Jaime's First Session (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared original

Though she'd never posed Nude before, right from the start, Jaime's comfort with the process was evident, and helped me create a number of very striking images over the ninety minutes we worked together. Jaime had learned of my work though Bianca, and got in touch to ask about working together; we met, and after an extensive conversation about her interests, my process, and tattoos (which I tend to avoid in my work), we set a date for a first session.

Digital Original

From her first message to me, I was aware Jaime had tattoos, but as this session was focused on giving her some experience with posing Nude, and many of the images were more portraits than body-scapes, tattoos weren't much of an issue.

Digital infrared original

My favorite image from the session has everything I look for in a Nude portrait; Jaime's pose was pure happenstance; she was relaxing after another image when she stretched her arm over her head and leaned into the bed; I immediately asked her to not move, and began photographing. I made a dozen or so variations on this composition (in both colour and infrared), but after careful consideration, it was this image, with the hint of Jaime's arm and belly tattoos that works the best for me. As true as it is that I avoid tattoos in my work with the body in landscape and other settings, as a portrait-focused image, the tattoos are integral to who Jaime is, and therefore, an important part of the photograph.