June 30, 2001

Victoria by Available Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Victoria is without a doubt the model I've photographed the most; since my first image of her made in 1998, we must have spent hundreds of hours working together, exploring light and landscape, and building an extensive body of work. Even after all those images however, it always surprises me how easy it is to come up with new and strong imagery with her.
8"x10" film
One of the most rewarding aspects that this long relationship gives to the process is that I have more freedom to take chances when I work with Victoria, as she is less interested in the results of a single session then she is in the overall flow of my imagery. On this day, she'd contacted me about modeling, but between both our schedules, we only managed to come up with an hour or so in which we were both free. We made the plans, however, as I had wanted to do some exploration of the possibilities of the 8"x10" Toyo indoors, and Victoria was more then happy to be a test subject.
8"x10" film
The mast majority of my natural light indoor images have been made with 35mm colour film (as exhibited in my Thalamus folio), so the shift to working with black and white film on a much larger camera was one I was a little unsure of. The biggest difference, and the hardest to overcome, was the longer lenses of the view camera - the portrait lens on my 35mm camera is 85mm, while the portrait lens on my 8"x10" is 375mm! The longer lens on the 8"x10" gave MUCH less depth of field, and while the incredible sharpness and detail of the larger negative was wonderful, I struggled throughout the session to keep enough of Victoria in focus to hold the images together.
8"x10" film
In the end, after ninety minutes of working, we'd made 12 negatives, with a number of very pleasing portraits. The session more then proved that the 8"x10" Toyo is workable indoors; while slow and ungainly, the fine controls and delicate tonality the large camera and negatives give are more then worth the effort.

June 28, 2001

R_ Poses at the Coast (Middle Point Cove, Nova Scotia)

The final session of R_'s couple of day's working with me saw us returning to Peggy's Cove, this time with the 8"x10" as opposed to the 4"x5" camera. The more I work with the larger camera, the more I am becoming convinced that it is right camera for me; the pleasure of pulling an image together on such a large ground-glass, combined with the additional demands it places on the process as a whole is exactly what I was hoping it would contribute to the process.
35mm infrared film
The light was much softer then the previous evening, with low clouds obscuring the sun for most of its decent. We began with a series of images working with the multitude of shapes and lines in the granite bedrock, playing on the interplay between the form of R_'s body and the landscape around her. The most successful, above, sets the fluid, full lines of the back and hip against a bisected plane of rock.
8"x10" film
As we progressed and the sun moved lower in the sky, the real drama of the evening unfolded, with the sun moving behind a dark, triangular cloud. While the foreground was still well lit, the sun behind the cloud lead to a dramatic sky, above. Realizing what was happening, R_ and I quickly relocated to a rocky point closer to the ocean, to take advantage of the coming special - I expected that the sun would begin to cast rays of light from behind the cloud, and wanted to be able to take advantage of that brilliance upon the water, and the surrounding clouds.

One of the realities of larger cameras is that they can slow the entire process of making images down by many times; with a 4"x5" camera, it can take several minutes to set up the tripod and camera, focus and finally make an image; I had expected the whole thing to slow again with the movement to 8"x10", but honestly, I was surprised by how easy it was to change our location quickly, and set up and make the final images of the day. I doubt I would have been much faster with my 4"x5", given the unevenness of the rocks, and the indirect path we had to take.
8"x10" film
The second sun-set session was very different from the first; working with only a 35mm camera and the 8"x10" changed the entire process, there was much more contemplation before making an image, and I reveled in the ability to see the image so large on the camera's ground-glass, before setting the film holder in, and making the exposure.

R_ Poses in a River (Dawson Brook, Nova Scotia)

When R_ first contacted me about modeling, of her primary interests was in water Nudes; we had to wait almost four months, however, for the rivers and streams to warm up enough to facilitate working with them.
4"x5" film
I'd worked at Dawson Brook before with Claire, but felt the space still had great potential, some of which I hoped to tap into R_ with . The biggest problem we had to overcome was the incredible contrast caused by the bright sunny day; in the deep woods, the bright shafts of sunlight were almost blinding against the shadowed underbrush and open shade of the forest. Fortunately, one of the better spaces to work in was totally in shade, giving us both the low light levels I prefer for river work (to permit longer shutter speeds for water blur) and nice even light which gives such a glow to R_'s pale skin.

