THE RAW FILES

Erotic Photography on Location - Hallways - repost from Torrid Art

2012-01-19T21:24:00.002-07:00

This is a fantastic post by our friend Ryder at Torrid Art. Take some time and read about complex lighting from a true expert!

Mclain and I are heading down to visit him again very soon. We are really looking forward to hanging out, catching up, and assisting at another shoot!

Here is his blog post;

Erotic Photography on Location - Hallways

Click Here for a link to our old post from our last visit with Ryder

and click here for another

Art Nudes Blog Slowing Down (Mclain)

2012-01-01T10:43:00.002-07:00

Yes...I am still alive and happy new year. I sat down this morning to engage in my favorite weekly ritual of a Tim Horton's coffee and an hour at my computer reading Art Nudes Blog by Michael Barnes. Michael has announced a slowing down of the updates he does on the blog - I feel his pain. I have been absent from here for several months and I haven't been doing much if any photography. Hopefully in the new year I will be inspired to pick up the camera.

a post (rob)

2011-12-07T01:06:00.003-07:00

I had the opportunity to work with a lovely new model. She was only in town for a short while, so I lucked out. She had great energy and creativity, and was excited to be in front of the camera. It was nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of, instead of being solely responsible for coming up with the ideas myself. She also had a cool wardrobe to match with my stuff. I continued to play with some composites... making them a little bit simpler here. My other ones were fun, but a bit elaborate, and complicated. I am very happy with my studio as well. That's it. Off to bed.

I'm alive... barely (Jane)

2011-11-18T12:21:00.001-07:00

I am lame. I feel terrible that I haven’t posted in so long. I could also make a bunch of excuses, but I’ll skip it. I miss modeling… a lot. It has definitely been a couple of months and my confidence level has taken a toll. Maybe that sounds shallow? But I think some people really have to work at being confident and comfortable with who they are and like any other skill, if you don’t keep practicing and working at it, you start to lose it.

Time to catch up on blogging! It has been a really long time since Rob and I have done a shoot together and I hope we can get our shit together soon and change that. Going back in time to the strippers when Mac asked me to gather a group of girls for a side project he is working on my first thought was “ugggghhh, not again!” I loved doing the group shoot with Rob and seeing the girls transform was amazing and an experience I would never trade, but finding people and getting them to commit is a giant pain in the ass. I thought this time I would just ask a whole lot of people and expect about half the people that said yes to actually do it. It ended up being the exact same process at last time. So many yeses, so many back out, scramble, beg, plead and find a couple of scared shitless girls last minute to come do the shoot so we have enough people to make it worthwhile. But once everyone was finally together and my heart rate could come back down, it was AWESOME! I love seeing people who start out saying “I’m keeping my pants on and am just going to keep my back to the camera” get totally nude by the end of the shoot! It was so much fun! Mac had a blast, all 7 girls were totally nude by the end of the shoot and they all wanted to do it again! Makes me feel like I am liberating the world one naked girl at a time!!

Maybe Mclain will follow my lead and talk about his side project and maybe post some pictures as well! ;)

ago again (rob)

2011-11-13T23:47:00.002-07:00

I took so many shots from my last shoot with Kita, that I decided to make one more stitched shot. Which one do you prefer?

stitched (rob)

2011-11-03T22:30:00.005-06:00

Second shoot from Kita. This one is a stitching together of 4 shots of her. Shooting was reasonably simple... just using a tripod, and a sketch pad to attempt to conceptualize before hand. We played around, and took several shots in several different positions. That was the fun part. The work came when I took it to the computer. It was about 3 hours of stitching, restitching, and layering, and relayering, trying to get things right. I am overall very happy with the shot. As I said to Mclain, I know the things I could have done better... but there is no way I am doing this shot again. I will use the flaws in my technique as a means to improve.

