Jennifer, Getting Started, July, 2004

Sometime in July, my friend Matt Schneider sent Jennifer my way. I got an e-mail from her, inquiring whether I'd be interested in working with her. Now, I get such e-mails occasionally, but they rarely amount to much (usually because the potential model didn't bother to check where I'm located). But since she mentioned that she knew & worked with Matt, I knew that she was local & experienced. After a phone call or two, we set up a sitting.
Jennifer is a nudist, a dancer, a fellow photographer, a scholar, and an adventurer. I immediately enjoyed talking with her & I looked forward to our sitting. When she came over, the photographer in her wanted to see my darkroom (which Matt had told her about), so she got a more thorough tour than most.

I've been doing these "Getting Started" for a while, and I really, really like the concept. It always amazes me how a woman transforms herself by the simple act of removing her clothes. I've got to admit that it's somewhat exciting for me, too. The interesting thing is that each of these setups turns out differently.

On the phone, Jennifer described herself as a blue-eyed brunette (always an intriguing combination). She told me that she was a dancer with an athletic figure. She didn't tell me about her radiant skin.

This is what she looked like when she arrived at my door. I asked her to get undressed...

And in a blink of the eye, she was nude. Her figure took by breath away -- she has a dancer's body, all grace & power. Matt had sent me an image of Jennifer, but he said that it didn't do her justice -- I was simply unprepared for what I saw. I mean, you never know what will happen when you work with a model for the first time, and in this case, I really didn't know what she looked like. But right around now, I knew that I was in for something special. I enjoyed talking with Jennifer a big whole lot, and the fact that she was so gorgeous, creative, & expressive was a big bonus.

And, as you will soon see, with her dance & photography backgrounds, she is a creative & energetic poser.

One of the things I find interesting about this "Getting Started" setup is that each time, it's different. The last time I did this was with Brooke during her first visit -- Brooke took her time, letting me see each look as each article of clothing was removed; Brooke was also dressed in layers, which added to the languid pace. Jennifer, on the other hand, exploded out of her clothes -- in no time, her top flew off, her shorts were gone, and we were ready to go (experienced models know not to wear underwear or constricting clothing before a sitting, thereby avoiding marks on the skin). From the first, Jennifer showed me high energy, great enthusiasm, and of course, a fine, fine figure.

When I first started talking with Jennifer, we discussed whether we should do an outdoor sitting (she knew lots of good places for these) or whether we should do a studio sitting. In the end, I suggested the studio sitting, simply because most of her sittings were outdoors, and right now, I don't have the confidence that I'd be able to do a good outdoor sitting, especially with a model who was new to me. Besides, I'm getting on in years, and there's a whole lot of camera equipment that I'd have to carry around. I know, I know -- I've got to get outdoors. And soon, before the weather turns cooler.

But with the first sitting with a new model, I really don't know what to expect, and with Jennifer, I really didn't know what to expect because I had only seen one image that Matt admitted didn't do her justice. But with that powerful figure, that dancer's posture, and that inherent grace, I suggest we do some semi-classic figure studies.

This sitting continues with Figure Studies.