Catching up on Fall 2011 Continued–The White Light

January 3, 2012September 13, 2012 bill 1 Comment

In late November I walked into the town’s Pier 1 with the plan to buy a Japanese lantern. I’d had the idea to shoot using once since seeing one at a friend’s home during the summer. By luck I walked in right in the middle of a huge clearance sale on the lanterns. So instead of leaving with one or two as I’d planned, I left with about ten lanterns in various sizes from a huge sixteen inch to a few small four inch lanterns.

Nyxon got to be my first test subject as we shot together a few days later. Lighting with the lantern turned out to a little tricky. It puts out a small amount of light so it requires a very still model and longer exposures to get the effect I wanted. Still putting the camera on a tripod allowed me to get a few interesting shots such as this multiple expose of Nyxon. As before, Nyxon was a joy to work with given the experimental nature of this shoot along with some fake snow I’ll be posting more about later.

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Second shoot using the lanterns came during my shoot with Kerri Taylor. Kerri and I had discussed shoots a few times before, but this was the first time we’d been able to connect. Really enjoyed working with her, and she did well for the lantern portion of our shoot. As always having done this once I was able to try some more interesting things with Kerri trying to take advantages of the strengths of the lighting. I especially like the first one below where she’s looking up into the lantern.

My third time working with the lantern came in a shoot with Melissa Troutt later in December. Here I felt more open to trying some new ideas and playing with some new poses. Here the idea was to pull more into her interacting with the lantern. As always, Melissa did great work yielding the photos below.

Overall I like the lantern. The light is a bit harder than I’d expected, but I have some ideas to go from here. I have an LED bulb that can do some color options that I think will be interesting to pair with this. I also plan to explore adding in more lanterns.

Best Five Photos of 2011

December 31, 2011September 13, 2012 bill Leave a comment

The end of the year just invites reflection. So on the last day of 2011 I’m going to look back at what I feel are five of my best photos of the year. Notice the subtle shift from the title there? Instead of just picking five photos, I decided to pick a few categories and pick the best photo in each one along with a little of the background behind the photo. Fun thing is that since this is my blog I can be completely arbitrary and pick what I want. As Mel Brooks said, “It’s good to be the king.”

My Best Photo of the Year

It came on a shoot in June, but this photo of Katlyn Lacoste I think has to be my best photo this year. I thought so enough that I made it the cover of my eBook. It’s not just me as 500px highlighted it in their “Fresh photos” the day I posted it to the site. Everything just comes together amazingly with a great location, a wonderful model, and an amazing pose. There were a number of great images taken here that day, but this one still stands out to me.

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Best Processed Photo

I normally don’t believe in a lot of processing. I try to get the photo right in the camera. Of course I’ll clean up blemishes, tweak lighting, and other things, but normally I feel the longer I spend on a photo in Lightroom or Photoshop, the worse the photo was. This one is an exception. I documented the shoot before, but loved playing with the multiple exposure concept with Melissa Troutt and feel this is the best photo. I love the effect of the model photographing herself and want to play with the multiple exposure concept more in the future.

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Best Photo from Biggest Experiment

Most interesting experiment I did this year came when I did a shoot with Keira Grant, Hannah Perez, and Melissa Troutt back in late June. Working with three models at once was an interesting experience. It was very draining and required a lot of focus and work. The results were wonderful, and I definitely want to try it again someday. There were a lot of photos I could have picked to put here, but over time I’ve come to feel this photo best captures the idea of exploring the relationships between women. What I think appeals to me also comes in other ways you can interpret the photo. Why’s Melissa trying to pull away? Why is Keria trying to stop her while Hannah appears indifferent? So many ways you can answer those questions and each gives such a different story.

Best Erotic Nude

I haven’t shot much erotic over the last year, but I think it’ll be something I focus on more going into 2012. Something about the erotic is appealing to me again as it hadn’t for the last bit. I did one erotic themed shoot this year. I have a bit of a poor track record on my shoots with two models with an intent to explore erotic ideas. Seems like almost every one has something weird happen. A model doesn’t show, we get kicked out of a place, etc. Shoots with no erotic plans always go smoothly. This one went wonderfully though so maybe my curse is broken. Again a number I considered here, but in the end I think it’s the eye contact between the models that brings me back to this one. It feels like we’re peering in just as they lose control.

Best Boudoir

The latest photo here, shot on December 23 with Brynn Cook. I really love the intimacy of this photo. It feels like the viewer is looking over at the model after waking in the morning. I also feel the lack of nudity works as a strength since it gives it more of an intimate and less sexual feel. I left in the cluttered background precisely because I feel it supports the casual feeling.

Two Bonus Photos

Okay I lied about five photos. Here are two photos that really don’t fit in the theme, but I still want to highlight. See above quote about the king.

Best Rediscovered Photo

Reason this one is down here it that I didn’t take it in 2011. In fact I rediscovered it when I was sorting images for my eBook. It’s a wonderful image I shot back in 2008 with a model I’d met on a trip to Raleigh the month before. I think this might be the first image (or at least one of the first images) that I really nailed the lighting exactly the way I wanted it. Again perfect lighting, wonderful model, and just an amazing expression on her face.