It would be very time consuming to explain the whole process, so I have included the 3 main shots I used - pre-processing, and you can see for yourself where I started from. I used a lot of layering, and painting in photoshop, and a lot of shots to start with to get the fabric lined up just right. Hope you enjoy.

new studiooooo (rob)

2011-10-31T10:41:00.006-06:00

Well, I thought I'd been a bad blogger before, but this has really taken the cake! But there is always reason. My wife and I had a baby over the summer, and I spent a bunch of time slowly renovating my studio. I am very very pleased with the results. Jane has also been stupid busy, so that has added to the impossibility of shooting. I actually hadn't done a creative photo shoot in something like 4 months. It ended up being a nice recharge, but I also started to go stir crazy. I spent the summer doing family portrait shoots, and weddings.... which I actually really enjoyed. I have been working hard on my consistency as a photographer, and my ability to make a photograph look 'like a real image.' What I mean by that, is creating an image out of the camera that is as close to the way the image looks to the eye, and using additional creative lights only to enhance the dynamic range of the image, and to increase a slightly creative lighting look to it, without dominating it. I have always liked dominating creative light, but it isn't always necessary, or appropriate, so a summer spent focussing on that, I believe has made me a much better photographer. I have also been using lightroom a great deal, and really enjoying that. There is always something to learn in this hobby. Other things I have been tackling, is slowly transitioning into using my wacom tablet more. I have had a funky mouse for years now, which is much much better ergonomically, and control wise than a regular mouse... but I believe the wacom tablet will be even better than that.

So, this model in these images is Kita. She is a new model, and we had a blast taking these pics. We have another shoot booked this week, and I already have a couple big ideas.... we'll soon see if I can pull it off.

Glad to be back. Happy Halloween.

Rob

omg (rob)

2011-10-17T20:42:00.002-06:00

Mclain at a wedding we were shooting after I told him his fly had been down all day.

free photography (rob)

2011-09-08T10:03:00.003-06:00

http://tonysleep.co.uk/no-budget-for-photos

very very true. if you are giving your services for free, you will eventually be jaded, drained and bitter. i understand the desire to click your camera button in a way that feels necessary. but it is exactly the same as being a girls 'best friend.' you are performing in the hopes that some day you will be valued in a way that is truly gratifying. but if you are giving your pics away for free, it is like giving your love away from free... in both cases you may as well go home, jerk off, and save yourself the time, effort and heartbreak!

women who just want to be friends, and companies who don't want to pay will drain your soul and make you bitter.

lol.

robbed by shipping (Rob)

2011-08-30T16:35:00.004-06:00

I just ordered my new Paul Buff mini vagabond battery. My excitement to get using it was severely dampened by the ridiculous expense of the shipping.

I ordered the mini vagabond, a softbox and grid. Paul Buff's website recommends you use UPS Worldwide Saver to Canada

My total bill for the product was $394.85.

Not terrible, as I am used to camera equipment being expensive, and I enjoy Buff's stuff.

However, my delivery charges came to $132.21 !!!!!!!

That is almost exactly 1/3 the price of the products I purchased.

Are you fucking kidding me!!!???

I could have driven to Nashville myself in my V8 SUV and gas would have been cheaper! I could have flown round trip, and picked it up myself for less!

Of course that is an exaggeration, but the part that makes me sick is... not by much!!!

I wonder, if I had used ground shipping (against Paul Buff's website recommendations) shipping would have cost me $40 according to their calculator.

The website warns against using this method, as you may receive extra unforeseen fees.

I wonder how on earth these unforeseen fees could add up to more than $85.

Basically, this situation makes ordering products from Paul Buff to Canada an extraordinary pain in my ass, and my wallet.

Boo.

The Death of Youth

2011-08-20T11:47:00.002-06:00

I found this site by way of Art Nudes. The project really struck a chord with me at this particular time in my life.

