L_ Modeling Indoors

8"x10" film

When I first worked with L_, she was unsure about signing a full model release so, while we made some Nude Portraits during that session, it wasn't until six months later that she signed a release so I could show the images. Since then, one of the things I most value about our collaboration is her comfort with portrait nudes; she has such a confident presence before the camera, and this translates beautifully into nude portraits.

8"x10" film

I started the session off in the same manner as the majority of my other indoor work, using white sheets to cover the mattress L_ was lying upon. This session was in an empty apartment, which game us an abundance of space to work in. Not only could I work over an almost 180 degrees of direction, but I could change the angle of view to a great degree, no only working from floor level, but also from various heights, something I am not able to do in my more cramped apartment.

Digital original

Very little of my indoor work uses upright poses, for a couple of reasons; primarily it is because much of the light is limited to smaller windows, which work better with prone poses. More significant, however, is the fact that much of my indoor work tries to create a sense of intimacy and tenderness, and working on the beds and mattresses I use plays on our associations of beds with intimacy. For the standing poses (possible because of the bright sunny afternoon and double deck doors), the images changed from the more demure approach of my "thalamus" work to images with a focus upon L_'s gaze and pose.