A Session with Miranda (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

Miranda was over visiting for the evening, and while photos were not planned, I had my hopes. By the end of the evening, we had made a small set of striking new photographs, both portrait, and more traditional scultural Nudes

Digital original

This image has such a sense of joy and beauty to it for me; Miranda's confidence and comfort in her self, and with modelling really comes through in this photograph.

Digital original

The last images of the session were of Miranda lying on the futon; the lighting (provided by studio flash) was not placed behind the couch, as usual, but to my right where it provided a pleasing flood of light across Miranda's body; for all the control studio lighting provides, I still prefer natural light!

Further Frozen Flowers

Digital original, 4 frame focus blend

Digital original, 4 frame focus blend

A Purple Flower

Digital original, 51 image focus blend, 11 frame stitch

Once I’d worked out that the most successful Frozen Light images are of whole flowers, I began shifting the focus of my flower photography (and flower freezing) to working with whole subjects. One f the first successful images was this one - it also was one of my early experiments with focus stacking, which increases the depth of field with macro images, without loosing sharpness due to diffraction.

An Indoor Session with Stephanie

Digital original, 2 frame stitch

This session was my second chance to work with Stephanie. The afternoon we met on had lovely bright light, but it was late enough in the day that none of it flooded into my apartment, giving us some lovely soft, directional light to work on.

Digital original, 2 frame focus blend

The middle of the session was spent experimenting with some skulls I had borrowed for the session; I try not to give much direction at first, and tend to respond to how the model responds to the skulls. In this case, Stephanie quite literally cradled the skull into her heart...which lead to the above photograph.

Digital original

I always try to make a portrait during a session with a model who's comfortable being recognizable in my work; with Stephanie however, it was only at the close of the session (while she was drinking tea on the futon) that I finally saw what I was seeking in a portrait - a glimpse into the real Stephanie.

A Beach Walk

Digital original

Early on this beach walk, I came across a wonderful small scene, with the wind shadow of a rock combining with the drying sand to make a really pleasing subject.

Digital original

The pattern in the sand from the constant waves on the beach was really lovely, especially with the direct afternoon sunlight.

Digital original

As I watched the waves come in and out, I noticed with small pale rock, and the pattern in the sand around it - and then just after a wave withdrew from the frame, made this image of the glistening rock.

Two Friends Pose Together

Digital infrared original

B_ has worked with me several times over the past years, and when she got in touch to ask if I'd be interested in photographing her and a friend, I was happy to oblige. The two women arrived a couple of days later, and after the usual preliminaries, we set to work. As one of the women wished to be anonymous, from the outset the session was focused on bodyscapes and abstracts.

Digital infrared original

As B_ had worked with me before indoors, I spend the middle of the session making some photographs of her friend on her own; she responded wonderfully to the camera, and really enjoyed the process, and the results; as often happens, when I can't include the face, the hands become the focus of many images.

Digital infrared original

At the close of the session, the two models worked together again; where the first images has been somewhat hesitant, when it came to posing, after a couple of hours of nudity, caution was thrown the wind, and more dynamic, physical poses were created, leading to some really striking results.

Nicolle and Evan Model Together

This session focus on working with Nicolle and Evan; though I hadn't been to their apartment before, Nicolle and I had discussed the space, and she told me about an antique couch they had, which we planned to focus the session around.

Digital original

As it turned out, the couch was pretty small, and poses with the two were somewhat limited. We did the best we could, and a number of the images were really quite pleasing, every one focused upon the couple cuddling on the couch.

Digital original, 2 frame stitch

Eventually, however, I had to admit we'd run out of the posing options for the space. While Evan made tea, and we discussed other options, I made the above portrait of Nicolle, taking advantage of the beautiful window light to my left.

Digital original

The last photos of the session were of Nicolle, and then her and Evan in their shower; for years I've been drawn to shower images, loving the mix of water on skin. The bathroom in their apartment was perfect, with a window in the shower, so light flooded across Nicolle on the opposite side to the shower.

Digital original

The last images were of Nicolle and Evan together in the shower, mixing the intimacy of posing together as a couple with the beauty of water on skin. Though the shower portion of the session was short, I really enjoyed a number of the images we'd made, with my favorite being above.