Three Models in a River (Killdevils, Nova Scotia)

6x12 cm film

My second session at the Killdevils was very different from the first. Over the intervening week, there had been a solid day of rain, and the water was a full 60cm higher than before, changing the dynamic of the space considerably. Where before the river was rushing through the narrows, it was now a thundering torrent, making it quite difficult to direct the models if they were more than a couple of feet away. The first images of the session were made with Trisha, then Ingrid, and then the two women together. The water flowing around and over the body creates a wonderful space to image, and the added variable of the water-blur makes for some very dynamic photographs, based upon very static poses. One of the best examples of this was produced with Miles (a good friend, fellow photographer and occasional model), who ventured out into the main flow of the river, just to see how strong the water flow was (this is not recommended, as Miles' battered arm and foot will attest).

4"x5" film

The rapids where this image was made flowed over a series of rocks, and then swept into a deep bowl, which produced an incredible maelstrom of water. Miles positioned himself against one of the rocks, and managed to stay reasonably still for the 1/2 second of this exposure. After some problems getting back to shore, Miles decided that his venture out into the rapids might not have been such a good idea after all, but, upon hearing I did get a couple of images made (he couldn't hear me yelling to him over the roar of the water), he cheered up. Apparently, Miles felt that with the images made, if he had died, it would have been for a good cause. Wry humour aside, the image of Miles in the rapids is very effective, providing a wonderful sense of the power of the river that surrounded him.

6x12 cm film

After Miles' exploits in the rapids, some of the drive that was present earlier in the day dissipated, and this, combined with the arrival of the afternoon's swarm of bugs, gradually put an end to the session. The contrast between this session, and the first one at Killdevils is wonderful. The increased water-flow from the earlier rain made the space radically different to work with. The rich contrast between the still water images and the motion-blurred ones makes it hard for me to hold onto the fact that they were made in the same space. I plan to return to Gold River again to continue to explore this incredibly rich space.

Photographing as a Guest (St Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia)

This session was a very different experience for me. Another photographer had arranged to work with a model, Allison, and invited me along for the session. We'd gone out together with this model once before but this session really marked the first time I achieved images which functioned for me. On the prior occasion, I was using a 4"x5" camera and the other photographer was working in 35mm, moving quickly and responding to the model. My slower pace was out of synch with the session. On this day, I concentrated on using my Nikon and 35mm infra-red film.

35mm infrared film

Working with Allison made me realize for the first time how different people's modelling styles are. As a dancer, Allison's natural style is very kinetic which suits the fast, responsive nature of 35mm. I've never worked with someone who took this approach to modelling before and found it difficult to work with, in regards to my approach to imaging the Nude which the deliberate, time consuming nature of 4x5 encourages and nurtures.

35mm infrared film

The above image is one of the few non-nude infra-red images I have made which I feel works well. While I will be the first to admit that there are incredible possibilities with infra-red film and landscape, I'll also admit that hundreds of other landscape photographers work with that subject far better than I do, with far less effort. I think, that said, the reason this image works for me is its similarity to my figure work. With the Nude, I tend to look at the body as an aesthetic object, and this image treats rocks in the same manner; as opposed to examining the landscape as a whole, I made an image which revolves totally around a single element, the stone in the lower left. The rich sky, a result of the infra-red film, only adds to the impact of the image.

Miles and Trisha Pose at a River (Gold River, Nova Scotia)

One of the most valuable assets in photographing outdoors, with the nude in the landscape or without, is local knowledge. It is so easy to miss promising locations simply because you do not know they are there. In the case of this particular session, the local knowledge came from a friend of   the model, Trisha, who guided us to part of Gold River not five minutes off the road. Without knowing the terrain, one would never guess such a visually rich space existed, especially so close to the road.

35mm transparency

When we arrived at the Killdevils, the most stunning element was the broad swath of brilliant white river foam which swirled around on the surface of a small pool to the side of the main river. To the left of this pool, the water poured through a narrow cut, and the froth from the rapids was swept by the current into the inlet in a slow circle, and then back upstream towards the rapids. As soon as I saw the foam, I knew it would be the focus of the images.

