Socially Distanced with Silvai

Silvai is a young model who approached me in the context of a beach-based bikini shoot. Thorough pre-shoot communications have always been a must. However, the pandemic has added further checks and measures.  Having established mutual vigilance and therefore, minimal risk to each other, we worked on shoot plans and locations. 

Beaches aren’t usually problematic, so long as you select a suitable space and are sensitive to those around you. Discrete changing and shooting spaces are the most obvious considerations. The ability to shoot fast is another definite plus but as with street photography, if your body language is confident, most people will keep a respectful distance.  

Silvai was thoroughly prepared beforehand, and we quickly found three backdrops where we would not be disturbed, and the gentle throng of families wouldn’t be offended.  Though sunny, 8 degrees Centigrade precluded her emerging from the sea, a ’la Ursula Andress in Dr. No but in warmer weather, would’ve been a perfect conclusion.    

Silvai has three years modelling experience but also a unique, quirky sense of fun, which really brought our shoot to life-from the very first frame.  I was struck by how intuitively and seamless her posing was. Nothing formulaic, she clearly understood her own physicality and which angles would prove most flattering. She was equally receptive to direction over the course of our two-hour shoot. I was relieved to hear she’s delighted with the results and would readily work with her in future.     

 

 

Creativity despite Confinement

I haven’t shot a model, or engaged in formal portraiture since late November, primarily due to the pandemic and consequent lockdowns. However, this enforced confinement forced me along other creative avenues.  

Product-based work has always been part of my photographic diet, but I’ve always been drawn to candid social/reportage stuff. Much of this boils down to being discrete, knowing your camera/settings, shooting fast, and being attuned to your environment.  

Aside from spotting creative moments, it can avert a combative encounter. Body language is equally important. Stand with confidence, as if you belong there and most people won’t notice. Act furtively and it's game over.  

Continuing this theme, I typically alternate between primes-23, 35, and 50mm 2.0, 2.8, and 1.8, which cater for most scenarios.  When it comes to people, a decent amount of emotional intelligence is key. I may shoot a homeless person but do so in a subtle, non-invasive way. People and their stories fascinate me. I shot a few portraits with Kenny back in 2020.

  

His story and that of so many just illustrates how vulnerable we are to ourselves, the will of others, or a chain of events. The more I learn, the less I am certain, and this can lead to an acute sense of vulnerability. Akin to motorcycling, this can ensure a heightened sense of awareness and quashes complacency but left unchecked, is potentially debilitating. 

  

Growing familiarity with the Fuji X100F has confirmed what a brilliant camera it is for reportage style work. Beautiful to hold, fast lens, and easily accessible settings mean I can capture scenes while remaining under the radar. A 50mm is useful when I want to focus on something or capture a candid portrait/interaction from a discrete distance.  

Living in London’s poorer districts before gentrification swept in, coupled with experiences of civil war, were good training grounds. Subtle changes in mood can indicate the onset of danger. The young woman wandering towards a checkpoint with a blank expression... Is she seven months pregnant or packed with plastic explosives? 

These things are nuanced and often incredibly subtle. Football hooliganism-the precursor to an incident is intense, not necessarily menacing before it erupts and becomes distinctly primal.  

I’m looking forward to a staged return to socially distanced modeling-based commissions and have received a few sensible approaches, which I am following up.