Why We Don't Show Everything

Art Model, Leslie

This question first struck me several years ago. I think it was adding a new hard drive or doing something with my backup drives and came to realize how much art nude work I have that has never seen the light of day... or maybe the light of a backlit LCD screen, as it were. I've shot so many models doing maybe 30 to 70 edits per shoot and less than 15 to 20 of those ever been exhibited, get seen on my blog, website, or social media. I may not ever get exhibited in my art... for whatever reason.

Additionally, the model/client may not see EVERYTHING I shoot. They WILL, however, see everything I edit, even future edits, if I go back over them months or years down the road. But there is also much of that work that won't make it to the public arena for a myriad of reasons. I'll edit a shot. The model/client will get a copy, certainly. But there will be several that look good, but not make the cut.

Art Model, Leslie

The thought hasn't really passed my mind so much in recent history since I have been on my travels. I closed down my studio in November 2017 and sold or gave away everything. It came forefront to my mind again recently when I recently read an article where a photographer willed his assistant all his work and negatives. She talked about having so much of his work that he never printed, exhibited, or showed anyone. I'll have to find that article again and do a blog post on it. For the life of me, I can't recall the photographer. 

But anyway, I can relate to that. I am not a photographer who takes a million pics and then let the client go through them all and pick out what they want to keep. I've never done it. I can understand accepting that concept in a studio environment. Or maybe in sessions where you have a particular shot list and you have to hit a certain look. In all my work and time in studio, I get a general idea of what the client wants and I shoot with that in mind. The more specific the better. Other times I am the one with the photo concept. And we're speaking strictly in terms of photographing people. This won't be the same with product photography or interior design/architecture photography. I've done those too. 

Art Model, Leslie

High Volume Sessions

When the mood is right and the light is bright, therein lies the magic. I'm not talking romance... rather synergy! Sometimes you get with a model and y'all just click. She'll get into a pose that you have in your mind, JUST before you ask for it! Or better yet, hers is better! Maybe there is an atmospheric phenomenon that feels like God has ordained and blessed that collaboration. Or sometimes, it's just the opposite, but it works in your favor anyway. 

It's hard to put the camera down, in moments like that. You'll both lose track of time and the hours have clicked away unbeknownst to either of you. You notice it getting dark, but it's adding drama and mystery to your photo session so you keep shooting. Before you know it, you're 2000 photos in on what should have been a 300-shot photo session. I shoot, on average, about 100 shots an hour. I know other photogs who will triple or quadruple that. But that's generally my work rate. All those images will not get edited! Ain't no photog got time for that! You take the best of them and roll!

Art Model, Leslie

Duplicates

I'll often shoot like a sniper. One shot. One kill. But even doing that, I may get a few variations of the same shot with slight adjustments on the pose, lighting, point of focus, or depth of field. And then amongst those, I'll pick one or two. Every single look won't make the cut. Duplicates might be good for a revisit later on with a new edit, inconsistent with the main body of work where it stands on its own.

Bad Shots/Experimental Shots

Believe it or not, sometimes my exposure is off. It happens! Or sometimes the model's eyes are closed. It could be that I just want to try something and will add in a prop, take the shot, and then realize it looks stupid. No problem. I'll take the shot the correct way. The rest can just take up space on my hard drive. I RARELY delete anything. I do! But once it makes it onto my computer, it usually stays. I have less problem deleting a bad shot in camera. Particularly if I need to save space on the card. In some cases, I've been known to revisit bad shots and play with them. See what can happen. Maybe after a few years, I get a new editing tool that makes that bad shot a potentially good one.

Professional Pride/Self-Respect

In more cases than not, if you're hiring me or collaborating with me, it's because you like my style of shooting and want to be a part of it. I like my reputation as a professional and as an artist, I simply don't ever want a bad shot to see the light of the public eye. I take pride in my work and I want it hanging on the walls for people to admire, judge, critique, or even make fun of. But it begins with me! If I don't like it, I can't let it out. Because once I put it out there for the world to see, it's going to be judged. And as long as I can remain true to myself, then I let judgements fall where they may. I can accept that and learn from it. But I don't want to put out bad work when I know better. 

