September 30, 2001

WWI Ruins (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Since I began working with the Nude this year, I have spent almost no time imaging other subjects; the line of thought is that forts and inanimate objects will be around when I am without models, but the models may not be there next week. For right or wrong, most of my effort over the summer has gone into continuing my explorations of the Nude. This rule stood me in good stead when the day of no models and great weather dawned.
8"x10" film
On this particular Sunday, the weather was perfect, the light was rich and directional, and nary a nude model was to be found. Rather than waste the day, I set off with a friend to continue my exploration of the Halifax Defence Complex. I have photographed these spaces since 1990, but still find more to focus upon, no matter how many times I return.
8"x10" film
Working with the 8"x10" and such a static subject (after all, even the most accommodating models run out of patience) was a real treat. The precision of the 8"x10" Toyo's adjustments can only really be appreciated when there's time to use them, and with every image I made, I did just that
8"x10" film
The most successful image of the day is also one of the most amusing (to my eyes). Though the forts I photograph were all once armed with cannons and guns, almost all are stripped of their armaments. With this fort, however, one of the guns remains emplaced, pointing through the trees towards the harbour it once defended. Long seen as the most typical extension of the male appendage, I found it most amusing to make this image of a very "female" phallic symbol.

September 26, 2001

Two Shells (Feltzen, Nova Scotia)

8"x10" film
The last photos I made at Feltzen came a day after the last models left; the house we were staying in is full of small treasures, shells, bones and the like. Two shell caught my eyes over the two visits, one almost pristine, and the other worn by time, water and sun. The parallel between the two seemed obvious to me, so I decided to record both, in as similar a way as possible, and display them side by side.
8"x10" film
In the end, the images on the film were almost twice the size of the original shells, and permit the viewer to get draw into the details and intricacies of the shells.

September 25, 2001

Miranda Models in a Foggy Coast (Feltzen, Nova Scotia)

As the day progressed, the fog didn't lift much, but we decided to head to the shoreline to work regardless; after working on the Cassandra Portfolio I was more open to the idea of working in fog, and actually looked forward to using the soft, delicate light, and undefined horizons if possible.
35mm transparency film
After the outdoor work of the previous day with Victoria, I was interested in continuing to explore the juxtaposition of the female body against the visually rich rock. While I hadn't seen the earlier work, the images we'd made still danced in my mind's eye and called for more. Miranda was more then keen to follow my lead, and over ninety minutes, we created seven 8"X10" negatives, and exposed a roll of colour slides.
8"x10" film
In typical Boutilier-Brown fashion, this session covered less then 30 metres of shoreline, from start to finish. The amount of reflection and care that is going into each image is only part of the reason for the small amount of ground covered in the session; the rocks and shoreline were rich in possibility, and I was loath to move far, lest I miss an opportunity. Miranda worked hard with the spaces that caught my eye, and was even willing to get a little wet in the cool of a fall Atlantic Ocean (which, truth be told, was probably at its warmest temperature all year), all in the name of art!

What I think will prove to be one of my strongest 8"x10" images for the year was made towards the end of the session. I'd seen a section of rock broken off from the bedrock, and asked Miranda if she could lean into it, drawing her body off the level rock, and sweeping it up onto the triangle-shaped rock. I made the first image as I had envisioned it, with Miranda's shoulders and head the focus of the image, and the rest of her body receding.
8"x10" film
I was pleased, but proceeded to explore the pose from other angles, and it was then that I saw the lines of her legs to hip to knee, and realized how close I'd come to missing such a dynamic image! I quickly relocated the tripod, recomposed, and made a second image (it is extremely rare for me to make a second 8"x10" negative of a pose, as it represents 1/12 of my film for a given session). With careful composition and focus (using both the front swings and tilts possible with the view camera), the entire image came together on the ground glass before me.

Miranda and Trav in a Bath (Feltzen, Nova Scotia)

After Victoria's departure, I began to work with Trav and Miranda, again keeping the session indoors because of the heavy fog outdoors. Rather then work in the same spaces in which I'd just finished photographing Victoria in, I decided to work in the bathroom, first with the shower, and then with the bath - both of these spaces were well lit, and full of potential.
35mm transparency film
We began working in the shower, both because it is a space I enjoy working with couples in, and because I wished to carry out an experiment; infrared film shower nudes. I was not sure if there'd be enough infrared radiation coming though the fog to light the shower stall, but figured it'd be worth the risk, given how strong the results could be. The trial proved a success, and while I'd made images of Trav and Miranda in the shower in colour as well, it was the monochrome softness of the infrared which really came through in the end.

