Candace Nirvana

There seems to be a consistent debate that I am having about this image.  Is there too much clutter in the photograph so that it distracts the viewer from the form and the woman.   Or does the reflection in the mirror mimic a painting in the frame.   Please comment..

Pipes

Tia Maria

Susie B 100 Poses

Part of a series of images, that I named 100 poses.  Basically the model get this table and 100 frames to pose with it however they want.   It's amazing how similar and how different each one is.

The Pet

Kiera Grant at the Super 8.

Kiera

Nettie and her Hair

Jewel

It was a rainy overcast day, I locked my keys inside the studio as I was heading to the shoot. needless to say I was an hour late while waiting for a friend to show up with keys. I lost an hour of light which created good things and we missed out on good things. Jewel was sweet and a wonderful model to work with. Thanks to Elsa Brodmann and Jasmine for styling and makeup.


More images can be seen at the online magazine amelieg .

vivian

The gymnast!

Kaitlyn

Today I started out slow with a new model who had never posed nude before. She had actually only done two shoots in her life. She was extremely nervous as we started out. I did my best to calm her nerves, but it was evident in the first set that she was extremely tense and uncomfortable. She told me that she ran around her apartment naked to help her get used to being nude. We both chuckled at that. I finished the first set and I stopped and downloaded the card so that she could see the images. Most were awkward at best but we found one that she really liked. I told her that at this point everything else is lagniappe, and usually the first set is a throw away anyway because we are getting used to each other. I took a minute to show her poses from Victoria's Secret and from my previous shoots with great models. She started to understand.

Set number two and I could feel that she was finally beginning to trust me. "Point your toes, chin down, close your eyes and relax you face, stand on your tippy toes." All pointers that I gave her and she took direction extremely well. Once she learned a concept she didn't forget it. I showed her a couple of in camera images. Great work, I encouraged, nudging her self esteem. I wouldn't say that we had a breakthrough but she was now pretty relaxed in front of camera. Again back to the computer so she could see the work. "Wow I didn't realize that I could take that kind of picture" she beamed.

Set 3 I had 27 mins left before she had to leave. I pull all the props away and just shoot her plain on the wall. "Keep moving every frame." I am snapping away and she is really working her look. We agree to meet again to continue to work.

End of the day. I am going through the images and many of them are good, a couple of them are excellent images. A wonderful day with a sweet person and a really good new model with tons of potential.


Enjoy the images.

Published!

I am officially published in Carrie Leigh Nude Magazine Spring Issue 2009. 8 Pages! I can't even believe it.

The link to the brief preview is here: I also have a cover mention!

http://www.carrieleigh.com/Nissues.html

Scott Paul Designs

Custom blindfold by Scott Paul Designs

Boxed In

Recently, when I answered a casting by a young and perhaps naive model she wrote:

thanks for your interest! i was going through your port and love your work. what would you be interested in shooting? there's not much of a market for **** pinups and i don't have the wardrobe for it :/ and i'm tired of seeing my naked, saggy boobs lol

Perhaps I misunderstood her reply but I interpreted it as the model thought I was a photographer who is only able to shoot nudes and pinups. I have fashion and some beauty images in this particular portfolio too. I kind of let her go by the wayside and haven't responded to this.

I do not like stereotypes or boxes that people put me in. I shoot many different genres yet Galleries, Portfolio Reviews and Institutions want to see a consistent style and look. God forbid you step outside your look to experiment as an artist. If I decided to shoot Mardi Gras candid images this weekend that would be frowned upon. Good thing that Mardi Gras includes naked women in public, that way I can stay in my genre.

I am currently compling images for an upcoming book and it is quite a dauting task. Aside from culling through 300+ images that were already deemed worthy of retouching or converting to black and white. I keep finding more gems along the way. A nice distraction.

Here is Sarah again: Two sides of a very beautiful coin. I think she was kind of surprised to see the reflected images in the window in the finals. I was consciously framing for both poses as well as trying to keep myself out of the reflection too.

Bella Blue Introduction

I had a chance to shoot with Bella Blue again last weekend. Previously when we shot I complained about not having enough time with her. She gave me the day and what a day it was. We started with a public shoot idea that was thwarted by a security guard. Not wanting to miss the day I decided to call the public work off and we headed to breakfast and then to the studio.

Our first group of work was fantastic and it just got better from there.

Here is her video introduction. I started recording without telling her and she gave me some wonderful expressions of contemplation and thought before we started. I also edited this video and added stills from her pinup work that we did together.

Presenting the Lovely and Very Talented Bella Blue with an alternate soundtrack:

Good models, Great models

Worship

• Great models bring more than just beauty to the table.
  
• Great models let it all hang out and bear their souls to camera, not afraid of looking ugly for the sake of beauty.
  
• Great models have a presence that shines through the lens.
  
• Great model have no limits when it comes to creating something that rises above the fraction of a second that it takes to capture an image.
  
• Great models bring passion.
  
• Great models are fearless.
  
• Great models connect.
  
• Great models show their emotions.
• Great models don't want to be an art model, they just are.
• Great models relax and are themselves in front of the camera.
• Great models know their bodies and how to manipulate them for the best shot.
• Great models need little direction.
• Great models change poses and listen for guidance.
• Great models can rewind 10 poses back and change their expression slightly for the shot that you didn't quite get, but now have it nailed.
• Great models know where the light is.
• Great models create wonderful shadows.
• Great models can show strength and weakness at the same time.
• Great models know themselves.
  
• Great models have no category.
• Great models blend into their environment and stand out of their environment.
• Great models are the kindest people.
• Great models are quite a bit smarter than you think.
• Great models are humble.
• Great models are undefined.
  

I am blessed that I have met these beautiful women.

Nettie's Interview

Nettie is a model from Indianapolis that contacted me for a shoot here in New Orleans. She is fearless, sweet, funny and creates great art. She actually gets upset when she hasn't done a shoot in a while.