Art Model, Leslie

One More Time with Regards to Beginners

Art Model, Dana

In November of 2005, I photographed my first nude model. This month makes 16 years since I began my favorite genre of photography. So with respect to my beginnings, I'm going to address an idea for beginners! However, if you aren't interested in getting better at photo or at least learning more creative and fun techniques, don't worry about this blog post. Then again, read it anyway and see if your curiosity is piqued.

FILM PHOTOGRAPHY!!!

That's right. I am talking about stepping away from the digital world and falling back to the stone age before a camera even needed a battery. Yes, cameras existed even then and if you take a look around, you'll witness the re-emergence of the film genre. BTW, all the images in this post are my early work shooting film. 

Look for an old camera that your mama used to use, or one that's been passed down through your father's lineage. Ask them! They just might take you up to the attic and pull out an old box full of pics, old film cannisters, and maybe even a dusty old camera.

Art Model, Dana

OR, go to a thrift store. They almost always have something. If you see a camera and it has the letters, L-E-I-C-A on it, in that exact sequence... or a big red dot, GET IT! Buy it for whatever they want. If not, just look for something that seems like it works. If there is a local camera shop nearby, take it to them and let them have a look at it and clean it up. 

OR, take a look at Amazon, Ebay, or any online used gear retailer and type Canon AE-1 Program in the search bar. If you are afraid of Canon, check out the Nikon F2, unless you want to get away from the BIG2... then bless yourself with a Pentax K1000. Go this route if you want an easy entry into the 35mm film genre as there are still plenty of camera choices, lens alternatives, and film formats readily available and you can always find someone to develop the film.

If by chance you are feeling froggy and you have nerves of steel with the heart of a champion, say no more and orient your quest toward either a Hasselblad 500 C/M, the Pentax 67, or a Mamiya RZ67. Lens choices can get steep with these but you can find some deals. You are really taking your coffee no sugar if you find a twin lens reflex system like a Rolleiflex, the Yashica MAT-124G, or a Mamiya C330. You don't need an additional lens budget for these cameras because they come with fixed lenses anyway. These cameras use medium format film. Much larger resolution than 35mm film, but might be more difficult getting it processed. You can easily do this yourself, though with a few lessons. Developing your own film just takes a commitment and for some, it's the least fun part of photography. I loved it!

Art Model, Kate in a Tribute to Jerry Ulesmann

FOUR ADVANTAGES OF FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

I'm not going to get into the technical aspects of digital vs film. This post isn't about the analytical, technical, logical, and certainly not mathematical. Instead, I want to focus on the imaginative, artistic, and intuitive elements.

Film helps you See

Particularly in Black and White photography, color can be a distraction that deviates your mind away from the composition. When it's all B&W, composition plays a greater factor. When you look through the viewfinder, yes... you are still seeing color. But when you get that roll developed in B&W you see what you were pointing your camera at and how it turned out. You begin to see in B&W. Even though color elements are the input into your eye sockets, your brain will soon interpret those signals into B&W. THEN you begin to better see lines, patterns, geometric shapes... like circles, triangles, and rectangles. You'll see vanishing points, repetition, and anchoring elements. Balance will become important and you will develop your style much quicker.

Film helps you be Patient

Back in the military, I trained soldiers to slow down. Survey the landscape. Find your target. Aim. Breathe. Take your shot. The mechanics of shooting a weapon are the same as shooting a camera. Survey the landscape. Find your composition. Aim. Breathe. Take your shot. In both cases, you press the shutter/trigger with slow deliberation. Trigger squeeze and breathing control are two elements of marksmanship and it's the same with a camera. 

Shooting rapid fire shots don't let you hit a damn thing. Limit yourself to 36 shots and you WILL learn to compose better. You will think about each shot and be more deliberate with your shot selection. It's inevitable. If you want to slow it down even more, shoot from a tripod and really see your shot. I follow this guy on Facebook. He's the father of a friend/client of mine who I worked with doing desert shots near Las Vegas. His dad is always out somewhere knee-deep in a stream or barely visible in the bushes somewhere. The man is enjoying himself and making money selling his art. But he puts in the time! He's not shooting film, but he does shoot from a tripod and I'd imagine it isn't just because his gear is heavy. His name is Sam Pathi and he's a bad ass landscape photographer. You want a role model? Inspire to be like this guy. You can see his son, Eric on IG @ericpwiseguys. 