4"x5" film

The first couple of images were made with the foam and model separate - I didn’t want Trisha to disturb the foam before I had used it in several images with her on the rocks surrounding the water, as I was unsure of how her being in the water would affect the foam. My concerns were misplaced. Once a pose was found, all we had to do was be patient, and the foam would swirl in around Trisha, and flow around her. There was a severe restriction on the number of poses which Trisha could find, give the depth of the water, but fortunately there was a well placed rock upon which she could lay. Where many of my other water nudes use long shutter-speeds to blur moving water, with these images I used the fastest speeds possible, to freeze any motion of the froth.

4"x5" film

The second image in the water was made in the same space, but with a different camera position and the introduction of a male model, Miles. The strong angular light across the figures, combined lack of any context to the swirling foam makes the image almost surreal.

4"x5" film

All told, this session was one of the most thrilling to date this year. The setting was beyond compare, and a wonderful space in which to work. The session was short, lasting no more than two hours, but the successes are unlike any other images I have produced to date. Also, it marked something of a technical accomplishment for me; it was a session completed without the aid of a light-meter. When we arrived in the space, I discovered the battery in my Seconic meter was dead. I realized there was nothing for it but to begin working, and use experience to guide the exposures. As one can see from the images, the sunny-16 rule (1/ISO as the shutter speed at f/16 for images in full sunlight), combined with experience, worked more then well enough. 

Miles on a Beach (Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia)

4"x5" film

This day was more of a reconnoiter for future sessions than a serious day of photography. Miles wanted to show me some spaces on the Eastern Shore. As we had no models for the day, I did not expect to do any figure work, but brought my camera along all the same. When we came to Lawrencetown beach, however, I knew I wanted to work within the space, and Miles kindly agreed to model.

All up and down the beach, people had built rock shelters, some obviously for fires, while others, like the one on the right, were more than likely shields from the ocean winds. These spaces called out for nudes, and as there were a few people wandering up and down the beach, it was a perfect place to work - out of sight and out of mind.

4"x5" film

After we made the initial images in the rock-alcove, we moved back further from the water and onto the dunes. Unlike those on which I worked with Megan, a year earlier, these were real dunes, sweeping gently along the back of the beach. The image of Miles falling back between the dune grass is a strong contrast to the closed, curled nude along the beach, a strong reflection of how the setting helps dictate the pose.

Victoria on White (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

35mm transparency film

A week after the outdoor sessions, Victoria and I had part of an afternoon to work together, and, as opposed to heading out (and spending more than half out time in transit), we decided to stick close to home, and work in my front room instead. As before, I covered the window with a sheet, and worked with the diffused sunlight.

The earlier sessions in the front room used 35mm high speed transparency film (Fuji Sensia 400) or Fuji's premium 100 ISO slide film (Provia) but this was the first session where I worked with Fuji's portrait transparency film, Astia. Of all the colour transparency films I have used in the front room, this has yielded the most incredible skin tones. Where before the skin was good, or could be easily corrected within Photoshop, the tones which were achieved with Astia are so accurate they are unbelievable. I have never worked with a film which had yielded such true-to-life skin.

35mm transparency film

The more I work with the front room setting, the more I fall in love with the process. A relatively small physical space, where the model is comfortable and warm, and a soft, yet bright and directional light source yields a very powerful environment to work within. On some levels, working in such a tight space might been seen as restrictive, cutting down on the options and possibilities, but at the same time, working within such a defined space seems to provoke creative framing and posing.

35mm transparency film

On the whole, while the biggest thrill of the images with Victoria was the rich colour, this is only because the photos sing so well as images alone. If they had been made on other film, they would certainly be as successful, but the strength of Victoria's presence before the camera, combines with the brilliant tones of Astia, made for a very powerful series of images. Much of the success of these images is a direct result of Victoria's comfort with the camera, and her ability to relax before it. If a model is uncomfortable, or if the pose is awkward, it shows in the images, and cannot be compensated for with the best film or cameras in the world. Victoria, however, loves being photographed, and this is the foundation on which these images are built.