The Death of Youth

old photography contest video (rob)

2011-08-07T23:50:00.004-06:00

this is a youtube link to a photography competition I hosted years and years ago... shortly after Mclain and I met. It took me ages to convince him to take part in the competition!!!! lol.

http://youtu.be/doW6tUB1Or0

check it out!

new business card help (rob)

2011-08-05T16:28:00.002-06:00

I need your help! I am having a tough time choosing the images for my business card. Please check out this link;

http://www.robcaleffi.com/cards.html

and pick your top choice from each category. I need a travel image (Laura and I narrowed them down to 2), and an image based on the loveliness of womanliness (narrowed down to 10). Please email me on facebook or here; robcaleffi@gmail.com, or just respond here with your choice.

Thanks muchly!

Wanna Buy My Truck? (Mclain)

2011-07-05T11:43:00.003-06:00

Truck has been sold!

I am selling my 2008 Ford F150 Supercrew 4x4. If anyone in the Calgary region is interested please give me an email.

No, I Am Not Dead (Mclain)

2011-06-29T19:47:00.002-06:00

I am a bad, bad blogger. I know. I have lots of excuses, but I won't list them since I am sure no one cares. Jane and I had a fun shoot last week and I'll post some of my favourites in a few days when I am not too lazy to get at them. I really need to set up a home network so I can access my desktop files from my laptop. I also need to do a post about the field trip to L.A. that Rob and I did earlier this year. I also have a little project I have been meaning to do that will help me and hopefully others better understand what a given ratio of fill light looks like as well as various under and over exposures. Sort of like the post I did here on softening your speedlights, I will post a series of photos depicting the results of my tinkering. In the meantime, here is a great post on Neil van Niekerk's blog showing results from a shoot-through umbrella and an on-camera speedlight. Simply amazing what can be done with an on-camera speedlight - when bounced and flagged appropriately that is!

Poop and the difference Mclain and Rob (Jane)

2011-06-27T15:49:00.011-06:00

The shoot with Mclain went really well! The wind was crazy though, and for the end of June it was quite chilly, but we managed to get a lot of shots and a good variety. I love watching how Mclain’s mood changes from the start of a shoot, being so discouraged and unmotivated; not knowing where to begin, but then once we actually start shooting he starts getting really excited and happy. I’m happy when he’s happy… awwwwww. I’ll let Mclain post his favourites from the shoot, but here are a couple of mine.

For me, this one came with a feeling. I wonder what other people see when they look at this one. Comments?

Cows – otherwise you won’t know what I am talking about below.

I just like it. Yes, it was a nice view.
I just like this one too.

Things I learned:
- I’m really afraid of finding dead bodies; Mac had to go into the abandoned buildings first
- I’m also a little afraid of getting stampeded by a cow, especially getting stampeded by a cow while I’m naked.
- Neither Mac nor I know what poison ivy looks like
- We should have a checklist before we hit the road
- Animals like to poop everywhere, especially in little huts, and Mac likes to ask you to stand, sit, crouch, and lie in it. I still feel dirty. And not in a good way. :)

Things to put on our pre shoot checklist:
- Tripod
- Beer, mmmmm beer
- I seem to have forgotten the rest of our list. Mclain?

Favourite moment – Mac saying I look glamorous while posing in a pile of poo (can I swear on here?)

Mclain also read my last blog post before we out so I think he was also trying to challenge me more with coming up with more poses on my own and also having my face in a lot of the shots. I really like this; even though it is difficult, I feel like I’m moving forward. I’ve learned a lot, but there is still so much more to learn and improve on. I’m happy with my face in these shots though, I think I look fairly normal! Yay!

One of the main differences between Mclain and Rob for me is I think I find Mclain more physically challenging and Rob more mentally challenging. I’m not saying it’s a or b, it’s always both; but one has a little more from column a and the other a little more than column b. Please don’t take offence to this, I like your differences!

