I’d like to explore.

This is a photo that does best small–intimate–get closer to read, but it could be produced big.

Comments, please!!

I like this photo not only because the human form is interesting but because the shadow water down his back forms a second, jagged backbone. Also the water is perfectly stilled and the setting is mysterious. There is something mythic about how he seems to be holding up the rocks.

This was shot in a Japanese garden using a reflector to get light into what is normally a dark pool.

The dramatic pose/composition makes this photo memorable. I think the hair cascading down inside of the frame helps create the letting-it-all-hang-out feeling.

It was shot in the studio with gels on the lights–that’s obvious. What isn’t as obvious is how the gels lend anonymity to the model. Her identity seems secondary to the color, something that would not happen under natural lights. Notice also how the color divides and highlights the body.

I’ve made this one up large on a stretched canvas. It can be small. Maybe a spot of bright color in a bathroom.

This is an unaltered photograph–something I have to say in this age of Photoshop. I think it shows that the artist Salvadore Dali didn’t necessarily invent his surreal images; he may have observed them. This is a reflection on Mylar hung as a backdrop in the studio. What you see as a photographer depends on where you’re standing. Move inches and the reflected image is completely different.

The fingers are caught in a bulge in the Mylar–something akin to what happens in a Fun House mirror. Mylar is thin, flexible and reflective–if you buy the reflective type. There is also a clear type.

The model can see herself in the Mylar but what she sees will be entirely different from her perspective. Trick here is to set up lights so you don’t get glare and keep your own reflection out of the picture. FUN and challenging.

I think distorted photos like this are better intimate–framed with a wide mat. But this could be huge, if that’s the statement you want to make. I would hang this one in a home office. I think it would be stunning as part of a group. Watch for the gallery of these Mylar photos that I’ll be putting up soon.

I’ve done a whole series of photographs using a 1950s pink skirt. Some feature motion, even blurred motion. This one uses a mirror to echo interesting shapes as the skirt is swished by the dancer/model.

The fun of this series is the color, the skirt, the motion and the idea that you don’t have to frame the photo with all of the dancer or the reflection.

This one is best at 18x 18 inches. Bedroom? Imagine hanging it in a room with a mirror that would reflect the picture with the mirror.

Obviously this is not the first time I’ve played with a mask and a model. I like this shot both because of its attitude and the way it questions clothing. We choose to cover some parts and not others. Shoes might be a practical consideration but are often tossed aside in a gesture of freedom, especially on beaches and summer days. Masks? We wear them all the time, putting on various persona for differing situations. Putting on an actual physical mask might be acknowledging that fact or it might be fun. The nakedness in between? That’s where our hang-ups come into play. Although almost all cultures embrace clothing, not all cultures agree on when and what clothing is appropriate. Look at Philip Carr-Gomm’s book A Brief History of Nakedness for an interesting discussion of the topic. However, my photography is not actually about nakedness, it’s about form and expression. The fine art nude strips form and expression down to the essentials, which makes this kind of photography challenging for both the photographer and the viewer.

BTW I had a piece in Orlando’s Nude Nite–if you happened to be there. Didn’t make it, myself, but understand it was a happening.

This is a studio shot with two lights. It can be printed large or small–dramatic large. It is sold in an edition of 25 prints. It think it would be fun in a large dressing room, opposite the mirror. Fine art nudes are often both softened and take on additional dimensions when hung in a space with a mirror. More on that in another discussion.

This is complicated photograph. There are multiple lines–most of them diagonal. In addition, there is a sense of motion and a reflection in the mirror that doubles everything. On top of that, the whole thing is framed tighter than one might expect, given the complexity. However, it is the sense of motion within a tight frame that makes this one successful. Also adding interest is the sheen of the pink skirt that reflects light in differing hues. Better yet, I think the photograph captures a sense that dress-up is fun, giving the image a storytelling quality.

This is part of a series of pink skirt images I’ve done, including a book that ends with the line: “Who needs a pink skirt? . . .  You do.” The book will be available on-line shortly.

A little history, the skirt belonged to my mother and was part of her prom dress. It’s taffeta and full enough to make a complete circle.

The photo prints large or small. The colors are vivid. I think it would be fun in a dressing room.

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