A Second Day in Shenstone with Ingrid & Tanya

Digital infrared original

The high grasses around the pond at Shenstone were perfect for portraits, with the back-lit sun picking up the leaves, and back lighting Ingrid and Tanya. Careful exposure, combined with the extra luminosity inherent in skin tone with an infrared camera, made this a wonderfully delicate portrait.

Digital original/digital infrared original

Though most of the small river at the back of the Shenstone property was shallow (less than a foot deep at most points), there was one point with a deep wading pool - perfect for making some watery portraits. In this case, I made both colour and infrared portraits - and rather than choose between the two, I have decided to show both - each of which I love for different reasons.

Digital infrared original

I have always loved the way water looks in infrared; when light strikes water, most of the infrared spectrum is absorbed, so with an infrared sensitive camera, elements in the image that are below the water’s surface are noticeably darker than those above it. In this case, the luminosity of Ingrid and Tanya’s figure above the water are surrounded by the deep dark tones of the river around them..

Digital infrared original

I think there is little harder than standing nude, and looking at a camera, but Tanya does it wonderfully. This portrait of Tanya makes me think of the white marble statues in Victorian gardens; perhaps it is the wonderful expression on her face.