My Favorite Photo As I took It

Because it had been a long, hot day and this was very cold and refreshing.

Hope everyone had a great 2011. Here’s to a even better 2012 (picture me raising the glass above).

Related Images:

Catching up on Fall Shoots – The Last Outdoor Shoots of the Year

December 26, 2011September 13, 2012 bill 1 Comment

I’ve not posted on a shoot since Keira Grant at the end of September. Most of my writing time since then was devoted to my eBook. So now I can actually go back and catch up on those shoots. Instead of going through them by time or by model, I’m going to go by theme.

So first I’ll share a few images from my final two outdoor shoots of the year. I met Melissa Troutt in mid October to work on an outdoor shoot in a nice later October day. Weather was a little cool, but not bad for shooting outdoors. In fact it was so nice that everyone seemed to be out that day. We had trouble finding a spot with the isolation to shoot nudes as everyone seemed to be outside enjoying the beautiful late fall day. We did a few shots at one amazing spot were Melissa posed in some trees over a stream, but it was just a little too exposed. We finally ended up in a nice valley with some interesting rocks and overhangs for most of our shoot. We were at higher elevations so there were plenty of leaves already on the ground, but still a lot on the trees. Made for some nice mix of posing her among the leaves and still putting nice greenery around her. Some wonderful shots from the day.

My last fall shoot of the year came with Adrina Lynn. Last fall she and I had tried an outdoor nude shoot in November, but it was just too damn cold that day. We gave up after less than an hour. The lesson learned for me was valuable though in that I’ve learned to be much more careful about the weather. When Adrina came through in late October we had cool, but usable weather. We got an early start on a cool October morning and the two of us headed out to a new location. We worked further up the same stream and trails where I shot with Melissa, Keira, and Hannah back in June. I hadn’t scouted most of the area so it was a nice exploration along with the shoot. It turned out to be a very nice and isolated spot where we had time to really work. The water was too cold to get her in, but we could work along the rocks and trees around the water. Adrina really enjoyed the sun that day though as you can in the photos.

One last photo of Adrina, more a peek behind the scenes. Here you can see the big, happy smile on her face as I sat down in a puddle of water. Think of it as model’s revenge.

Multiple Exposures

September 21, 2011September 13, 2012 bill 4 Comments

Early this year I decided to play around with the idea of multiple exposures. The idea is to take several images of the same scene moving the model (or really anything in the photo, but with me it’s going to be a model) and then combining them into a single photo. I first tried this in a shoot with Nyxon early this year (other photo from shoot here). I made some mistakes that meant I never could get the results that I wanted from the shoots, but learned a lot to help the next time I tried the idea.

The warm weather started pulling me outdoors and I never got back to the idea and had decided to look at again when cooler weather returned. Then in early August Melissa Troutt and I discussed doing a shoot around exposures and met up in mid August to do that. Definitely felt that I’d learned from that first try and the results were much better this time. I’d purchased a film SLR earlier in the month so for part of the shoot we played around with the concept of the model photographing herself. I still learned some things that I’ll work next time I play with this idea this coming weekend, but this time got some great images out of the shoot.

A couple photos form the shoot. Some other photos from the same shoot, but a different concept coming soon.

An Outdoor Experiment in Three Parts–Keira Grant, Hannah Perez, and Melissa Troutt

July 8, 2011January 6, 2014 bill 1 Comment

After working with Keria Grant in mid May we discussed shooting again when she came back through the area in late June. As we finalized the date for the next shoot, I developed the idea of pairing her with another model in an outdoor setting. I’d taken two models on an outdoor shoot before with Melissa and Katlyn last fall with wonderful results, but felt I’d been too cautious and reserved in directing the shoot and not gotten all I could have out of such great models. I got some great images from that shoot, but always felt that I could have done more and if I’d been a bit more daring I could have gotten even better images.

I’ve mentioned my plans to experiment more this summer and as part of that plan I began to consider adding a third model to the shoot. I’ve worked with two models several times, but never three. I knew that adding another model would make things more difficult, but liked the additional possibilities it would add.

After lining up Melissa Troutt for the second model I also brought in a third model that I’ve worked with before in Hannah Perez. The biggest challenge I face getting ready for the shoot came in finding the correct location. I wanted a scenic outdoor location, but also needed a private one so three nude models could work for several hours without being concerned about onlookers. Several possible locations wouldn’t work due to storm damage or just not meeting my needs. I ended up deciding to use on one of the first locations that I scouted for the shoot back in early June while on another shoot.

The weather forecast the morning of the shoot was just a bit menacing, but the rain held off and we had an amazing shoot. Working with three talented models turned out to be a wonderful experience and almost every photo is great. In fact the most difficult task in editing these images came in picking the best photos out of the those taken. I honestly can say that I’ve not found myself with a greater ratio of great photos at the end of a shoot than this one.

