Miles and Partner Pose Together (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

A month after our previous photo session, Miles and J_ again had time to model, though this session was much later in the day. I was a little hesitant about the timing because the light was so low but decided that rather than cancelling, I'd use high speed film and fast lenses.

35mm film

In addition to the Ilford 3200 speed film, I also worked with a roll of infra-red. This was as a result of the shower session I'd done in September with Trav and Miranda where I'd had great success with infra-red in lower light. Both films are extremely grainy which lent a particular look to the session.

Rather then pull out the hid-a-bed and cover the window with a white cloth to diffuse the light as I usually do, I opted to simply cover the couch with my white cloth, and have Miles and J_ work there. This changed both the possible poses and the angle of the light we were working with. Most of my indoor nudes are back-lit, set against the cloth I use for a background, giving them a particularly luminous quality but with these images, the light was more dramatic.

35mm film

The limited combination of the poses possible on the couch, and the swiftly dying light made the session more about exploring different possibilities of a given pose, then the creation of multiple compositions. I actually really enjoyed the quality of the light, reveling in how it seemed to wrap around the models and gave a rich description of form, Unfortunately, the rate at which the light was fading kept me from dwelling too long on a single perspective. While there were several images I would have loved to have had time to record with the 8"x10" camera, many potential images were precluded by the swiftly diminishing light.

35mm film

On the whole, I am pleased with the session's results. The Delta 3200 film, which I'd only used occasionally in the past, gave a wonderful softness to the images which complimented the luminous brilliance of the infrared.

Miles and Partner (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

35mm film

For almost two years, I'd told Miles and J_ that I'd do nudes of them together; Miles has grown, since I met him in 1998, to be one of my best friends, and an ardent supporter of my work He and his partner, J_ , have modeled for me off and on since then, but somehow, we've never managed to be coordinated enough to get together for a photo session about the two of them together. The end of the morning session with R_ presented this opportunity (albeit briefly) so we spent the last half-hour of the morning with Miles and J_ cuddling on the bed, and me working through the last of a roll of 35mm film.

8"x10" film

The shift from the formal approach to posing that was required for the images of R_ and the other models, to the fluid, spontaneous nature of the images of Miles and J_ was swift. From the first image to the last, about the only direction I had to give was "don't move".

35mm film

After making the images of Krista and L_ last month, and subsequently the images of R_ and the other models, I have spend some time thinking of how I photograph couples. I have come to realize that, with only a few exceptions, I betray my heterosexuality in this work - almost all the images are about the male's adoration, love and affection for the female. Not that I see much of a problem with this (after all, it is how I feel, on a personal level) I did make a particular effort to present the opposite aspect - woman's love for man...thus the image of J_'s chaste kiss on the brow of her lover.

Three Models Pose Together (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

As R_'s main reason to come to Halifax was to work with other models, our session with the 8"x10" camera came to a close with the arrival of Miles and J_. The plan was to spend the best of the morning light working with R_ and one or the other of the additional models, and continue to build on the previous evening's work.

6x7 cm film

Because of the limited time we had to work together, I had decided to use small and medium format cameras for the session, trading off all the advantages I describe above in favour of the ability to make the most of the session's possibilities. With enough light, I could easily have worked with the 8"x10" camera, but I was worried that with the lower light levels of the natural setting, I wouldn't be able to get enough depth of field to make the images successful.

6x7 cm film

The images of R_ modeling with Miles and J_, both individually, and then all three models together, had much in common with the images from the session with R_ and Miranda. Much of the effort of the session was put into generating the poses, with the actual image-making being the secondary stage of the process. This came as less of a surprise then it had the day before, and as a result, there was somewhat more of a focus to the session as a whole, with more of a structure imposed on it by myself.

6x7 cm film

Probably the most engaging and inspiring images from the session were the images of the three models together. I hadn't any idea of how this would work (or even if it would happen), but as soon as I saw the three models lying together, lit softly by the window, I knew I had an image that met what I was seeking - that particular blend of intimacy, sensuality and beauty that is ever elusive, but always seems to creep into my work when all the elements come together in the right proportions.

R_ Poses in Natural Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The first half of the final morning of R_'s stay in Halifax was spent working with diffused morning light. During the previous two sessions, I'd used medium and small format cameras, but for this series of images, I set those cameras aside, and returned to my 8"x10", making seven negatives over the 90 minutes we had to work.

8"x10" film

The influence on process which camera exert cannot be overemphasized; smaller cameras lend themselves to spontaneous, quick images, while larger, slower cameras demand more attention be made to every aspect, before an exposure is made. This session, in contrast to the previous evening's work, was all about careful seeing, and exact framing. The drawbacks of the larger camera - less depth of field, slower physical operation, and fewer images a session, are more then compensated by the increased care that these aspects force onto the process.

8"x10" film

The narrow depth of field of the longer lens (on the 8"x10" camera, my 375mm lens has the same angle of view as a 60mm lens on a 35mm camera, but much less depth of field for the same F-stop) is somewhat off-set by the ability to tilt and swing the lens, so the focus flows along the body, as opposed to parallel to the film. The slower operation that the camera demands simply increases the care of composition and exposure, and the limited number of negatives per session further reinforces this care. With smaller, faster cameras, the inclination is to make many images, and then edit afterwards to get the best images - with the 8"x10" this just isn't an option; after six images are made, I am half way through my film, so I strive to make every exposure count.. And of course the biggest reward and reason to use the larger camera is the larger negative. The results in terms of image fidelity and tonal range is reason enough for all the changes it requires to be made upon the process.