I began working with a small pool in the brook, where the slow-flowing water cascaded down a series of small steps before filling the shallow basin. The photos we made in this space are very strongly related to my other water Nudes, playing on the same relationships between the live, flowing water, and the lines of the body. Once we fully explored the possibilities of that space, we moved five feet upstream, and discovered one of the most magical water spaces I have ever worked with.
35mm transparency film
The early summer in Nova Scotia has been a dry one to date, and as a result, the water level has been lower then usual; this in turn has made the flow of streams like Dawson Brook more lethargic and leisurely - in this case, the water upstream from where we started filled a broad, shallow rock-shelf, and looked more like ice or standing water then a moving stream. The real magic, however, came from the sunlight on the trees above the pool, reflected into the water. When R_moved into the pool, and let the water around her settle, everything just came alive; the dance of the eye between the figure and the reflection, and back again is a real pleasure. My most immediate response was to work in colour (on 35mm), and while I was pleased with the black and white 4"x5" images we made (the best of which is below) it was the 35mm colour which really draws me in.

4"x5" film
The rest of the session at Dawson Brook was spent working further downstream, where the brook cascades down a 5 meter waterfall. It was here where the inherent contrast of the sunlit-day wreaked havoc; the colour images I made have only a few successes, ad the black and white eve fewer; I was so focused on working with the composition and flow of the body and water that I neglected to take into account the extreme contrast, and take the simple step to counteract it (over-exposing my black-and-white negatives, and then compensating in the development would have worked wonders). On the whole, however, I am not displeased; the surprise and delight I find in the earlier images in the flat slow water upstream more then compensates for the less then perfect results of the end of the day.

June 27, 2001

R_ Models at Sunset (Middle Cove, Nova Scotia)

Most of eastern Nova Scotia faces the sunrise, so it is rare to find a water-front space that faces the setting sun; in 1996 I happened to be at Peggy's Cove at sunset, and was treated to a wonderful spectacle. Ever since then, I wanted to try working with a model during the fading of the light, and I finally got my wish.
4"x5" film
R_had made arrangements a week before to work with me for a couple of days late in June, but at the last moment, her plans changed, and she dropped by my work to let me know that she had the evening free. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and asked her if she'd be up for working that evening. Immediately she asked if we could work with water (the day was terribly hot) and I smiles and said "you bet". Two hours later we were on our way to Peggy's Cove.

We arrived about 90 minutes before sunset, and began working with the tidal pools and the sunlight reflected in them. Just like last fall, when I was overjoyed to be working into late October, I revelled in the low, angular light, and the great description of R_'s form. Usually I draw inspiration for the poses from the setting, but most of the photos made this evening were drawn directly from the light and it's interplay with the water and body.
35mm transparency film
As the sun moved down in the sky, we eventually stopped working in the lower tidal pools and moved up onto the high rocks overlooking the bay, and the setting sun. We were fortunate that the day was slightly hazy, and as the sun went down in the sky, it changed from a blindingly white ball into a pale orange globe just above the horizon. We had to work swiftly at this point to make the most of the descending sun, but the pose we worked out, with R_'s back facing me, and her leaning away from the sun, has just the tone I was seeking. The soft light compliments the pose, and chaotic landscape with the setting sun evoking something primal and powerful to my eye.
4"x5" film
We worked for another 15 minutes or so after the sunset, at which point it became too dark to work with ease - the final exposure of the day was a full 8 seconds long. On the whole, the session proved my conviction that working with sunsets is certainly worth the effort, even if it inevitably is a race against time. I hope to find other settings to use, in hopes that during the Cassandra Portfolio work next month, I'll be able to further explore the possibilities of working with the dying of the light.

June 17, 2001

Victoria Models in a Forest (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I don't do a lot of work in Nova Scotian woods, because of the bugs, and the scrubby nature of the woods around Halifax. There are, however, both excellent bug repellents (we use Natrapel, and highly recommend it), and areas of hard wood, which are more open and quite appropriate for the images I seek. This particular location is about 200m into the woods from the side of the highway; all through the session you could hear the traffic passing, and, in some images, I had to time them carefully to avoid the flash of cars though the trees. A small price to pay for such a wonderful setting.
8"x10" film
In contrast to the day before, this day's session was as close to photographic perfect as I have had since Alberta in 1999 (which was also filled with work with Victoria). The light was perfect, the setting rich in possibilities, the model excellent, and the flow from image to image was like sleepwalking - everything came together for one composition to the next, all through the afternoon. And when the session drew to a close, our time ended just as the film did, leaving me walking back to the car with a great feeling of satisfaction, and images dancing in my mind's eye. In stark contrast to the previous day, I worked almost exclusively with the 8"x10", taking full advantage of the rich tonal range of the film to capture all the detail and complexity of the setting.

What most impressed me about the work I did during this session was how consistent it was; only two of the 8"x10" images I made failed outright (flaws in composition or posing) and the three images displayed here are the first, eighth and eleventh exposure of the twelve produced; usually one end or the other of a session have the successes, marking where I hit my stride.
8"x10" film
With this session though, each image took an average of 20 minutes to create; first the setting was selected (and in the case of these images, cleaned of fallen branches and debris), then the pose was established. Once these basics were established, the camera lens and position were chosen, and the final refinements were made looking at the image on the ground glass.

