Blue: Tattooed Dancer

 

Blue has a dance background and approached me regarding shooting a range of themes, from lingerie to full-frontal nudes. Themes I am comfortable shooting, provided they tell a story and where appropriate, capture something of the model’s personality.

Blue was very personable, warm and engaging, which makes my job that bit easier, although I always make time to cultivate rapport before and during the shoot. I took these with a single lens-mounted reflector and using only window light.

Thankfully there was ample, negating need for slow shutter speeds and tripods, allowing me to weave about seamlessly taking frames while the conversation flowed, and Blue wasn’t overly aware of the camera- a technique I practiced while getting candid shots of people in industrial contexts. We achieved a pleasing amount well within the allotted two-hours and have agreed to shoot again at a mutually convenient time.  

Anonymous

 

Anonymous nudes are something I’m invited to do from time to time and it's a genre I enjoy. Some customers have come from an internationally published background, others are in other trades/professions, where revealing their identity would be inappropriate, or potentially damage people’s perception of them, or their business.  

That aside, it’s a great way of being creative with the human form and sometimes, being very bold, stopping short of gratuitous. Angles, lighting, and aperture are pivotal. As are trust, comfort, and good, clear communication between the parties. I took these in her home using a mixture of natural light and on-camera flash with diffuser. Props are another consideration. My Fed2 rangefinder film camera, Tibetan Singing Bowl, and toy motorcycle. The model chose her pinwheel, bear claw, chain, and scarf.