J_ & Miles by Natural Light (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

My last indoor available light session with Miles and J_ , in the fall of 2001, took place during the dying light of the day, and the entire session was a fight against the failing light. In January, we worked for the first time in the studio, but J_ didn't enjoy the strobe, finding its bright burst of light disconcerting. This session was the total contrast to those sessions, with a bright afternoon providing all the light we needed, and both Miles and J_ enjoying the session's relaxed tone and slow pace.

6x7 cm film

The best thing about working with available light in my house is that it is natural; where most of my studio work revolves around standing poses, almost all of my indoor work, either with solo or multiple models, is of relaxed poses, lying on a bed or pull-out couch. This gives a more natural flow to the images, which in turn builds on the comfort and delicacy contained in the image. All of this
lends itself to creating the feeling I am after with my images (while the standing images I have made in the studio in the past work well at times, there is no denying how natural two lovers lying beside each other feels and looks).

6x7 cm film

Because most of my indoor sessions take place with the models on the pull-out bed in my living room, the vast majority of the poses I work with tend to be horizontal, with the models lying down. This can make it difficult to dynamically compose within the camera, given that my preferred camera formats. 8"x10" and 6x7 cm, have a closer-to-square aspect ratio (as opposed to 35mm, which is narrower, and closer to a narrow rectangle then a square). With couples on the other hand, the format works well, as images of multiple models take up more space on the ground glass. Add to this my recent penchant for angular images (which emphasize the flow of an image) and it becomes much easier to compose to the shape of the formats I work with.

6x7 cm film

The pleasure of working for a full afternoon with a couple of models can't be understated; the freedom to take the time needed to perfect the poses I came across and make the exposures I was seeking was wonderful. The couples I have worked with in the past have all been more then comfortable with the process, but given that both Miles and J_ are good friends, this session was even more enjoyable, as the experience of making new images was combined with time spent with good friends.