Bella Pt2 Domestic Goddess

Bella came back to me, asking to do a second shoot. This time at her home. Now, I’ll confess to being particularly flattered by this invite. Our homes are at once the spaces we consider safest, but they are also where we can be most vulnerable. I am a very private person, and my home is my sanctuary. I am particularly selective when it comes to people crossing the threshold.  

Bella clearly felt comfortable with me (and vice versa) during our first shoot and we discussed something a little racier. Tasteful, but not the kind of themes typically associated with the great outdoors-especially given the wet and changeable conditions. Both of us commented that far from being closed-minded, we have become increasingly selective about the people and concepts we are happy to work with.

 

We continued the lingerie theme and four sets in total. Bella sent me a selection of themes and ideas she wanted to explore, which was extremely helpful as a pre-shoot template.   There was a decent amount of natural light in her home, but still required some help from a reflector and, for the kitchen shots, a Godox speedlight set to 1/125.

I’d taken these with my trusty A6000 set to ISO 400 and 33mm 1.4 Viltrox lens. In some respects, a 23mm 1.4 would’ve made some of the angles and shots easier but the lenses' wider angle can also give less flattering results, so I went for the 33mm with a 50mm 1.8 in reserve.

Norwich Bound to Bella

The fashion industry and by association, modeling have been widely criticised for their lack of diversity. I’ve discussed the inclusion of more diversity around height and body shapes, especially among some prominent high-street retailers. However, people from other backgrounds and ethnicities remain underrepresented.

Bella was born in Portugal but has spent most of her life, in Norwich. I’d spotted her a while back and had been keen to work with her, but opportunity eluded us, for one reason and another.  Bella knew a model I had worked with recently and was initially drawn to me, based upon her experience shooting with me. She liked my work and so we wasted no time comparing diaries.   

Bella began modelling for her friend’s GCSE photography course and it mushroomed from there.  We had discussed a few themes and settled on a mix of casual, dressy and lingerie.  

Given the contexts and themes, I prefer models to select locations where they are most familiar and comfortable. Some consideration and self-awareness are obviously key when conducting shoots in public spaces. However, for the most part, remaining respectful, while being calm, confident, and owning your space means passers-by stay at a respectful distance.   

We covered a decent amount of ground and are pleased with the results. I shot the majority of these with my faithful Sony A6000 and 33mm 1.4 lens, but I reached for my Fuji XT100 and 50mm prime for others. Cameras have attitudes in my experience and the Fuji XT100 and X100T tend to suit a less frenetic pace and reward with pin-sharp clarity, whether it's portraiture or street photography. Unfortunately, the SD card has been corrupted. Thankfully, I had only taken ten frames and hope to recover these.

 

Sophia

Sophia approached me wanting to update her portfolio, to reflect her new, much shorter hair and to experiment a little. I’d worked with her previously, in 2018 so was pleasantly surprised she remembered me. We decided to shoot down by the Orwell Bridge and thankfully, the weather and lighting were conducive to this. Images were taken using Sony A6000, A6400, Viltrox 50mm 1.8 and 1.4mm prime lenses.  

Body Art : Amy &MuA

 

I’d been approached by a makeup artist/body painter, via a portfolio hosting/networking site. His standard of work is very high, and I was flattered to learn he’d been keen to work with me for a while. Networking sites are a useful means of connecting with models, photographers and related professionals. Referencing and other important records are there, making shoots much smoother and safer.    

With this in mind, I gently swerved recommending specific models, since the very nature of bodypainting/makeup is a very intimate process. Any recipient needs to be completely comfortable with the artist, beforehand.  

As luck would have it, he had been talking with Amy Jade, prior to lockdown, so with restrictions being progressively relaxed, they mutually agreed to Thursday evening. This suited me, since extended hours of daylight were conducive to location shooting-public decency permitting.  

Some last-minute correspondence confirmed this was a comfortable proposition for all parties. The shoot itself was relatively short, about an hour, which was also the artist’s timescale for undertaking the design. Amy has tattoos, although these aren’t extensive, which also shortens preparation time, since additional coverage isn’t required.  

Ultimately model and MUA are happy with my work, and I enjoyed the experience.   

Crop Tops & Corsets: Some more Frames with Silvai

 Silvai reached out, inviting me to do another portfolio building shoot while conditions remained conducive to a summery, location-based theme. 

Silvai is both quirky and enigmatic. Going with the flow and letting her lead seems to reap best rewards, although any shoot requires planning and I need some basic outline beforehand.  

Aside from selecting suitable equipment, I can make an informed choice from which to accept or decline a commission. For example, I will not shoot nudes with anyone under 21. Yes, it’s perfectly legal at 18 but while something might be legal, it's not necessarily best.  I prefer models to have more life experience and recognise the potential implications, before going this route.      

Corsets, Crop Tops and Biker Jackets were her themes and we shot across two locations. She wanted me to emphasise her height. She’s 5’9 (1m 75) which is favourable for general modelling. The Corset shots were taken with me laying on the ground using my Sony 6300 and 35mm lens at F3.2. Biker jacket and crop top using my Sony A7 and 50mm at 1.8. 

Second Helpings : More Fun With Michelle

 Michelle invited me to shoot at her cottage and though I’m not doing any studio shoots, given the pandemic is continuing to present a very real risk to health, location nudes are practical, given temperatures are presently around 23 degrees.

 We’d thrashed out a shoot plan a week or so beforehand and tweaked this to reflect the sudden hike in temperature. Given Michelle’s experience within the glamour and nude genres, it will come as little surprise this formed the primary framework, with a mix of implied and old school “glamour” thrown in for good measure.  

I always suggest a mix of implied, lingerie/swimwear, since there is a limit of fine art poses and I don’t want a shoot going stale for either party and sometimes both. We have always had an excellent rapport, so our session was very relaxed and conversational, which for me ensured the best results, seemingly effortlessly. 

I shot these alternating between my full-frame Sony A7 with 50mm 1.8 and the 6300 with 35mm 2.8, set to 3.2 in this instance. Much of our conversation was about the industry and some names within it. Some I had reservations about, and she affirmed my gut feelings.  

Sunglasses: Shoot 3 with Silvai

Silvai approached me with two fashion concepts, which we decided to roll into one session. She wanted to do a summer dress shoot with beach and rural backdrops and a slightly racier red swimsuit and sunglasses theme. This concept would also work on the beach but a lack of changing facilities and families with small children meant this was inappropriate.      

Despite suffering a small but painful injury a couple of days previously, she was impeccably prepared, coordinated, and ready to shoot. As before, she had lots of ideas and knew precisely how she would execute them.  

She poses intuitively and works tirelessly to achieve the desired results. Not that I needed to give any input really, which is very unusual unless I’m working with very experienced models. I also shoot more efficiently, with fewer frames but solid results every time. 

 

I usually show models a series at various intervals so we can evaluate progress. However, she politely declined, saying she had complete faith in my abilities, which was very flattering. I also get the impression she also enjoys the element of surprise/excitement like film processing, when images appear in the darkroom.