Valentine's Day with Megan (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

It was in November when I first noticed that the sun had shifted sufficiently in the sky so that it shone directly into my bedroom through the blinds and onto my bed and floor. It took me three months to translate that initial wonder at the pattern cast by the binds into images - I knew I wanted to work with that pattern of light, it was a model I lacked

6x7 cm transparency film

Fortunately, as is quickly becoming the norm, Megan was available to models on this particular day, and though it was about -8° and windy outside, it quickly became more than warm with the wood stove and the sun streaming through the window. Starting out working at the window itself, I quickly found what I knew I wanted; though it has been done before, and was by no means original, I sincerely enjoyed working with the highly directional light. For the first time in eighteen months, I brought out my 8"x10" view camera and even made images with that.

35mm infrared film

After working on and around the window for an hour or so, we moved to working on the bed, which was quickly becoming bathed in light. Even with the blinds up, there was incredibly rich modelling across Megan's body, and for the next ninety minutes we worked in the slow moving patch of light, occasionally filtering the light through the blinds or lace.

4"x5" film

One of the most enjoyable elements of this session was the number of camera formats I used (four - 35mm, 120, 4"x5" and 8"x10"). Many times, I found myself seeing an image in a very specific manner - previsualizing the result as opposed to seeing the origin, so to speak. Being able to simply pick up the camera that came closest to the previsualized image was wonderfully freeing. The transparency of photography for me continues to amaze me. In 1996 when I first glimpsed this possibility it shocked me. Now it flows into being so quickly that I literally do not notice until after, when I stop to reflect on how a session went.

8"x10" film

The most dynamic element of the session was a piece of lace which Megan brought. She was interested in having some images made with its pattern falling across her body. The results were really surprising to me - the pattern spread across her skin in a fluid, graceful flow, becoming progressively diffused.