Leslie Models Indoors (Orono, Maine)

Although my primary reasons for being in Maine were to hang Evolving Beauty, give an emulsion transfer workshop, and make a series of presentations on my work, I also had plans to work with a number of models, outdoors if possible, and indoors if the weather was prohibitive.

6x12 cm film

Leslie was the first model I had an opportunity to work with, and as it was too cold outside, we (sensibly) stayed inside, working at the home of another model.

6x12 cm film

I'm always a little leery of working with natural light indoors...it's like a studio, in that to achieve the qualities I seek (a degree of universality), I try to remove all specific references (furniture, books, wall-hangings etc.) and yet, unlike a studio, I haven't control over the lighting...I get what is there. It's good in some ways - like working outdoors, it tends to be reactive image-making (i.e. I search for the photo, or have it revealed to me, as opposed to "make" it), but by the same token, I am controlling the environmental setting, but have no control over the environmental lighting ... a frustrating combination.

4"x5" film

All that said, I am terribly pleased with the results. The soft lighting that came through the large windows at Laurel's house was wonderfully descriptive, falling across the plains of Leslie's body in light sheets. Leslie's comfort with the camera, and openness to the experience (she had not previously modeled nude) made the whole session rich with images, both portraits and abstracted nudes.