Surface Tension (2015) Session #5 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

The last session of the first day working with the large pool was with Miranda; she was a major part of the 2007 water pool series, and I was ecstatic when she said she'd be up for working with me in the larger pool - and that was BEFORE she learned it was heated!

Digital original

By this time, I was really aware of how long it took for the water surface to calm down, and impressed upon Miranda the importance of keeping still once we found a pose that worked; she did so perfectly, and the majority of the images we made together see her body rising out of an unbroken sea of light - exactly what I'd envisioned when preparing for this.

Digital original

The last set of images worked with Miranda's hair cascading over her torso, and surfacing in the water around her shoulder; I explored a variety of compositions, with and without Miranda's head, and finally settled on this version where the frame completes with her hair forming a miniature Sargasso Sea around her breast as it emerges from the water.

There's no way these images could have been made without the kindness, encouragement and support of Steve Richard and Shadowhouse Studios.

Surface Tension (2015) Session #4 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

The fourth session exploring the possibilities of the large water pool was spent working with Karen; this was our first time working together indoors (we'd worked together outdoors in 2009), but Karen is no stranger to the studio, or the water pool, having worked with Steve Richard for years. What was interesting was that one of her first questions was "What haven't you done yet?"; I found it impossible to answer (it seemed to be a "how do I know what I don't know?" sort of thing), but it did provoke the question of what did I want to focus on. Between Karen's suggestions, and my continuing to push in directions that had worked before, we made some really pleasing images!

Digital original, 2 frame focus blend

When I worked with the smaller water pool in 2007, I became fascinated with the half-faces that formed in the reflection at times; when they started appearing with Karen, I immediately asked her to stay as still as possible, so the surface of the water became as still as could be; of the dozen or so portraits I made, one had the reflection I hoped for.

Digital original

The most adventurous images in the water pool explored water rushing off skin as it emerged from below the surface; I'd experimented with this in earlier sessions, but the above image of Karen was the first that really showed what I wished to portray - a mix between the slow moving water around her, and the swiftly receding water over her belly and hip - a perfect mix.

There's no way these images could have been made without the kindness, encouragement and support of Steve Richard and Shadowhouse Studios.

Surface Tension (2015) Session #3 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

After finishing the set of images of Jenn and Krista, Jenn got out of the pool to dry off, and I spent another twenty minutes photographing Krista on her own. We began with a set of portraits with Krista just emerging from the water's surface; this image, with the near perfect reflection of Krista's face was by far the best of the several dozen I made of this composition (the simple truth of working with models in water is a huge number of images need to be made to accommodate the unpredictable nature of moving water).

Digital infrared original

While the majority of my focus during these sessions was on making images of bodies emerging from smooth, glass-like water, there were times with the movement of the water across the body was just lovely; in this case, the pool water was lapping across the small of Krista's back, leaving behind the smallest pool along the base of her spine.

Digital original

Every time I have worked with the Nude in water pools in studios, I have made images like this - the incredible simplicity of a torso just the the water's surface is everything that the Surface Tension series is about.

There's no way these images could have been made without the kindness, encouragement and support of Steve Richard and Shadowhouse Studios.

Surface Tension (2015) Session #2 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

The second session was spent working with Jenn and her friend Krista; the two had first worked together with me in 2013, but this was the first time I'd worked with the two of them together in a studio. An unexpected challenge of working with the larger pool was how long it took for movement and surface rippled to settle down; it was frequently a minute or more before the water surface became smooth. With two models, this proved to be a real challenge, as even the unconscious shifting of balance or occasional deep breath was enough to unsettle things.

Digital original

An advantage of working with multiple models is that their bodies can be used to create a composition independent of the surroundings; in this case, the mirroring of the pose in opposite directions plays off the mirroring of their forms in the water around the two models.

Digital infrared original, 9 frame stitch

One of the last poses of the session worked with both models stretched out; it was this kind of image that really showed the advantage of working with the larger pool; in 2007, the pool I built was only eight feet end to end, and couldn't permit such an extended pose. Though this image pushed right to the edge of the diffusion panel which created the reflection on the water surface, with careful positioning of the camera, I could keep the model's bodies within the luminous reflection that is so integral to the success of this image.

There's no way these images could have been made without the kindness, encouragement and support of Steve Richard and Shadowhouse Studios.

Surface Tension (2015) Session #1 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

In 1998, I made an image of a model emerging from a tidal pool, breaking through the reflection of the evening sky on the water. That image stuck in my head until I began exploring studio photographs of the Nude emerging from water in 2005. That work in turn lead to a more focused (and successful) group of images made in 2007, created in a larger (6'x8') pool. Now, 17 years after making the first image, I have another opportunity to pursue the elusive muse of the line between water and skin.