Working with Two Men, York Shore (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

35mm transparency film

One of the most common questions about my work is about why I prefer to work with the female models. The simple answer is that it has been much easier to find female models than male. I am not sure why there is a reluctance among men to model nude, but whatever the reason is, it is the biggest impediment to expanding my body of work produced with the male body. Truth be told, with all other things being equal, I really have no preference for men or women as models.

35mm transparency film

On this particular afternoon, I was fortunate to have two male models: Craig, who I'd never worked with before, and Miles, who'd worked with me from time to time over the previous year. The difference between the two models, Craig, an inexperienced but sincerely interested model, and Miles, a fellow photographer who has worked extensively with the Nude, was significant. Where Craig was unsure of what to do with a pose, and needed very specific direction, Miles dove in and pushed things to the limit, swinging his body up between rocks, and trying hard to propel the work forward. While I achieved successes with both models, the images with Miles came far faster and easier than those with Craig. As the day was cool, not a lot of work was produced, but the lesson that came from it was interesting.

A Lost Bunker, York Redobt (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

After working with the remains of Fortress Halifax for close to a decade, I thought I knew of all the sites which had some remains left, be they accessible or not. I was, however mistaken, as I found out on this afternoon. Craig, Miles and I had traveled to York Redoubt, intending to do some nudes down by the shore, at the York Shore Battery.

4"x5" film

York Redoubt is an extensive fort which sits on a high hill overlooking outer Halifax Harbour, with a steep, somewhat treacherous hillside leading down to the shore. Rather than take the zigzagging road down, however, I decided to go a more direct route - straight down. As it turned out, within three minutes of leaving the road, I found myself standing at the entrance to a previously unknown bunker.

Set into the side of the hill, the bunker was built of concrete, covered by a huge mound of earth. Trees and brush had grown over the building, almost totally concealing it from view when descending the hill. From the front, though, the entrance is obvious, and the sighting position is easily visible, even covered by trees. Given my belief that there was nothing new to find at York Redoubt, I was totally thrilled to find this space, and even more excited when I looked inside.

4"x5" film

The bunker was quite small, just a short passage, a set of stairs, and a sighting room, but the concrete vaulting and walls are exquisite in their texture and shapes.

I spent a good half hour working in and around this new bunker. The light within was dim and diffused, which lead to an exposure of 5 minutes for the three interior images I produced. The long exposure time gave me the freedom to explore the outside of the building, and mentally set up the composition of the exterior view of the bunker opening.

4"x5" film

On the whole, finding this space was an incredible experience - I thought years ago I'd seen all that was left of Fortress Halifax, and to stumble upon this small bunker was great. That said, I am not sure if much more is needed to completely document it; the interior images I made were strong, and the external photos were pretty much the only ones possible, due to the steep incline of the hill.

Lilly Returns to the Studio (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

4"x5" film

I have a love-hate relationship with studio photography. With the arrival of the warm spring weather, and the ability to work outdoors, I had expected to set aside studio work, and focus on the outdoor imagery. But a chance to work again with Lilly, who was unable to model during the day, was too good to pass up.

6x12 cm transparency film

With the image above, I was drawn to the very rich play of tones on Lilly's body, and felt that the colour of the skin added more to the sense of landscape than it detracted. I did make the image on black and white film as well, but find the colour photo much closer to my intent. The body as landscape is a popular approach in the studio, but one I have not used often in the past. The other two images here rely much more a play on light and shade than the colour image, and as such, were produced in monochrome.

4"x5" film

An added serendipity of the session was that I realized that what I had been working toward with the defocus images had been achieved and for all intents and purposes, constituted a finished body of work. I made several images with Lilly in this style but, upon viewing the results of the session, realized that I preferred the more traditionally focused images. While I know the defocus elements will appear again and again in my work, the initial period of discovery and exploration is completed.

Victoria Part II, Spion Copp (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

6x12 cm film

The one of the most surprising elements of the sessions with Victoria, was how fluidly I moved between colour and black and white. Normally, my colour work tends to be very self-conscious; I look at a scene and try to see it with colour. On this day, however, I simply changed cameras as the scenes changed, and found I had to make little mental adjustments between the two media. I think this came as much from the strength of the images Victoria and I were making as it did from a growing comfort I am gaining with colour as a way of seeing.

