A month has passed since I attended Image Explorations 2015. It has been a month of reflection, thought and examination of my images. I’m left to ponder how I might create works that look the way I felt at the time I capture my images….my own style…my own vision.
Sunrise at the rim of the Grand Canyon is a popular time for photographers. Often photographers line up along the rim hoping to capture that once in a lifetime image. Likely many wonderful photographs are captured but it would be fair to say that there would be a sameness to them. My choice would be to search out a more remote location to make the capture unique.
Literal translations of a subject or scene differ greatly from one where the feeling that the artist had when making the image are evident. Artists like Ansel Adams, Tom Thomson and Emil Carr spent much of the lives interpreting their unique vision into the works they created. It’s a thought process I try go through every time I make an image. How do I make it distinctively mine?
A remote section of the Koksilah River near Duncan, B.C. was a beautiful setting for our figure study shooting session at IE. Its slow calm cool pools, fast moving rapids and the surrounding green of the lush forest were perfect for this shoot.
While others in our group set to work with our models I sat back and observed. After a time I began, having determined how I wanted to make my interpretations of our models.
My goal was to represent our models as ‘one with nature’. The setting and the model had to be integral with each other. Even though this was my first time working with nude models I think I came close to reaching my goal.
6 Comments
Good to see you moving forward Stu. I sketched your male model, Michael Ward many times.
I liked photographing Michael. Obviously very experienced. Once he had an idea of what we wanted him to do he tried hard to accommodate. Thanks for your encouragement. Will likely be in Victoria for a month starting October 15th. Putting our RV at the Westbay Marina. If you are in Victoria I look forward to a chat and coffee.
Good work, Stu !
Thanks Gary. I certainly is a different genre for me photograph but I really had fun doing it.
I’d say you definitely reached your goal! Beautiful!
Thanks Brenda. Much appreciated. Very different subject matter for me. Takes a lot more thought and planning to make an interesting yet tasteful image.