When the models shifted to working in the bathtub, both the black and white and colour images proved successful. I began exploring the possibilities of the setting with the 35mm camera, using the speed and spontaneity possible to frame up images. Most of the photos I made in colour were tightly framed, using a portrait lens up close to focus on the details. My favourite of these has an interesting play of lines, with the complexity of Trav's hands folding across Miranda's belly interrupting the lines of her pelvis.
35mm film
While I was working with the 35mm, I kept in mind the 8"x10" camera, and when I saw an image that would suit the larger negative better, I shifted gears, and set up the Toyo. In the end, I only made two images with the view camera, but the second, shown below, is one of my best-seen couple images of the last years. The obvious intimacy and comfort of the image, drawn from the simple inclusion of the half-hidden hands, and the extra knees does it all. By using a careful forward tilt on the lens, I was able to extend the focal plane across Miranda's torso, so the majority of the image is in sharp focus. The small water-droplets that sit between the breasts and across Miranda's arm just finish the delight in the image creates for me.
8"x10" film
For all the fun the models had with this session, the results have a still tenderness which is particularly pleasing. As the weekend had been planned around Victoria alone, the chance to work with a couple, and produce such rich images, was more then welcome.

Victoria Indoors (Feltzen, Nova Scotia)

This morning found the world cruelly shrouded in a chilly grey fog; the idea of a final session with Victoria with the morning light on the rocky coastline was quickly revised into an indoor session. This was not really objectionable, as I was more focused on working with Jeff's 12x20 camera, more then the location of the images themselves.
8"x10" film
As much as my main interest was in making images with the 12x20 camera, I began the session with Victoria using my 8"x10", a decision made for two reasons. First, with the 8"x10" I can make twelve images a session, as compared to the four possible with the 12x20, and second, for any vertical image, the current configuration of the 12x20 precludes vertical images (Jeff has expressed interest in solving this problem by next summer). As much as I am drawn to the 12x20 as a format, I have to admit that the strong horizontal aspect ratio is somewhat of a limitation, and as such, isn't appropriate for every image and certainly precludes it being my main camera for an entire session.
12"x20" film
So for about an hour, Victoria and I played with the soft, even light provided by the fog, and made portraits and bodyscapes within the main room of the house. Usually I avoid including specific references to a space in my images, preferring instead the more sterile, universal appeal of a neutral, featureless plane. Since working with Cassandra on the white couch however, I have slowly revised this position, including from time to time a specific reference to a space - usually obscured and somewhat out of focus, but none-the-less present.
12"x20" film
All of the images made with Victoria on this morning have some reference or other to place, which is a marked departure for me. I think part of this is a larger, conscious effort to push my work forward. My passion for photographing the figure is certainly as strong as ever, but more and more, I have found myself taking risks and making experimental images in the hopes that the results will propel my work forward.
8"x10" film
I'm not sure if these images stick out as unique from my larger body of work, or simply function as a continuum of an overall direction, but I am certain they met the objectives I'd set out for them. As part of the large body of work Victoria and I have been creating since 1998, these images contribute a new perspective, which in tandem with our other work, certainly make the whole series richer.

By the time I'd run out of film for the 12x20, we'd also run out of time, and Victoria had to leave for Halifax, an hour away.

