Ingrid and Miranda Model for a Workshop II

The second day of the workshop dawned with my worst fear - rain; the night saw the worst of it, with a torrential downpour drenching the landscape, and putting a damper on everything. By the time breakfast was finished, the day was improving, but rather than take our chances with the weather, I set up an available light studio indoors, and the students (and I) spent the better part of two hours photographing the two models on my white sheets, all the while watching the day outside grow brighter!

Digital infrared original

The rest of the workshop was spent working outdoors with Ingrid (Miranda had to leave after the morning images to insure she was back in Halifax in time to work on Monday). The first set of images outdoors were solidly rooted in my own interests; outside the main house at Shenstone was the outhouse, and beside that, a claw-footed bathtub. Since my first seeing it six months earlier, I knew I wanted to do an image of a model reclining in it. Ingrid was perfect too, as her long arms flowed perfectly down the sides of the tub as she reclined.

Digital infrared original

The last hours of the workshop were spent working with Ingrid in the stream that flows through Shenstone. The night's rain had swelled it so much that at several places it had shifted its course, but the water was still quite shallow, permitting Ingrid lots of scope to work with, in regards to pose and positioning. The students found working with the water both challenging and energizing, so it was a wonderful way to draw the workshop to a close.

Digital infrared original, 34 frame stitch

The weekend was a major learning experience for me, as many of my workshops have been. The further I get from it in time, the more balanced my perspective on the experience has become, and while I do not expect to follow the same model for a workshop in the future, the Shenstone workshop will be a major influence on how my workshops and courses are shaped in the future.

Digital original, 10 frame stitch