8"x10" film

The morning light, when diffused through a white sheet, provided me with a delicate, descriptive light, which worked well with the curves and lines which I chose to focus upon. In some ways, this work is the antithesis to my outdoor work, which is about the body and landscape and how they visually interact. By contrast, these photos are about R_'s body alone.

Miranda by Candle Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

6x7 cm film

Later the same night, I found myself with twenty free minutes, several unexposed frames of high-speed film, and an enthusiastic model, Miranda. While waiting for friends to converge on the house, in advance of a social outing, we made a small series of images, Miranda's first with candles. The first photo was pretty traditional, but still an approach I enjoy taking; the frontal portrait with a candle has a classic quality which I return to again and again. In fact I think I have done with pose with every model who's done candle nudes, though few are as successful as this one - the 3200 speed film allowed for a shorter exposure then I usually use, which in turn provided a less motion-blurred result.

6x7 cm film

The second (and more interesting) image was more of a whimsical experiment, then a serious image; I framed Miranda's body and the candle against the deck-doors, which were splattered with raindrops shimmering with the light from the road beyond. I was a little doubtful that such an image would work, as it looked a little cluttered through the viewfinder, but as soon as a saw the negative in the darkroom, I knew it was surprisingly successful. On some levels, I think it has origins in my Simulacra imagery, but at the same time, it has other, less clear referents, and is very provocative. I suspect that this image is only the first of more, though how the descendants will manifest themselves, I have no idea.

Miranda & R_ Model Together (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The evening after the bathtub candle session was R_'s first chance to work with another model; Miranda had been more than keen to try the project when I'd asked her about it earlier in the week, so the three of us met up at my house after I finished work for the day. The plan was to photograph until the light grew too dim, so we had a definitive end to the session, defined by the fading light. With this in mind (and in light of the fact that the day was drab and overcast) I worked with 400 speed film at the beginning, and them shifted to Ilford Delta 3200 for the second half of the session. The decision to use the high-speed film was wise, as by the end of the session the exposures had become a full second long at f/8, which was barely enough to guarantee the most minimal of depth of field, given how close I was working to the models.

6x7 cm film

The most unique aspect of the session with R_ and Miranda is that they are, in a sense, photos of actors. Unlike most of my images of couples, these images are of strangers, whose only reason to be in the same space together was to be photographed by me. As such, it was a more "directed" session then most of my previous work with couples; where with lovers I can rely upon the chemistry of the models to create the images, R_ and Miranda had to rely upon some guidance to create images that worked.

6x7 cm film

The session flowed back and forth between the more obvious "bodyscape" photos, which used the two models as aesthetic planes of light and shape, and the more imitate couple images, which implied, more then revealed, a relationship (after all, it was a visual creation, and not revelation). I am certainly pleased with the results of both approaches, but I do wonder how different the photos of the women would have been if the relationship had been different (I can't help but think back to the recent images of Krista and L_, and how they spoke of a friendship and the models' comfort with each other). I wonder how much more could have been achieved if the photos relied less on my skill to pose to models together, and more on my ability to take what is presented before me, and translate it onto film.

6x7 cm film

Overall, the session was certainly a success. As R_'s first time working with a second model, it yielded some good images, in two distinct styles. In the end, however, the session came to a close much as I had anticipated: with the sudden arrival of rain, the darkening of the sky, and the dropping off of the light. At pretty much the same time, both models began to complain of being cold, so letting go of the last rays of the day's light, I set the camera aside and let the models curl up and get warm under the covers.

R_ in a Bath by Candle Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I continually return to candles as a light source for the Nude, both because it is convenient and inexpensive to use during the long Canadian winter nights, and because of the particular qualities that the candles lend to the images. As a single point light source that can be included in the image, I use the candle itself as the highlight and all the other tones in the image begin there; this is a strong contrast to most of my outdoor nudes where the body is usually the most luminous object.

35mm film

This particular session, my first to mix candles with water, began at 11pm, after an eleven hour workday. R_ had contacted me earlier in the week, asking if I'd have time to work with her over the weekend; we discussed the possibilities, and she expressed an interest in modeling with other models, exploring the possibilities with that very different approach to imaging the Nude. I made some quick calls, and arranged for two sessions with other models over the three days that R_ would be in town.

35mm film

When she arrived, however, R_ didn't want to wait until the next evening to model, and asked if there was anything we could do immediately. As I had some 3200 ISO film on hand, I suggested we do some candle images in the bathtub; we'd begun our work together in May with similar work, and R_ was keen to build on that. Because it was so late when we started, and because I had to work all day the next day, I kept the session short.

35mm film

Less then an hour after we'd started, I had two full rolls of 35mm exposed, and a number of strong images dancing in my mind's eye. The most successful image of the evening, to the left, stuck with me through the entire weekend, but it was only after R_ left that I was able to process the film, and confirm that the image was strong. The bright highlight on the breast, and the dark, inky shadow between it and the silhouette in the water were exactly how I'd perceived the image through the camera, and though the image is quite grainy due to the use of such high speed film, the overall effect is exactly what I'd sought. The addition of the bathtub to what was already such a familiar tool, the candle, proved to be both exciting and successful, something I am sure I will continue to push further.