Digital original

The first session of two days of photography was with Jen, who's first worked with me in 2006. Jenn and I have done some outdoor water images before, but this was her first time working with a pool in a studio, and the idea of heated water was a revelation to her. 

Digital original

There's no way these images could have been made without the kindness, encouragement and support of Steve Richard and Shadowhouse Studios.

Bianca's Last Session of 2014 (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared original, 3 image composite

It isn't often that I can definitively say a session is the "last one", but in this case, as Bianca was heading for another country four days after this session, there's little doubt this will be her last session with me in 2014 (she is hoping to be back in Nova Scotia in 2015, so my fingers are crossed for more work to be made in the coming year).

As an outdoor session was not an option, we headed to the apartment of a friend of hers, which promised a bay window and lots of light. After making a whole series of images exploring motion (Bianca has a dance background), I made three of her working with the window, with the intent to assemble them into a single image; in the end, two of the three worked perfectly (the ones of Bianca against the side window), and while the third, of her standing in the centre, fell short, a later image of her bending forward and touching the floor was ideal to complete the final composition.

Digital infrared original, 3 image exposure blend

After working with a dramatic low point of view and infrared at length, before setting aside the widow all together, I made some colour photographs of Bianca against the morning light. I still feel clumsy when it comes to photographing in colour, but the brilliant, luminous window provided such rich light for Bianca's figure, and gave such lovely soft skin tones that I just had to leave the image in colour.

Digital original

The end of the session was spent working with Bianca in front of an old fireplace; the front of it was covered with black-painted wrought iron, and provided a rich background to set Bianca's body against. I was pleased with the results, but in many ways feel I only scratched the surface of what could be done with the fireplace, and hope to have the chance to return to continue the exploration.

Jaime's First Session (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital infrared original

Though she'd never posed Nude before, right from the start, Jaime's comfort with the process was evident, and helped me create a number of very striking images over the ninety minutes we worked together. Jaime had learned of my work though Bianca, and got in touch to ask about working together; we met, and after an extensive conversation about her interests, my process, and tattoos (which I tend to avoid in my work), we set a date for a first session.

Digital Original

From her first message to me, I was aware Jaime had tattoos, but as this session was focused on giving her some experience with posing Nude, and many of the images were more portraits than body-scapes, tattoos weren't much of an issue.

Digital infrared original

My favorite image from the session has everything I look for in a Nude portrait; Jaime's pose was pure happenstance; she was relaxing after another image when she stretched her arm over her head and leaned into the bed; I immediately asked her to not move, and began photographing. I made a dozen or so variations on this composition (in both colour and infrared), but after careful consideration, it was this image, with the hint of Jaime's arm and belly tattoos that works the best for me. As true as it is that I avoid tattoos in my work with the body in landscape and other settings, as a portrait-focused image, the tattoos are integral to who Jaime is, and therefore, an important part of the photograph.

Bianca Poses Indoors (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Digital original

This was Bianca's first indoor session with me, and needless to say, she found it quite different from working outdoors; instead of having landscape to pose in, and take inspiration from, all she had was white sheets on a pull-out couch...

Digital original

This was my first session working in my current apartment; my last two haven't been very easy to work in (in contrast to my first apartment since my return to Halifax, which was excellent to work in). I relied upon my old approach of covering everything with white sheets, to focus the session on the model, and to diffuse the light from the windows.

Digital original

Most on my indoor sessions focus on portraits, but towards the end of this session, Bianca and I explored some bodyscapes, ending with some really pleasing images made from a high vantage point.

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

I spent part of this afternoon photographing with a PhotoWorkshops.ca student inside St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica; the main focus for the session was helping her gain control over her exposures, and assisting her in finding compositions within such a visually rich environment.

Digital original, 7 frame exposure blend, 2 frame stitch

As the student worked, and experimented, I moved between her camera and mine, and made a handful of compositions of the space; I had never been in the building before, but as it was built as during the Gothic Revival period, the overall structure was incredibly familiar.

Digital original, 5 frame exposure blend

The last image was the one I'd planned to made from first walking into the Basilica; the ceiling. As usual, it took a good ten minutes to get the camera aligned, but using test images, made at 6400 ISO, I was able to find the exact centre of the nave, and get the ceiling perfectly aligned

Digital original

Evolving Beauty Evolves Again - Evolving Beauty 2014 is Launched

At long last, a new Evolving Beauty site has been launched; after more than a few years of little activity, I have produced a new site, and over the coming months (and years, likely), will be expanding it to reflect the close to 30 years of photography it champions.

From the my first website (originally titled "Mortalities") in 1995, to the current site, I have shared 20 years of my photography in real-time online, something I expect to continue to do for the decades to come!