Like in this shot; I’m really glad there is no audio, all you would here is me grunting, then holding my breath, then grunting then holding my breath hahaha. If you’ve never modeled with Mclain before chances are, after the first time you might be a little sore. Here’s an example of Mclain giving me a pose: “Okay, can you bend in half backwards, good, okay now, stretch one leg up in the air and your left arm too, now, can you grab your ankle with your right hand, and go on your tippy toes. Hmmmmm no, that’s not quite it, okay, do the same thing, but facing the wall, now just remove your left arm, I don’t want it in my shot” ***Example might be slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect, slightly.
Don’t get me wrong, lying on a freezing cement floor in Rob’s garage is no cake walk either! I think because our personalities are very different I find Rob a little intimidating. This is hard to explain, mostly because I don’t fully understand why. Rob has always made me feel comfortable and we get along great, but I feel more pressure when I shoot with Rob than when I shoot with Mclain. Maybe it’s just because he pushes me to do things that are outside my comfort bubble, which I think is a good thing.

Side note. My boss and I went for lunch on a patio the other day (one of the only 6 nice days in June) and we got talking about tan lines and I told her when I go to Vancouver this summer I’m going to go tan on the nude beach so I don’t get tan lines. My boss thinks I’m a quiet, little, dork who never in a million years would think that I would do such a thing! She doesn’t believe me for a second; if she only knew… heh heh heh I think just because people are shy, doesn’t necessarily mean they are conservative. I am a quiet, little, dork, but one that doesn’t mind getting naked in front of a few people. :)

Smile (Jane)

2011-06-22T16:19:00.002-06:00

I got a text from Rob last week saying him and Mclain were at the strippers and wanted to know if I wanted to come by for a drink. On my way there I realized that I have now known them both for over a year, but I had never been in the same room with them at the same time before. I thought it might be weird for some reason, but it wasn’t at all. We actually had some really good conversations about the project, looked at photos and watched Mclain do the running man. :) When they first asked me to be the Raw Files model for this year they said they wanted to get more into my life and wanted to come take some pictures of me getting ready, or working, or doing whatever it is that I do, but this hasn’t happened yet. However, when Rob asked me to come up with challenges for him as well this gave me an idea. My challenge for him was to take things that are important in my life and somehow twist and incorporate them into his style of photography. The snake was the first one of these. I do really like the photos, but I think we were a little rushed with the sun fading and we didn’t really come up with a clever, subtle way to incorporate him. Oh ya, the make up, nice to have someone do your make up regardless, but the other challenge I have for Rob and myself is to do a shoot where I look bad ass :) Mostly because I think I never do, so I thought having someone else do some make up for me would help. That was the plan for the shoot but then when I got to Rob’s it was FINALLY nice outside so we had to take advantage of that and go outside and I’m really glad we did. Although, I look quite the opposite of bad ass in a big girly hat, we did do a lot of face stuff which is challenging for me. This is my weakness! It makes me really nervous and uncomfortable; I hate that feeling and as far as I know there is only one way to make that feeling go away. I am going to practice and I will get better! I’m really glad we didn’t do the bad ass shoot yet, because I would like to get more comfortable with facial expressions in front of the camera. And thanks Rob for pushing me to do that; don’t give up on me yet! I don’t have any photos to post from the shoot because I think Rob got most of them up there in his last couple posts. After our chats at the strippers I feel like there are so many ideas we want to do I don’t know how we are going to do it all! I am also working on gathering a group for a Mclain project and I have a solo shoot with him tomorrow. Feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve shot with him! I’m excited. I better start stretching now.

snakes and other challenges (rob)

2011-06-10T01:35:00.004-06:00

well, 3 posts in one day... must be some kind of record. Baby coming soon, and moving, however, means I likely won't post again for a bit, so it's good to be caught up.

anyways, as I mentioned in my last post, Jane challenged me to do some shots of her snake, and some shots focusing a bit more on the loverliness of portraits and makeup. This is what we got.

