A Coastal Session with Lavender (Polly Cove, Nova Scotia)

Lavender and I reconnected this winter when she modeled for the Surface Tension project in January; after that session I suggested we do some more work outdoors this summer, and she agreed. After a weather cancellation several weeks before, we finally managed to get out - all be it on a foggy afternoon. To be honest, we both felt the fog was quite magical looking, and enjoyed the slight temperature drop, as it was cooler near the coast.

Digital image, two frame shutter speed blend

The first set of images we made were created right at the edge of the shore, with breaking waves sweeping in from the open sea behind Lavender. For each pose Lavender found I made a dozen or more images, each trying to make the most of the beauty of the ocean swirling behind her. The above image was exactly what I was seeking to create, blending the beautiful serenity of Lavender's pose with the fluid energy of the ocean behind her.

Digital infrared original, two frame stitch

Lavender and I created a number of really lovely images over the first two hours of this session, but it was the above photograph, created towards the end of the session, that really stands out for me. Lavender's body fits perfectly into the rocks around her, and the reflection of her luminous form in the seaweed on the opposite side of the frame balances the composition perfectly. I'm often asked why I use infrared cameras, and this image is a perfect answer to the question; without the infrared sensitivity, Lavander's figure would lose some of its beautiful luminosity, and the seaweed in the distance would be a dull yellow brown.

 Digital original

The final location we worked with was a lovely layered rock face with a seam of quartz flowing across it. Lavender was able to stand within a crevasse and work her body into a pose along the leading edge of the rock. The high cloud was finally beginning to thin, so there was a little more direction to the light, which in turn provided more modeling to Lavender's figure, while not introducing the hard shadows that come with direct sun.