Art Model, Jacinda

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams

Film will help you Make Photos

Ansel Adams is arguably the most famous photographer all-time. That was one of his quotes that suggested that a photograph wasn't something that already existed and you simply needed to grab it. Instead, it was something you create. You make it. You don't simply take it. Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO are the elements you use to create the exposure you desire for any given scene. A shot does not exist without these three elements in some mix. Each one regulates and manages how light is used to make a photograph. Don't just use full auto. Learn this and practice.

You also make a photo by learning to focus manually. It takes an added second or two to turn that focus ring (at any given aperture, focusing at any given range). You decide how much of a scene you want in focus and then manipulate the lens to make that photo. Learn those techniques and practice.

Film will help you Save Money

This isn't as intuitive as the previous listed advantages, but it still goes on this list. You are definitely going to save some cash with film. You're looking at maybe a $250 initial investment maybe if you're going 35mm film. Expect to spend a grand for the camera, batteries, storage cards, lenses, etc. if you start out digital. Chances are, you'll likely find a deal on a digital camera that comes with a bad, tripod, and more. 

This might not be the case if you get really interested in photography and you need to make a more significant investment. It will happen. The more you know, the more you grow. The more you grow, the more you go broke. Kidding.  I should have said. the more you grow the more you need dough. But if you are getting better AND got the budget, mosey on up to the medium format systems and challenge yourself. Instead of 36 exposures a roll, you get 10 to 15 shots depending on the camera. That Pentax 67 will give you TEN shots! Talk about shot planning! It uses 120 roll film. And medium format utilizes a variety of sizes which explains the different range of shots. 

* * *

Film is not dead. It declined for a while, but it's back. The Lomography phenomenon (and company) along with Kodak, Fujifilm, and others have fed the resurgence of love for film. But I say it's mainly because of people like Dave Rudin who refuse to give it up and continue to do professional and artistic work with film. It's huge here in Vietnam. There are good functioning cameras all over the place and in the hands of the young and eager. I love it.

So do yourself a favor, Rookie. Reread the blog. Do some more research. Get yourself in a good camera system that you feel comfortable with. Go buy some film and go shoot. Kodak TMAX 400 was my all-time favorite film to utilize. What is yours?

Art Model, Laura

Art Model, Laura

Ode to the Art Model

" Sincerity"

"...To me photographing the nude is simply using my camera to sense and feel the pulse of life… To photograph a nude without desiring her is the ultimate in perversity..." - Larry Fink

I realize that mine is the art of photography. Specifically, photographing the nude form has become my passion and my niche. However, I still have a distinct affinity for figure modeling as it relates to drawing the figure. My association to figure drawing is no longer through the medium of charcoal, conte, or paint, but rather as a facilitator of the sessions. I don't draw anymore, but since I have an extended background as a figure model, I've still held a strong connection to the those in the field of art modeling. That's the primary reason I started my Las Vegas Art Models Group. So despite my particular genre of art being photography, I still talk about and discuss figure modeling. Its the art model who has captured my admiration and appreciation, whether she poses for drawing sessions or photography.

I've wanted to do more in my group with models of various sizes and shapes. The plus-size model has less of a representation in this field, but I'd like to find a way to encourage more women of this body type to participate. At the same time, I know I also have to garner the interest from the photogs who participate in the workshops. Its a bit easier to incorporate the plus-size and large women into figure drawing sessions, but I have still heard disparaging remarks from vain and disrespectful students who would rather draw the hot chicks. I am an avid avocate for the model who can shed her clothes and strike a pose to lend a much needed inspiration to us artists who have need of their services. I'd like to do more to help them earn more work in their trade outside of the collegiate environments. Las Vegas has less of a need or I should say has less of a demand for the nude art model, but I guess challenges exist all over to earn a decent income from such a noble effort of sacraficing privacy and enduring criticism from those who cannot understand.

