Building on the Work with Kris (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I first worked with Kris in 1996, and it was her enthusiasm and indulgence that lead to my first experimentation with water nudes. Since the winter of that year, I've only worked with her once - school and life-stuff conspired against us. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when I met up with Kris in June, and even more pleased when she agreed to modeling for me sometime later in the summer.

4"x5" film

The day we set for the session was Canada Day, making this the fourth year in a row that this day has yielded strong work. Initially we'd hoped to work on the coast, but when we drove out, we discovered it was covered by fog. Rather than giving up the day, we decided to work on the rocks and military ruins of York Redoubt.

4"x5" film

The greatest irony of the day was that while it was foggy and cool at the coast, at York Redoubt, five miles inland, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun shone uninterrupted for the entire session making the afternoon hot and contrasty.

4"x5" film

Normally, direct sunlight is less than optimal for photographing outdoors but we were close to some abandoned military buildings. We spent much of tour time working indoors, taking advantage of the high amount of reflected light coming through the large windows. Unlike the direct sunlight, the reflected light was soft and even, making it a pleasure to work with.