Marieke by Candle Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

4"x5" film

Building on the successful candle images I'd made in January with Cheryl , I approached this session with Marieke with a very clear idea of what kind of images I wanted to make. Usually when I have a session with a model, I try not to pre-plan images, in hopes that the session itself will generate the work. In this case however, there were several approaches which I wanted to pursue - including the candle within the frame was the foremost idea in my mind.

4"x5" film

In addition to being quiet and solitary, the candle nudes are also very minimal, due to the single light source. This is stressed even more by the inclusion of the candle within the image, clearly defining the source of the photo's illumination. If the same image was made without the candle included, I think it would have a very different feel; it could easily be mistaken for a studio Nude, and lose all the assumptions, connotations and intimacy that comes with the candle light.

4"x5" film

I these are the most focused candle nudes I have done to date, as a result of building upon the earlier work I did. The more images I make with candles, the better I come to understanding how the point-source light works, and how best to take advantage of it in my images.