Bella Almost Bare

 

Bella and I had been discussing a few implied nude themes. The sort that showed enough to be suggestive and sensual but within the boundaries of what would be acceptable to family and friends were they seen in the public domain. She and I often say an air of suggestion and sensuality is harder to capture, but more pleasing than gratuitous nudity. We had discussed a theme ranging from the “Sunday morning” white blouse and lingerie to something closer to the matrix and then some bolder implied nudes using flowers. I had expressed a desire to capture a mix of colour and monochrome. Bella has very even skin tone which helps, but the contrast was further accentuated by using contrasting pale white lingerie. 

Alternative fun with Amy

Amy contacted me, interested in my style of photography and inviting me to refresh her port-folio. She also happened to be very local, which was another incentive to shoot. Given the present pandemic and accelerating infection rates here in the UK, I am sticking to location work. Having discussed a theme of portraiture and headshots, we talked in terms of woodland backdrops but ultimately, ditched these in favour of a canal and graffiti underpass. A relaxed, though focused two hours followed, with mutually pleasing results.  
 

Lipstick, Powder & Paint...Collaborating with Ellie Thurgood MUA

There’s no shortage of people, claiming to be makeup artists. Unemployed talent show hopefuls, dripping in disastrously ill matched foundation, being cases in point.

Qualified makeup artists (the sort delivering commercially credible results) are highly trained and skilled.

I was approached by Ellie Thurgood https://purpleport.com/portfolio/elliethurgoodmua/ , a part time MUA, who’d attained her NVQ level 2 funded by, and alongside another role. Ellie was talking in terms of moody portraiture. Despite a lack of references, she communicated her ideas coherently, came across as focused, reliable and professional. Gut instinct paid off.

With light and climate becoming unreliable, we agreed on an indoor location. I left model selection in Ellie’s court. She’d know the attributes required and I didn’t want the shoot scuppered by an unknown (and potentially unreliable) candidate.

I headed to the East Midlands, on another mission. Ellie quickly recruited Jerri Eliza https://purpleport.com/portfolio/jerrieliza/  Location, timing and suggestions flowed between us, via networking sites and other, digital platforms. Ellie was bringing her portable ring light, I opted to keep things simple. Flashguns, Sony Alpha SLR, Samsung NX CSC, batteries, portable LED “wand” and reflector.

Oh, and of course, sustenance for all parties. Miserable models, or (more likely) surly photographer could prove a real creativity killer during a four-hour shoot. We’d all agreed Monday evening-7pm.

I arrived on set at 6.45, Ellie 5 minutes later. Jerri was already there. Real world introductions done, we unpacked and set up. I’d gone for a 50mm 1.8 prime, set the flashgun and fired a few shots, then tweaked the settings to suit.

With a relaxed, yet purposeful mood, talk turned to our backgrounds. Something of a sociable loner (contradiction in terms, anyone) I am fascinated by people, which probably explains my transition to social photography.

Jerri happened to mention her family were of Irish origin, which explained her very pale “Celtic” complexion (although they had been in London’s East End for several generations).

She’s grown up in Newham (Custom House and later, East Ham). I’d lived in the central park area of E6. A stable and relatively, safe district 20 odd years back. However, inner city districts are always transitioning to some extent and once the creatives enter, developers aren’t far behind…

On best behaviour, I managed to subdue any urges to lament the area’s loss of derelict buildings/backdrops. She’d also worked in animal welfare, with an impressive understanding of dog breeds and their foibles.

My lighting calculations were accurate. Alternating between silver and bronze reflectors also achieved some positive contrasts. I have a resistance (rather than aversion) to golden hues but it appeared complimentary to Jerri’s tones and hair colour.        

Two striking looks (and variations) and good rapport saw time literally evaporate- We said our goodbyes, and I headed home to begin post-processing.