R_'s First Session (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

R_first contacted me about modeling at the end of February, but it was May before we managed to work out our schedules. A fortunate side effect of this delay was that the weather was warming enough to permit the possibility of doing outdoor work.

35mm film

As she lived some distance away from Halifax, it was necessary to pick R_ up on the first night to facilitate two full days of work before she had to return. I hadn't intended to start photographing R_ until the next morning, but when I mentioned the option of doing some candle nudes, she was enthusiastic, so at 11pm, we began working, set up on the floor with a single candle in a raised holder.

4"x5" film

Because of the "shuffling" of equipment I had been doing since last fall, the only lens I had for my 4"x5" was a 135mm, which is equal to about a 45mm lens on a 35mm camera. This is a little wider then I prefer for figure work, but as it was what I had on hand, I made do.

4"x5" film

I am always surprised by how much a model influences the images that come from a session. In many ways, candle sessions are the most simplistic that I do; a single light, a model, and a black space. Yet each time I work with these minimal elements, the results can be widely difference. Part of the look of this session comes from the lens I was using, but the way R_ moved and her immediate comfort with the process played a large part in the outcome as well. As first sessions with a new model go, it was a great beginning, with the hour providing a number of successful images for my continued exploration of candle nudes, and giving R_ a relaxed, low-key introduction to figure modeling.