August 30, 1991

A Seminal Session (McNab's Island, Nova Scotia)

35mm infrared film
At the time this image was made, infrared photography was still incredibly mysterious for me, and successes seemed more like luck than skill (each roll of 36 exposures would actually produce 8 or so images, due to exposure bracketing).
4"x5" film
I have always had a deep affection for simple portraits; C_ couldn't look directly at the camera as the light behind me was so bright.
6x6 cm film
For this particular session, I carried three different film formats (35mm, 6x6 cm and 4"x5"), and throughout the day, I tried my best to make the most of the equipment. In this case, the pose C_ found working in the breakwater rocks around the lighthouse called for a square format!
4"x5" film
This image is the most important Nude in my body of work. Produced during my first summer working with my own 4"x5” camera, it built my confidence and demonstrated that what I strove to reveal could be seen. Towards the end of the session, C_ was sitting on the side of a lighthouse when the sun came out. She leaned forward to cover her eyes from the glare and, in that instant, I made the first nude which totally surpassed my expectations and fulfilled everything I wanted to portray in my work. Images like this come rarely and without warning, and as such, are rare and magical for me.