Lydia First Sitting -- October, 2001

Somehow, Lydia found me. Based in Seattle, she e-mailed a few Portland photographers when she was planning a trip through town, we exchanged a few e-mails, and we set up an afternoon sitting in October, 2001. At this point, I wasn't quite unpacked, and certainly there were several rooms that were still unfurnished. The day was overcast, but we managed.

The Living Room

The living room has three huge windows facing the busy street, and with the cloudy day, we found nice soft light over in a corner by a built-in bookcase.

The Back Stairs

My first clue that the remodeling project was getting out of control was the back stairs. The original 111 year old house had a tight, tiny, dark, uninsulated back stairs with those angled steps in the corner that never work for feet as big as mine, so I decided to replace it. It was a big job, and in the end, I was left with a soaring space with three windows & two skylights. Lydia & I did some work there.

The Dining Room

At the time of Lydia's visit, all that was in the dining room was a beautiful sideboard I had recently purchased & a table lamp that matched the main light. The faux painted walls and the room lights that were designed to highlight art (that hadn't been placed yet), and these room lights worked well. These are my favorite pictures of the sitting.

Miscellaneous

Here's a few more images from this sitting.

Assessment: Lydia is a terrific model. She certainly has a beautiful face & a fine, curvy figure, but it is her adventurous attitude that makes her exceptional. These images are a good start for the "non-studio" look I am seeking, but the house was still a works in progress at this point, so it didn't quite have that "in the real world" feel I'm seeking. Working with available light was a challenge, and the images weren't exactly consistent, but that's part of the challenge. Also, the darkroom is only 95% done -- I'm still tweaking it. But after several months of no photographic activity, I'm very pleased.