Page created March 31, 2007
Sitting date:  February 19, 2007

 

Okay, I finally get her clothing off, and what do I do?  I start making close up photographs of Natalia's lovely face.  There's plenty of reasons for this:
  • I'm just feeling a terrific connection with Natalia this day.  I just want to look her in her eyes.
  • The new camera came with two lenses, and I wanted to work with both of them:
    • Most of the time, I'll be using a 24-135mm zoom; this is pretty much everything I need in the studio session.
    • I have another lens, a 70-300mm macro lens, which is good for portraits and some other situations.

So, I slap on the other lens & see what we can see.

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Throughout this page, I suggest you pay attention to the range of expression on Natalia's face.

I like it when I photograph people when their brains are engaged.  I don't just sit there & ask for a smile or a serious look or a sultry look -- that would be phony.  Instead, I just engage the model in conversation.  I won't tell you what we discussed, but we did talk on a wide range of topics.   

 

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In fact, I do have a recurring fantasy about writing a three act play, where each act is a photography sitting.  The actors would perform dialogs not unlike what is discussed in one of my sittings, and we'd project images on a screen as they are made.  It would be interesting.

Fine art nude models are special people.  More than most, they are comfortable in their own skin and are confident & enthusiastic.  

I am quite aware of the stereotypical conception of photographers & models, but for me, at least, that stereotype is very far from reality. 

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I'm enjoying these images.  They are so simple.  Just a little skin, some basic light, a marvelous model, and perhaps most importantly, very good report.  The changes from photo to photo are huge.  

Sometimes, simple is best.

 

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It's funny.  It's been taking me longer & longer to draft these pages, mostly because my narratives are getting longer & longer. 

But on this page, I'm not writing as much.  I find these images to be very beautiful.  Looking at this collection, well, what can I say?  Natalia takes my breath away. 

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Natalia has been hypnotizing me, but I snap out of it long enough to realize that Natalia has her hair tied up.  I ask her to let her hair down.

 

See?  Better. 

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I love these pictures.

Okay, maybe I was getting a little trigger happy.  Working with film involves a significant time commitment -- all that darkroom time takes several days.  Additionally, material costs are significant.  So, when I work with film, I'm a little more careful, and I typically limited my sitting exposures to 100 (which is the maximum number of exposures I can develop in one batch.

With film, I find that I can make tons more exposures -- it's not unusual for me to make 300+ exposures in a sitting.  That's not a good thing.

So, I get the sense that I was not refining / improving the concept, so I figure it's time to move on.

 

 

Here's the big secret:  the challenge to a sitting is being able to manage distractions.  Having a new camera is a distraction.  Learning how to get the camera to do what it is supposed to do is a distraction.  Figuring out the appropriate lighting & exposure is a distraction.  The beautiful nude model is definitely a big distraction.  Heck, I'm even distracted by wondering what I'm going to make for dinner or how am I going to repair the oven or whether the lousy quality images on my computer screen is the fault of the camera or the monitor is a distraction.  No matter what you are focused on, there are other things, of varying significance, that are tugging on your coat.

So, for me, a sitting is all about organization.  I usually start a setup with thinking about the lighting & the overall concept, and I'm usually ignoring the model while I do that.  I then setup the lights & props & whatnot.  I put the model in the general vicinity & calculate exposures.  Then I put the camera on the tripod, set the exposures & whatnot, focus, and so forth.  I then do a few test exposures, studying the image & histogram carefully, making fine adjustments as needed.  Then, and only then, I pay attention to the model, interacting with her, and snapping away.  That works for me.

This sitting continues with Glory Light

 

(Remember -- feedback is always appreciated) 

All images (c) 2007 Looknsee Photography

Natalia #4 Out Takes

Roughly 140 more images from this sitting are available in the Out Takes Galleries, which are available to those who have made a donation to the upkeep of this web site.  See this FAQ question for more details.

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