September 24, 2001

Victoria Models Outdoor (Feltzen, Nova Scotia)

Though Victoria has been back from Ecuador since the beginning of the summer, there seems to be a conspiracy against us finding the time to work together - inevitably one or the other of us is busy, and plans for work were put off. This weekend, however, had been in the works for over a month, both to facilitate the creation of some new work, and to permit a friend of mine to make some documentary video of my working process. As it turned out, the planned three days of work shrank to a brief 24 hours but regardless, the plan stayed mostly intact, and found Victoria and I working for a wonderfully long afternoon with some of the best light I have had all year.
35mm infrared film
The shore where we worked was ripe with possibilities, but rather then get mired in extracting all the potential from each setting, I tried to work with what first came to the eye, and them move on once that image had been recorded. This is a little different from how I usually work, but as I wanted to get the most of the afternoon, I felt the broadest variety of settings and compositions would be the best approach.
8"x10" film
My favourite image of the day is one that came as a pleasant surprise - when I first pulled the negative from the chemistry into the light, I literally gasped at the richness of the image - the long fluid line of Victoria's body stretched out between dark rock ledges. When I made the image, it was more on a whim then a well seen moment; I was working to get my camera down off a rock shelf when I glanced at Victoria below - and the scene looked just perfect. I seldom work looking down on models, so the viewpoint is a refreshing one, but more then that, the exquisite tonal description of the 8"x10" negative records all the detail of the scene with brilliant accuracy.
8"x10" film
After working with so many new models over the past summer, it was surprising how quickly Victoria and I found our way back into our working relationship. There is a particular pleasure working with a model who is both comfortable with the process, and confident with her ability to find an image, or carry off a pose. With new models, the primary focus of the first couple of session is to ensure the experience is rewarding and gratifying; after two or more sessions, however, a comfort with the process as a whole is achieved, and gradually the work itself becomes the focus for both the model and myself. With Victoria, however, because she was already an experienced figure model when we first met, it took little time for us to establish a strong working relationship, and since that date, our continued work has only built a more solid foundation for us, both as friends and collaborators.

September 19, 2001

Krista Models Indoors (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The afternoon was spent much in the same way as the morning with Trav and Miranda; working with diffused natural light indoors, exploring narrow depth of field and the simplicity of the figure on white cloth. Instead of two models, however, the afternoon was focused just on one. Krista and I had planned to work outdoors, but when she arrived with a cold, we opted to play it safe and work indoors, with a mug of echinacea tea close-by.
8"x10" film
The other shift of the afternoon, besides changing to a single model, was switching the main camera from 4"x5" to 8"x10"; this had a number of influences on the session, least of all being the speed of our progress - in over two hours of working, only twelve exposures were made with the camera. On one level, this strikes me as a luxurious pace to work at, with lots of time to pause and reflect, but given the reality that the entire time (an average of more then 10 minutes per image) was spent tweaking and refining the compositions, the pacing seemed pretty much as fast as I could go.

From a technical perspective, the images grew directly from the experience of working with Krista and L_ a week before; most of the images were made with exposures of a second or more (up to eight seconds in some cases) and for most, I used the lens wide open, enjoying the soft focus of the large negative.
8"x10" film
The power of the subject's gaze flows through almost all of the images I made of Krista in this session; though the light on her body was beautiful, and the flow of lines that were created by her poses elegant and enticing, it was her eyes that became the centre point of the work, even when they were closed. As usual, I had no real notion of how the session would evolve, but by the time the second negative had been exposed, I knew that this would be almost exclusively a portrait session.
8"x10" film
At the end of the afternoon, when the light had dropped below what was possible to easily work with, we called the session to a close. Krista had endured an afternoon of lying still and sniffling in between exposures; together we'd created what I feel to be some of my best 8"x10" negatives to date. With the weather outside threatening to become cooler, and inevitably, cold, I hope this session will only be the beginning of taking the work from this strong beginning to something larger that will only revealed through the process of creating it.

September 18, 2001

Miranda and Trav Model Together (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

When I first met up with Trav and Miranda, their primary interest was in modeling for me was as a couple. Fate and circumstances dictated otherwise, but finally we managed to co-ordinate our schedules (with 3 people, this is no easy feat) and come together for the purpose of imaging intimacy.
35mm film
For two years, my indoor, available light set-up has been the same; white sheets on a bed, and white sheets pinned up over the windows, diffusing the light. I discovered this combinations when I was working on the Thalamus series, and became so enamoured with it that I have not modified it much since. It is actually quite astonishing the transformation these simple white draperies make upon our tiny bedroom.
4"x5" film
 With my indoor images, in stark contrast to most of my outdoor work, I crop the body with the camera. This is partially a response to how small a room I have to work in, and partially because the images are less about the room, and more about the particular body-area. While I did work with Bili and Joe in August, that work was all outdoors, and I did not have a chance to do work of this kind during their visit. With Trav and Miranda, I think that I was reveling in the interplay between them. and preferred to keep a tight focus on that which was drawing me in, as opposed to pull back and give a more holistic view of the two.
4"x5" film
Almost every image I made was Miranda and Trav was of hands, touching, embracing, intertwined. This is not surprising, as I realized some time ago that almost all my images of couples have this in common. What was surprising was how much I downplayed the nudity in the images; usually I have obvious nudity present in my couple photos, and while no-one could argue that Trav or Miranda were clothed in these photos, they do not have the same openness that my other work does. This not a problem, but does intrigue me. As I continue to explore this facet of my work, I'll keep this session in mind, and see where things take me next.

