Evolving Beauty - Fine Art Photography Blog By Eric Boutilier-Brown

Last time Jean-Francois was in Halifax, Miranda and I worked with him in the rain (also my first session using my then new digital SLR - the EOS 10D). Now, 39,000 digital frames later, Jean-Francois was back in Halifax teaching a workshop, and it only seemed fitting for Miranda and I to again spend an afternoon working with him. Unfortunately, the world also thought it would be amusing to repeat the weather, so the day proved to about as wet and cold as the last time. After a brief discussion, however, Miranda was more then willing to give it a go and Monique, who'd never worked with me before outdoors, was keen to come along as well.

8"x10" film

Because of the drizzle and rain, we decided it would be best to work exactly where we'd been a year before, at Spion Copp - with several concrete buildings, the space meant we would work without the models getting wet, and if it really started to pour, we could all take shelter from the worst of the weather.

My initial idea, with Monique and Miranda coming along, was that I could work with one model, while Jean-Francois worked with the other. As it turned out however, after a full day of teaching (he was in Halifax to teach a studio lighting workshop) Jean-Francois seemed just as happy to assist and hang out, so very quickly I took advantage of the presence of two models to make a number of images incorporating them both.

8"x10" film

The advantage of having two models available is when an image that requires a second body presents itself, you can make it; on the other hand, it always worries me that when two models are working with me, and I am making an image with one, the other will feel slighted or undervalued. It can be a delicate dance, working with two models, but both Miranda and Monique get such a pleasure out of modeling that the extra effort it takes to work two models into a pose wasn't a concern.

Digital original, 3 frame stitch

As it turned out, the day only got better, and by the time the session came to a close (as a result of both models having afternoon engagements, not for lack of images to be made) the ground was starting to dry out.