A New Direction Begins (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

My second session with Kim was a mirror image of the first (this statement is, as you will see, proof that I go in for really bad puns). It began with the two of us trying to build on the previous session; I'd been surprised and pleased by the strength of some of the 35mm infra-red images, and had hopes of capturing similar images on medium format.

35mm transparency

As I have learned in the past, the worst thing for me is to intentionally try to recreate images that have succeeded in the past. The first hour or so was pretty unsuccessful, filled with failed attempts at recreating instants. Eventually, we just gave up.  Rather than try to recreate images, I decided to take the angel photo I'd created with Cheryl and move the possibilities forward.  We worked on a series of poses, with the strongest being a slightly different take on the fallen angel idea.  Rather than having it follow the traditional approach of an angel with their wings ripped , we focused on an angel fallen over her wings, having made a bed of them (presumably to lie in). In a couple of months, I suspect this image will crop up in my digital work, as part of my angel series.

6x6 cm film

The close of the session was by far the most productive.  Kim had asked if I'd ever worked with a model and a mirror, and I'd answered that apart from the self-portrait with Victoria, no. We brought it off the wall, placed it on the floor, and Kim moved to lie upon it. Instantly, everything came alive, and possibilities appeared almost as fast as I could record them on film. Half an hour later, I'd exposed four rolls of 120 and one roll of 35mm film, and was certain I'd achieved the results I'd sought after.

6x6 cm film

The images on the mirror were every bit as successful as I had expected, but could have been improved in several ways. The biggest problem originated in the mirror itself; being a traditional mirror, it had the silvering on the back, and the photos show a slight reflection off the surface of the mirror. Also, the silvering was damaged in several places, which served to mar the reflected image. As I was worked, I realized this might present a problem, but decided to not worry about. In the end, I feel that I would be better with either a clear, front-surfaced mirror, or a more battered mirror, with more flaws and scratches.