Bella & Kristen

 Bella invited me to do another shoot and this time with her friend Kristen. I’ve only done a couple of duo shoots and I’m usually very cautious if I don’t know one, or indeed both parties. Having worked with Bella on two earlier occasions, I was confident she would choose someone who had a similarly professional attitude.  

They were eager to continue the lingerie theme of our last shoot but in a woodland setting. The window of opportunity was short, given the potential temperature and lighting constraints, so they wanted to shoot promptly. Thankfully, we had free time the following week, which was dry and more temperate. We’re talking high teens, which is still comfortable for lingerie and to a lesser extent glamour themes.  

Bella had chosen a location in Drayton, which was suitably secluded and at that time of day, had minimal footfall- the odd dog walker and mountain biker. In practice, this also included the odd teenager taking the scenic route home, but they kept a respectful, if slightly awkward distance. Kristen is new to modelling, which is significant since bad experiences mean I generally politely swerve aspiring models. However, there are (almost) always exceptions to any rule and in this instance, the gamble paid off.   

Bella is 5’7 (1m70) Kristen is slightly taller at 5’9 (1m80) both within what some suggest is the ideal height for a female model. This also made for a very compatible pairing, given the theme they wanted to explore.  I tend to break the ice and test settings by starting with portraits and headshots.  

A technique I’m told Kristen appreciated and helped establish a comfortable rapport. Two hours is generally my sweet spot for shooting, especially with newer models. It allows for rapport, changes in style/pace, and breaks to recap and recharge. This set was taken using my faithful A600/Viltrox 33mm (about 1.3 in) 1.4 and A6300 with 60mm (about 2.36 in) Sigma 2.8 (set to f.3.2). 

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.

Jane

 Jane had a successful career as a glamour model, and this was very apparent in so many ways. Aside from her very professional pre-shoot communications and military precise preparation/timekeeping, it was immediately obvious she knew how to pose and moreover, in ways that as most flattering to her physique. She also had an equally comprehensive and flattering wardrobe.  

No less than I’d expect from a professional, but it does illustrate the difference between aspirational models and those with successful careers. Aside from bouncing ideas between each other, we spent much of the shoot talking about business and strange experiences during shoots.  

This inevitably covered the topic of GWCs (Guy With Camera). Jane began her career when film was the dominant medium. She recalls posing for camera clubs and believed some “enthusiasts” had no film in their cameras, judging by the sheer number of frames they were taking-without replenishing.  

Again, you’d expect a change every 24, or 36 frames. This also highlights the point about some folks (men specifically) using the camera as a means of getting access to models. Conversely, there were also the young woman being cajoled by their boyfriends and partners into modelling and specifically at the higher levels. We’re talking nude, open-leg, and similar, not referring to fashion, or the upper industry. 

Two hours evaporated and crucially we had a lot to show for our time together.  As usual, these were shot with my trusty Sony A6000 and A6300 with 23 and 33mm 1.4 Viltrox lenses and Godox flashgun. 

Bodyscapes & Broken Camera Bodies

Bodyscapes are something I do from time to time and often as a way of introducing something interesting/quirky to a fine art shoot. After all, even with a highly-skilled, imaginative model, there are a finite number of possible poses. 

The most obvious route, and one I often take is asking the model to bring along scarves, lingerie to mix things up. It’d been the best part of eight months since Venise and I last worked together but she was excited by the brief and moreover understood it very well.  

There are exceptions to every rule. However, any kind of nude project requires comfort and excellent rapport between model(s) and photographer(s). Not something I would consider with an inexperienced model-unless they’d been a life model or similar before. 

I’d bought the model motorcycles for pennies on a popular auction site for this project during lockdown and the Samsung NX300 body had been stuttering and stammering for a good while. Essentially a pretty paperweight, I liked the retro rangefinder styling and we both felt it a better fit, (metaphorically and literally) than my default Minolta SLR. 

My little pear tree bestowed some fruit this year, so we reasoned it rude not to deploy its gift.  I shot these from her bedroom using natural, my Sony A7, and 50mm 1.8 lens. Not to everyone’s tastes perhaps, but we were pleased with the results.