September 16, 2001

Miranda Models on the Barrens (Polly Cove, Nova Scotia)

Working outdoors in Nova Scotia is always a boon after the beginning of September, so when the day dawned sunny and warm, the tentative plans to head out and work with Miranda were confirmed, and shortly before noon, we headed off.
6x9 cm film
We ventured out to the granite planes by the Atlantic coast, planning to take advantage of the directional light and sparse landscape. I think I had our successes from a week earlier in mind when I chose the spot, though the results of the afternoon's work was very different from what was made before. Where those images were horizon-less and close, almost all the work we did on the barrens incorporated the landscape as a whole meeting the sky.
35mm infrared film
On one level, the session was disappointing; we had to get Miranda back to the city in time for work. Though we had most of the afternoon, we were always uncomfortably conscious of the clock. This often disrupts sessions as I tend to be too time conscious, and settle for images that are "good enough" as opposed to perfect. On the other hand, some of the most successful images of the day were swiftly made, with little thought to composition, or posing. The reinforcement this gives to my need to keep spontaneity in my work is welcome, and poignant at the same time.
8"x10" film
My second session with Miranda as a solo model was also my first testing my new wide-angle lens for the 8"x10" - a 150mm f/8 Nikkor-SW, which has about the same angle of view as a 20mm lens on a 35mm camera or a 75mm lens on a 4"x5", formerly my favourite lens. This lens replaces the older, and (slightly) slower 159mm f/9.5 Wollensak. Initially I had hopes of replacing the lens with a 150mm f/5.6 XL from Schneider, but when a used Nikkor showed up on e-bay for $1000 CDN less then I had planned to pay for the Schneider, I realized I had to be prudent, and get the more economical of the lenses. After using it once, I know the decision wasn't wrong, in any way. The lens is everything I had hoped and more and should really help me achieve the kinds of results I am expecting from the 8"x10" view camera.

September 11, 2001

A Somber Session (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

A day that changed the world...remembered with haunting images of Ground Zero by Joel Meyerowitz.

One of the best skills I have learned as a photographer (and perhaps as a person) is not to plan too far ahead, or count on such plans coming to fruition. I seldom anticipate where a session will take place, and even when I do, I am usually willing to let go of such plans as necessary, without a second thought. So, on this particular day with both Krista and L_ were available and able to model in the early evening, plans were prepared, only to be swiftly swept aside.
35mm film
The original intent was to pick up the two models, and head out to York Redoubt to catch the best of the evening light, but with the last-minute cancellation of our drive, we had to replan the session. After some debate, we opted to return to my house to work with the two models in the dying light on the bed below my deck doors.
8"x10" film
I wasn't sure how the session would unfold, given that Krista and L_ were friends, not partners. I didn't want to assume they'd be comfortable modeling together, but I was hoping that the work would take this approach, as the interplay between bodies is so dynamic and rich. The only other time I'd worked with two models together who were friends as opposed to lovers was with Victoria and Ingrid, back in 1998. That session yielded some very strong images, but I didn't want to assume the same would happen this time.
8"x10" film
As it turned out, I didn't even have to ask if the two models would be comfortable working together. The light was already low and fading fast when we arrived at my house; I set up my camera as swiftly as I could and asked the models if they could disrobe and get comfortable on the bed. When I turned around from the camera, they'd arranged themselves spontaneously with Krista's head on L_'s hip. All that remained to be done was arrange Krista's hair, metre the light, and make the image. Everything else flowed from there, and forty-five minutes later, after 12 8"x10" negatives (all exposed for between one and eight seconds in length) and a roll of colour exposures the light-level dropped too low and we called an end to the session.
8"x10" film
The session was wonderful on several levels; first, I learned that exposures in the range of eight seconds are not unreasonable with the 8"x10" camera, and second, the interplay between the two friends produced some rich images, both as straight-forward images of bodies, and as photos of two friends, comfortable and relaxed. All in all, a rewarding, if short, session.