I wish I could do more in my efforts with my group. For me, I have an excellent venue in both space and prestige at the World Market Center. However the catch is that my sessions are not on a regular or frequently held. Because of the WMC business hours, the sessions have to be held during the normal working hours of artists, which is on Friday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm, instead of after-hours when more may be inclined to participate. I'm left beating the street and buring up my cell phone minutes to solicit paricipation from artists. When I don't get enough artist participation, then thats also an out-of-pocket expense for me. Since I've pledged to have the highest pay rate in the Las Vegas area for figure drawing models, this can be challenging to somebody who's still yet to find steady employment. The efforts have paid off for some. During a few of my events, I've had artists get commissions, so its definitely worth it for the artists to come out and draw. You never know who may come by to see your performance.

But in order to keep the dream alive, I get out there and do what I can for as long as I can. That includes my efforts of scouting locations and interviewing models to hold my art nude photo workshops. I like what I do and I believe in it...for both photo and drawing. I want to be the go-to guy for artists and organizations needing models for nude art work. For those models wanting to continue doing the work, I want to keep you busy, but the bulkload of my energy will be reserved for those who I can determine are serious about their work, take pride in it, and maintain a high standard of professionalism to their craft. These are those who are where they are supposed to be ahead of schedule. They are not afraid of the hard poses. They strive to understand the need of the artist and give the artist the best they have to offer in order to help them achieve a desired goal. Art Modeling is hard work. Most think its a piece of cake to be still and look pretty. I say to thee nay! But you will never understand it til you give it a try. I dare you!

These are more images of art model and muse, Trixie. I hope to do some more work with her very soon. Also, you have GOT to see this 10 minute video, "The Perils in Nude Modeling". Its dramatic, romantic, and FUNNY. If you can't see the clip below, then just ->click here<-

Next Evolution of Photography

NPR (National Public Radio), had an interesting piece today that consisted of an interview by noted National Geographic photographer, Sam Abell. You can listen to a mp3 version of this 35 minute interview by clicking => HERE. RealPlayer or MediaPlayer will suffice. Mr. Abell is in Nevada to be the keynote speaker at Ceasars Palace for the "An Evening with CLASS! , 2008", in support of a fundraiser for a high school organization. In the KNPR interview, he talks about many subjects of interest. In an answer to a listener's question regarding post-processing software, he reveals that he is strictly a film photographer and does not use digital software to alter any of his photos other than to create digital reproductions of them. He has a deliberate philosophy regarding his craft, but a rather dismal prospect on the future of photography and photographers. It would seem he believes this may be a dying profession, going the way of the cassette tape, or at least that's my opinion of his remarks.

I too have began to wonder about the business of photography as we know it. Camera technologies has been in a perpetual evolutionary state since the camera obscura and the daguerreotype. The advent of multiple exposure possibilities from emulsion coated a paper or plastic rolled substrate (a roll of film) instead of a single "one shot at a time" plate was seen as an advancement. Instant film by Polaroid was seen an advancement, just as the digital censor was viewed as an advancement. Photo purists have already began to lament the onslaught of the digital age, but Abell comments that the art and craft of the photography is dying much faster than what we might imagine. He discusses the advent of videography as a new tool that is quickly gaining ground as the preferred method of still capture. Abell recounts how it once took him 14 months to "get the shot" on a particular shoot for which he was charged. This sort of dedication would be absurd today. No longer is there a need to wait for the right moment. Video of the same scene allows the ability to become more selective with image capture.

I recall reading the Helmut Newton autobiography where he discusses taking maybe 10 images for an entire shoot. It was either in that book or the HBO documentary "Helmut by June". Now photogs will use a digital SLR with a huge CF card from which they can select the best image from amongst a choice of hundreds or even thousands. It would appear that the new age of photographers, or rather videographers will not even need to do that. The ability to record video footage and then select the choice still image reduces the propensity to pull a muscle in your trigger finger from releasing a shutter a million times for every shoot. Is this really the future of photography? How much time do we have left before the art of fact SLR becomes an artifact SLR? Photojounalists will feel the impact much more than the photo artist, but is it simply a matter of time?

The need for the print will still persist for long times to come. People still want to hang a picture on the wall. The question remains with regard to how the image capture will produce it. Since photography is constantly evolving, can videography be a welcomed advancement? It is the print that is most important, which is what photogs strive to produce. We want to show our interpretation of the perfectly exposed print. That's why we do it. We want as many people as possible to see our prints. Therefore can it be said that serving the needs of the print outweighs the needs of the photographer? I know what I would argue, but then again, my bias may disallow a more objective perspective.