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.