These are taken in my back-alley, and in the back yard of a house that is currently vacant, and a bit overgrown. Jane has been improving quite a bit in her figure study posing, and did a great job here with more fashion/beauty type stuff, although it is still very new to her. She took some coaxing to relax, and create some flow in her movement, but I am exceptionally happy with the final results. Nice work Jane!

scrim and bounce (rob)

2011-06-09T21:49:00.006-06:00

Mclain and I both got the pleasure of photographing my lovely pregnant wife today. After we were both done, we decided to test out a new product.

California Sunbounce has a product called the 'Sun Swatter.' It is essentially 'scrim' on a pole. However, the reason I picked one up, is I thought it might be useful for 3 reasons. One, as a scrim against bright sun, especially when facing into the sun. Two, as a reflector with the sun as a rim light. And three, as a soft box to diffuse a couple speed lights attached to it when natural light isn't cooperating.

So, Mclain and I experimented. We used it only in the first two scenarios today.

The first image is bare sun as rim light - no bounce. The second image is sun as rim light, and the Sun Swatter as a reflector. We could have done a better job placing the scrim, but this was just a test.

The third image, Mclain is holding it up and to camera left to scrim the sun.

In the fourth there is bare sun to camera left.

And the last image is Mclain being himself.

Not a bad product. The main concern I have with it, is that it takes a fair bit to hold it in a breeze. It comes with a mono-pod for extending it, and I may try it on a tripod on a super calm day with a sandbag. Overall, I think it will be a worth while gadget.

note** all photo's are straight out of camera, and settings were eyeballed (ie no light meter used). Also, both pairs of shots are at the same settings, as these were taken to show the quality of light difference.

5 girls (rob)

2011-06-09T21:02:00.003-06:00

ok, so I fear that Jane might kill me if I don't post about the 5 girl shoot. Actually, she has been doing an exceptional job at posting, and at lighting a fire under mine to post... so thanks Jane!

The 5 girls shoot was super interesting. Quite challenging in my tiny little space, but also a lot of fun. I hear all about Jane's problems getting girls to commit to the date, and there were times I thought it might just end up with the two of us... but to her credit (and her friends credit), she rounded up a great crew! The girls were all in good spirits, and there were 5 very lovely, very different personalities and bodies for me to work with. Each girl had a different reason for showing up, and each had a different comfort level, each had a different skin tone, hair colour, body type and energy. All these things added to the complexity of the shoot, but they all were in very good spirits, so it was fun.

Jane and I have decided to create challenges throughout the summer, and this was the first. We have a few others already decided on, and today we just finished off two of Jane's ideas in one shoot. She wanted to do a shoot with her snake, and with her make up professionally done. Now, I am super super fucking hesitant about shooting with a number of props, and snakes is in my top 5 list of super cheese... but I am always up for a challenge, and we gave it a go. If things go smoothly, I may post a few here tonight. If not tonight, though... soon.

So, here are a few samples of shots from the 5 girl shoot. There ended up being a bunch of shots that I could not post, due to some repercussions from the girls families finding out. I normally would be upset by this (partly because I could not use the shots, and partly because few things anger me more than people telling women what to do with their bodies)... but I am surprisingly comfortable. I think it is because the girls were so cool to work with, and it was just a fun experiment for me.

The Value of Interaction (rob)

2011-06-05T22:52:00.004-06:00

Our new friend Ryder over at Torrid Art updated his blog recently, and had a few things to say about the value of interacting with other photographers, and mentioned Mclain and I .

You can read some of the thoughts from an experienced and talented art nude photographer, and successful art nude website owner, as well as see images from Mclain and my adventure in California.

Very cool!

Check it out below.

The Value of Interaction

email (rob)

2011-05-15T13:20:00.003-06:00

I thought I would share an email from a gentleman that Mclain and I met photographing a wedding together years ago. Before we decided to shoot weddings tandem all the time, and before Mclain decided to shoot weddings at all, he tagged along for one. We met some great people, and one of the groomsman, Joel Yana decided to get into photography.

He emailed me today, and I thought I would share it.

