A Short Session with Ingrid (Sandy Lake, Nova Scotia)

Ingrid and I had no destination in mind when we set out to work on this lovely summer evening, but very quickly, we narrowed down the options (close to Halifax, few to no bugs) and ended up at the old saw mill site; we'd both worked here before, but not together.

Digital infrared original, three frame stitch

The first set of images was made on the saw-dust pile (to call it a pile does not do it justice; it would be like calling the Sahara a sand-box); there was not much machinery left, but the main drive shaft, where I'd worked with Miranda during my last session working with film in 2005, was still there. Ingrid explored a number of pose possibilities over a handful of compositions, but the above image was my favorite, with a really pleasing composition, and a lovely interplay between the lines of Ingrid, and the wheels upon which she posed.

Digital infrared original, nine frame stitch, two frame image blend

The second space Ingrid and I worked in was also a part of the old mill; a mix of concrete and metal. Because of the setting and time of day, there really was only one angle that worked aesthetically, so once Ingrid got up onto the structure, we made a quick series of images with a variety of poses - the final image that most draws me in is actually a combination of two poses, which creates a rich interplay between the two figures (all be it both of them Ingrid).

Digital original, three frame stitch

The final set of images were the most engaging for me - off to the side of the site was a massive rusting hunk of machinery (obviously part of the old mill); there was no sense of its purpose, but just by chance, it was at a perfect height for Ingrid to pose upon. We spent a good fifteen minutes explore the possibilities of the space, and I ended up with a really interesting set of images. It will take some time before I can "internalize" them to the point where I really know which is the strongest, but the first one that really caught my eye is above, with a great sense of life and motion to Ingrid's pose, and a really pleasing interplay between her body and the gears.