Overall a lot of time and energy went into getting this shoot together and it’s not something I’d do every day in spite of the enjoyment and success. It surprised me how much mental energy it took to direct the shoot and keep things moving. This still was one of the most enjoyable shoots that I’ve ever done and worth all the effort put into it and I think the photos speak to that.

Shoot with Melissa

July 4, 2011September 13, 2012 bill 2 Comments

I kept busy last week with a couple shoots worked around some summer vacation. I’ve also spent a significant bit of time the last couple weeks pursuing an interesting and unexpected opportunity. I expect to know if that will come to pass something later this week and if so will make the next couple months very interesting.

A few days after working with Katlyn I went back to Asheville for a wonderful shoot with Melissa Troutt. We created some very nice images with three distinct looking sets all shot with a few dozen feet of each other. We also had an exciting moment where the ceiling fan in the room we were shooting in broke loose from its mount and only the wiring prevented it from falling down on top of us. We were able to get it shut off and taken down without injury and while I enjoy exciting shoots, that’s a bit more excitement than I’m usually looking for. Above is a nice image from the shoot.

The location had an amazing bathtub that we played with doing some more glamour images in addition to the artistic styled work we normally do together. An image I really like the to the right taken in that tub with Melissa forming a great arch with her body with the edge of the tub.

Happy July 4th to everyone and take a moment today to remember all those things it stands for.

Seeing with New Eyes and Shooting with Keira

May 22, 2011September 13, 2012 bill 1 Comment

One of the most enjoyable parts of meeting and working with new models is getting to experience the familiar through new eyes. My shoot on Wednesday with Keira Grant offered an example of that. I’ve been shooting outdoor nudes pretty often for over a year now and maybe have gotten just a bit used to the scenery. It struck me though how much Keria kept commenting on how beautiful and green things were while we were driving and shooting. This is probably the best time to see that beautiful green since it’s been warm enough for the foliage to be out in force, but we are not yet into the main part of summer where the heat and lesser rain brings brown back to the land. It’s this time of year that pulled me out there to shoot, but I see it so often that it helps me appreciate it more with someone seeing some of these places for the first time.

I worked with Keira near the same location Melissa and I worked at a few days before. Contradicting my last post, the morning weather was not as warm as I expected so Keira and I did some indoor work first hoping the weather would improve. The dreariness and chill lingered though and in fact would not go away at all Wednesday. Still in spite of the weather it could have been worse (like the day before when it was cooler and raining) When we arrived the rise in water levels since Saturday shocked me. The previous few days had seen a lot of rain and I expected some rise, but the amount caught me by surprise. In fact water covered the majority of the spots that Melissa had posed on or I had stood on during that shoot and the current was dangerously strong in many places I had waded with no concerns just a few days before. I’ve mentioned before how I enjoy the way the woods subtly change over time, but change this dramatic in such a short time felt out of place and a bit jarring.

Even with many of the locations I’d planned to shoot not usable because of the water rise, we found a great spot brought about by that same change as these things often balance out. Overall we produced some great work, a few of which can be seen here and I look forward to the next time I’m able to work with Keira.

No images from shoot with either Melissa or Keira ready to post so the photo above comes from a shoot with Charlie Kristine from earlier in the month.

Outdoors with Melissa and the Butterflies

May 18, 2011September 13, 2012 bill 6 Comments

In the middle of a busy week, but so much to blog about. Adding to everything else I’ve been a bit under weather and spent much of late last week through early this week finishing the Rural Nudes site launch.

In a really busy stretch of shooting at the moment after a relatively quiet April caused by weather and cancelations. Saturday I had the chance to work with Melissa Troutt again. I always enjoy the chance to collaborate with her and every shoot always produces amazing results and this one was no exception. We went to a new location for this shoot and it worked better than I’d hoped. This location was off the path of the damage from the storms late last month, but I was surprised at how many signs of the storms were still visible. We still found some good locations to shoot and images will be up on Rural Nudes in the near future.

As we went back to the car at the end of the shoot we came across an interesting display of dozens of butterflies gathering in groups next to where I’d parked. They were surprisingly accommodating and posed for a few images before we left the area. The image above shows one kaleidoscope (and yes that is a term for a group of butterflies and yes I did have to look it up) and the photo to the left of Melissa taking a picture shows how close they let us approach without flying off.

The timing was good as the temperature dropped dramatically the day after this shoot. Fortunately for my shoot today with Keira Grant more normal weather returns in time for us to to go outdoors today.

Melissa from July, Part One – Artistic Nudes

August 17, 2010September 13, 2012 bill Leave a comment

The second set from my vacation time. I was able to shoot with Melissa Troutt again in mid July. We’d planned some more outdoor work, but the weather did not cooperate as rain filled much of the day. The rain was needed after several dry weeks, so I’m not going to complain about it so hopefully Melissa and I can do more outdoors next time that she’s in the area. Trapped indoors by the weather, we decided to go in an artistic direction for the shoot and then finished with more glamour styled images.

The only problem in working with Melissa is that you get so many great photos that it’s hard to pick the best. So I’m going to split them up a bit. This first set will consist of what I’d consider the more artistic nudes while the second set will consist of the more glamour styled images.