6x12 cm transparency film

There was a great deal of freedom with the images we made, on several levels. As a dancer, Victoria was patient with holding poses, and I knew I had the freedom to perfect framing, posing and other elements before the images were made. In addition to this, there was her comfort with being recognizable, always a bonus to a session, which freed me to make any image which worked.

4"x5' film

Where the first session used the Caponier as a space to work with the body within and around, the session later in the afternoon, within an abandoned military building, revolved around Victoria alone, with very little involvement with her surroundings. It is unusual for me to work in this manner outside of the studio, but Victoria had expressed a desire to try some dancing poses in the room, and, after we made those images, I continued to work in the same vein, concentrating more on portraiture than aesthetic nudes.

Victoria Part I, York Redoubt (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

4"x5" film

One of things which I find very difficult to relate though this blog is the absolute thrill of a session which totally exceeds all expectations. The first session with Aeyla, in July of 1997, and the two sessions with Erica in May of 1998 are both examples of how well a new model can inspire strong images. This day's work with Victoria became far more than I expected it to be, in so many ways.

I have worked with Victoria before (in July and August of 1998) but, in both sessions, she was working with other models, and never really had the chance to spend an extended period of time working with me on her own. Over the past year, many of the sessions I have had with models have been short, dictated by the restraints of transportation and outside commitments. While this has had a positive impact on my ability to find and reveal an image quickly, I do feel it has not been as positive in regards to developing a strong rapport with a model.

4"x5" film

For this particular session, the transportation was by bus, so it was not a restriction as such, and as Victoria had most of the day free, from eleven until four, we worked pretty steadily in a couple of locations. The first location was within a caponier (a work extending outside a wall that permits gunfire along the length of the wall) lit by small gun slits. The exposures here were 1/4 of a second with the 50 ISO colour transparency film and one second with the 400 ISO black and white negative film. Both of these photos draw upon the space's unique qualities to make the images work. The colour images uses the diffused, directional lighting to create an image very reminiscent of Rembrandt's darker paintings. The black and white image, on the other hand, yields a photo of a softly lit, richly detailed room, very different from the one hinted at in the first image.

After making a good number of images within the caponier, Victoria and I moved outside, to work on the concrete gun emplacement above. Beside the stairs down to the caponier interior were several recessed boxes set into the concrete, presumably for storing munitions and supplies. I half-jokingly asked if a body could fit into the space, and Victoria went right into it. In fifteen minutes, we made eight different poses, all working with the space in a variety of ways.

35mm transparency film

Where the light within the caponier was soft and diffused, outdoors, the full sunlight on the concrete gun-shield was almost directly above us. This gave the images very dark, empty shadows, but also provided a rich description on Victoria's body. In the image to the left, a wide angle lens produced a very elegant line along Victoria's arms, providing a very strong horizontal angle running through the lower two-thirds of the image. Wide angle lenses are a difficult tool to learn, as they so easily lend themselves to garish imagery which relies upon the lens effect for success, and not the image content.

Ingrid Modeling in the Early Spring (Riverlake, Nova Scotia)

6x7 cm film

This session was the second time I'd worked by Riverlake, and the familiarity with the terrain paid off. To begin with, I worked with Ingrid lit by the afternoon light on small glacial erratics, generating strongly side-lit images which provide a powerful description of form.

4"x5" film

After finishing up with the woodland setting, we ended up wandering down an abandoned rail line, exploring another obsolete rail bridge in hopes of expanding upon the earlier bridge nudes we did in April. Under any other circumstances, working under this kind of trestle would have been impractical, due to the low light levels, but at the particular time of day we were at the bridge, the sun was beginning to set, and the reflection off the water illuminated under the bridge in a soft, indirect manner. As enthusiastic as I was over the lighting and not being at all deterred by the high setting, Ingrid climbed up under the bridge, and modelled within the space as best she could.

4"x5" film

The final images did use a wide angle lens and was made as Ingrid was swinging on the rope she used to climb down from the bridge. The strong side lighting combined with the far side of the bridge being in shadow made for a very dramatic image.