One doesn't need a large bulky camera to take this much time and effort making a single image, but given that there isn't really any other way to work with an 8"x10", and that each image made uses 1/12th of the film I have along with me (not to mention the high cost of the actual film), the compulsion to get the image right the first time is high.
8"x10" film
At the end of the day, I was totally satisfied with the work, unprocessed as it was. The flow of this session closely mirrored the work from two days before at Peggy's Cove - each image came in its own time, according to its need to be seen. The clarity of the translation from my intent to the final image, through the 8"x10" camera, makes me totally convinced that this new tool was an excellent addition to my resources, for all the things I gave up to obtain it.

June 16, 2001

Victoria Models on a Sunny Afternoon (Chebucto Head, Nova Scotia)

If you go to the movie K-19 in the fall, you will probably see scenes shot where Victoria and I are in the background...way in the background...five kilometres in the background! When we arrived out at Chebucto Head to work for the day, the harbour mouth was full of tugs, warships, and an old Russian sub, where the film was being made. The whole first series of images that we made used the horizon as a backdrop, and I had to be careful with the framing not to include any of the ships, as they'd have broken the flow of the distant horizon. Fortunately, my efforts were rewarded with the above image, a wonderful combination of the direct sunlight on Victoria, and the distant haze, which softened the line between the water and the sky.
35mm infrared film
I haven't worked with Victoria for almost a year, because of her working in South America since last fall. Her return for the summer permits us to continue to build on the extensive body of work we've made since 1998, when we first met. The comfort of working with a model with whom I've already established a relationship is hard to describe; the process becomes somewhat like a ballet, with myself providing the basic choreography, and Victoria (who is, by chance, a dancer) providing the performance. Because of how long we've worked together, Victoria can often anticipate my requests, and often set up images on her own, before I can even let her know what I am searching for.
35mm infrared film
While I was really pleased to be working with Victoria again, the day itself lead to only a  few successful images. We could only work for the afternoon when the sun was high in the sky, and while the horizon all around had clouds, where we were working was under a blazing sun, which provided a harsh and unforgiving light. While direct sunlight can work well in the morning and evening because of its low angle, in midday it presents real problems because of how contrasty the light is.
4"x5" film
So on the whole, the day was an exercise in frustration. Victoria and I managed to make a number of good images, but the difficulties of the numerous large ships on the horizon, the harsh light, and the limited time-frame conspired to minimize the successes. The infrared was more successful then the traditional film (either in the 6x9 or the 8"x10") because of its inherent contrast, but the closing image, a portrait of Victoria lying under a rock, with her hair cascading over one of her eyes, was well worth carrying the 8"x10" around all afternoon for.

June 15, 2001

Rock Pools (Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia)

For four years, I have wanted to work with a model of the rocks around Peggy's Cove at sunset. Every time something is set up, however, it always falls through, and this occasion was no exception! Not willing to surrender to fate however, I decided to head out to the coast anyway, and see what could be made of the rocks, light and water,
8"x10" film
We arrived at the coast about two hours before sundown, and I gathered up my backpack and tripod, and tromped down to the shore. The biggest lesson I have learned with the 8"x10" in the value of a good pack. With my 4"x5", I have been using a Lowepro photo pack, which carries reasonably loaded full of gear, but still gives me a backache at the end of the day. The Pacific pack which I have for my 8"x10" is a full-sized, internal frame pack, and while it weighs in at 20kg loaded, it rides well, and is quite easy to walk with (once I have it on my back). Moving over the rough terrain and uneven rocks wasn't a problem in any way.
8"x10" film
With only an hour or so to work, the images I made came with surprising ease - there is a comfort to working with the 8"x10" that was only hinted at with the smaller 4"x5" camera. The pace of working (slow and steady) and the care and contemplation needed before exposing a piece of film seems to really compliment my preferred way of working. While it may take some time for the technical details to be worked out and become second nature, I really am feeling that the return to 8"x10" was a perceptive move on my part. The more I work with the camera, the more I feel that it is "right". I am swiftly becoming of the opinion that getting my first 8"x10" camera, back in 1992, was simply a case of having the wrong tool at the wrong time; while I had some successes with that camera, what has happened so far this year seems to prove that camera is right for me now.

