Elissa in a Blueberry Barren (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

I have always said that trees are hard to work with, when the primary focus of the image is the Nude; in this case, the back-lit fall foliage doesn't really balance with the strong arc of the branch, though the colours are pleasing enough.

Digital original

I have always found fall colours challenging to work with; autumn can come fast, and leave even faster in Nova Scotia, so it is easy to miss the best of the season's colours. In this case, while most of the trees were bare, the low brush on the blueberry barren was alive with red, which presented the perfect setting in which to create a portrait of Elissa.

Digital infrared original

While Elissa and I were specifically looking to work with fall colours, I often found myself drawn the strong angular light of the fall afternoon, which provided strong shadows to work with. The beauty of the low light flooding across Elissa's body is just magical in this image.