September 10, 2001

Miranda's First Solo Session (Herring Cove, Nova Scotia)

This session would have been of Trav and Miranda together but an emergency appendectomy put Trav out of commission for several weeks. Miranda was more then keen to model alone, however, so we headed to the coast to see what images could be found.
6x9 cm film
The day began under a cloudless blue sky, and threatened to be a real scorcher. With this in mind, I chose a section of the coast that was facing directly away from the sun; it was likely to be cooler there, and I knew that the light in the shade would be beautiful and soft, lacking the high contrast and angular quality of the direct sunlight. My decision proved wise, as the day continued to be bright and sunny, and the temperatures rose, but in the shade it stayed comfortable and the light was just perfect.
8"x10" film
Most of the granite rocks we worked with were different from the smooth, worn plains further down the coast. In contrast, almost the whole of this coastline was made of rugged, broken stone, with long, angular cracks. These provided a wonderful setting against which to place the body, with the contrast between the highly textured rocks and the smooth skin of Miranda's body accentuated by the graphic breaks in the rocks. While the colour of the rocks was highly complimentary to Miranda's skin colour, most of the images we made were created using my 8"x10" camera, taking full advantage of the rich tonal scale and high detail of the large negative.
8"X10" FILM
One of my biggest concerns when contemplating the shift from the lighter three kilogram 4"x5" camera to the heaver nine kilogram 8"x10" camera was whether I could use it to make the same kind of image. In 1998, I had worked for a session with an 8"x10" camera on the underside of a railway bridge, so I had some idea that it wouldn't be an impediment, but I was still unsure. The above portrait, with only Miranda's eyelashes and a few freckles in sharp focus made the decision to take the 8"x10" camera on this session pay off.

September 03, 2001

A Couple on the Rocks (Litchfield, Nova Scotia)

I haven't worked with Miles since before his departure for higher learning on the west coast in June of 1999. His reappearance in the last week of August marked the return of a great friend and the safe deliverance of two experienced and enthusiastic models.
4"x5" film
After such a strong session with Trav and Miranda at Chebucto Head, we headed to the same coast on this afternoon, hoping to work with some of the same spaces. The day was a Sunday, however, and we arrived to find a small horde of people, clambering over the rocks and generally getting in the way. Rather then give up, we decided to trek down the coast a ways, to see what could be found further from the road.

The walk proved fruitful, and half-an hour later (it is my experience that people seldom walk further then ten minutes from their cars) we came across Litchfield Cove, which was rich in possibilities and isolated enough to permit us to work without fear of interruption.
4"x5" film
As it was late in the summer, and late in the day, the light for the setting was perfect; the sun was streaming into the cove from the landside, and back-lighting the high grasses and ferns growing among the rocks at the upper end of the beach. Normally I dislike working in direct sunlight but, as this was less like sunlight and more like rim light, it was wonderful to work with.

The first images of the session were made with the models posed against the brilliant back-lit grasses; most of the compositions were fairly static, with one or both of the models lying on the rocks. At one point, when J_ was watching Miles work out a pose, everything came together, and I had her hold her stance; the result, above, has an almost lyric quality, with an implied, but vague storyline.
6x9 cm film
While part of what I wanted to produce during the session were images of Miles and J_ together, I did come across a good number of spaces that called for single models, and didn't hesitate to take advantage of the possibilities with one or the other of the models. One of the most successful of these, to the left, uses the softer, indirect light of the sides of the cove to marry J_'s figure to the undulating rocks that abounded. The small smooth stones that have collected over the years in the hollows in the bedrock produced a nice counterpoint to the fluid, continuous lines of the body behind.

After more than four hours of continuous working, ravenous hunger finally brought an end to the session; the provisions we had brought along ran out, and there was no way to continue without risk of model mutiny.