June 10, 2001

Denise Models along the Harbour (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The second half of the day was spent working on the rocks down by the Atlantic shore, taking advantage of the open shade and occasionally, and afternoon sun. In some ways this was a more limited space, as there was only a narrow band of rocks to work with, but at the same time, the setting was such a strong contrast to the woods of the morning that it provided a great end to the day's work.
35mm transparency film
The biggest drawback to the limited space was that I wasn't able to work with the 8"x10" camera for the first series of images, made with Denise on a small rocky outcrop surrounded by seaweed and the rising tide. The sloped rock which I was photographing from was simply too precarious to place a tripod on, so I switched to using the 6x9 and 35mm cameras. Given the speed and ease of using these two cameras, Denise and made a variety of images, subtly varying the pose and framing, before we were satisfied that we'd exhausted the possibilities. The difference in the speed and style of the cameras I was using was readily apparent.
8"x10" film
In contrast to the fast, varied work we did on the rock outcrop, the next image we made was a portrait, taking advantage of the soft, even light of the shaded rocks. One of the realities of working with 8"x10" cameras is the very long lenses necessary for portraiture - in this case, I was using a 375mm lens, which on a 35mm camera is a really long lens, more appropriate for wildlife photography then portraiture with a person four feet away! The larger negative however, requires a longer lens for the same perspective - in this case, the 375mm lens gives the same perspective as a 60mm lens would on my Nikon! The result, regardless of all the technical details, is exceptionally pleasing, with a richness and detail that would have been hard to convey on 35mm or even medium format film.
8"x10" film
My favourite image, and one of the more unique of the day, was one that also served to test my equipment's stability. After making the above portrait, we continued along the coastline, looking for possibilities. One space immediately called out to me, a sharp V in the rocks looked down 5 feet or so to a flat shelf, complete with a small tidal pool. I knew I wanted to work with the camera looking down onto Denise and the water, but wasn't sure if the tripod would support 11 kg of the camera and lens. Once in place, however, it was obvious that the position was more than stable enough, and we began working on the pose. Because of the perspective and the slightly tight space, the options were limited, but I wanted something that would both reflect and contrast the rocks around her. In the end, the roundness of her torso, and the soft triangles of her arms seemed perfect, and the image was made.
35mm infrared film
The final image set of the day was made working with all three camera, playing on the strengths of each. The pose, Denise stretching along a rock below long grasses, called for wide angle lenses, and in the end, I managed to make successful images with each camera. The choice of which to place in the diary was a hard one, eventually decided upon by the simple visual impact of the infrared image. The vivid contrast of the body and pale grasses against the rocks just draws me into the image, and the extended flow of the figure, accentuated by the lens, pulls the gaze across the photo and keeps the image live.

Denise Models outdoors (York Redoubt, NS, Canada)

Denise is one of the first models I ever worked with back in 1989 when I was just venturing into the realm of figure photography. Over the last decade, Denise worked with me a number of times, contributing several strong images. Needless to say, when I met up with Denise several months ago, I was more then enthusiastic when she asked about the possibility of continuing to work with me this summer.
6x9 cm film
As neither Denise or I have a car and had no alternate transportation for the day, we had to work in a space accessible by bus, so we settled on York Redoubt, a 19th century fort and park on Halifax's southern edge. A large and diverse space, it is more than suitable for the work I like to do, and proved perfect for the day we had to work. The lighting was ideal - the morning was lightly overcast, with wonderfully even light for working in the leafy woods.
35mm infrared film
The forests of Nova Scotia are one of the most difficult natural spaces I have tried to photograph in - most of the province is covered with scrubby conifer woods which are dense and difficult to walk through, let alone photograph in. The woods around York Redoubt, however, have grown up with many hardwood trees, their broad branches and large leaves sheltering the forest floor, and leaving it open to ferns and other small foliage. The spaces call out to me for a model, and it was into these woods that Denise and I headed to begin working.

Where the previous month saw my first session with my 8"x10" camera, this session marked my first time with the camera and the three lenses I'd acquired - a wide, slightly wide and short portrait lens (159mm, 240mm and 375mm respectively). While I was working with my other cameras, the main focus of the session was on the 8"x10" camera, and putting it through its paces. Though Denise and I hadn't worked together since 1994, she and I have a strong rapport, and the patience such a camera demanded didn't seem to be much of a burden on her - she took the pace in stride, and worked hard to make each image count.
8"x10" film
Very quickly, a pattern emerged that would continue through the day - I'd see a space that appealed to me visually and we'd work on the pose and camera position. Once that was set, I'd get the 8"x10" camera in position (sometimes quite a feat; the camera and tripod weigh in at 14 kg) and frame up the image. Once the initial photo was made, I would then bring out one or both of the roll film cameras (a 6x9 rangefinder, and a 35mm loaded with infrared) and continue to explore the scene for other possibilities. This is somewhat the reverse of my normal modus operandi, but as I was trying to push my work with the 8"x10" as far as I could, I was deliberately choosing to follow my first intuition with that camera, and left alternate images to smaller, more spontaneous tools.