Hi Rob

Just saying hello.

I've been following your and Mac's work on The Raw Files since the beginning. After I met you and Mac at my brother Mark's wedding in 2007 I had started to take photography more seriously and your and Mac's sites were some of the first sites I had looked at for inspiration and also for the behind-the-scenes commentary as to how you came up with a certain image. It's been a great learning experience for me, especially since I started to use off-camera flash last year. I have a long way to go, but will continue to practice my craft and learn how to light my subject.

I noticed that you shot some personal work at Burning Man. I have a friend who attended Burning Man and he said it was quite the experience. I was reading on Wikipedia that the copyright to any images taken by anyone at Burning Man belong to Black Rock City. Is that still the case? I guess you are still allowed to publish your work if it's for personal purposes.

I saw your new website - nice work! You mentioned in your bio that you have a 'unique day job' - what's your day job if you don't mind me asking?

Hope you and your family enjoy a nice, if not super windy, Sunday. I'm hoping the wind dies down since I'm supposed to do an environmental maternity shoot later this evening.

Cheers
Joel
www.joelyanaphotography.com

REPLY:

Hey Joel,

I remember you guys well. I really enjoyed that wedding. Congrats on taking up photography... really good stuff, and I like your website a lot.

I applied for a media pass for burning man. That means that I have to give them credit, and if I remember correctly, it's kind of a joint copyright type thing. It's almost as if burning man is a person; you need a model release for the person you photograph to have no say over their image... burning man essentially refuses to sign that, and in fact, has you sign. One of the main reasons, is that burning man is a place for 'radical self expression,' and many people don't want creeps snapping shots of them engaging in behaviour that might make their boss or grandma, or every person on facebook look down on them. You signing the releases gives them the power to go after you legally if you are using your images for innapropriate reasons. Otherwise, they don't really care.

I am happy to hear you enjoy the raw-files. It is a labour of love... neither Mclain or I are very good at consistancy... lol. But we love it, and do our best to update it.

My unique day job, is I am an addiction counsellor.

I am happy to hear that your photography is going well, and thanks for taking the time to write!

Rob

- Show quoted text -

--

Rob Caleffi Photography

International

Art / Fashion / Destination Wedding

403.923.3686

www.robcaleffi.com

new site (rob)

2011-05-13T11:41:00.007-06:00

Well, it's time. I am putting twisted figure fotography, and Phi Photography to sleep.

The reasons for this are many.

Simplicity is one.

Another big reason, is that I am proud enough of my work to associate my name with it. :-) Actually, when I started photography, there were a lot of people out there that I was influenced by, with fancy names for their photography. Like 'Yellow Coconut Orchard Photography'... for instance.

So, I didn't think much about it, and created two names.

I chose two, because I wanted a site for my business stuff, and a site for my portfolio art work.

I didn't want to scare grandma away from the flesh on my site.

So, first Phi, then twisted figure were born.

I still agree with the idea of having your commercial work be focused...

SC Weddings is my wedding focused stuff with Mclain.

my art, however, is far too erratic and attention deficit for that.

my new website is;

http://www.robcaleffi.com

check it out, and let me know what you think.

I also had the opportunity to work with a male model recently, and here are a few sample shots. It was an entirely different experience than working with a female model. I just felt I was looking for different lines, and a different story. It was a quick shoot... completely impromptu, but I am seriously happy with my first attempts. I hope to do some more!

exposing big bodies (rob)

2011-05-13T11:11:00.005-06:00

Excellent short documentary of a painter. If I was to photograph big women, this is how I would want to do it. The documentary does an excellent job of explaining why it is hard to find big women who are comfortable with this kind of depiction of themselves... which is why it is easier to paint them, than it is to photograph them. A painting is in the imagination, you don't need a real participant, so no individual feels singled out and judged.

For some very provocative photography of big women, check out my favourite photographer;

Jan Saudek.

Thanks Jane for sharing this link with me!

Pay It Forward (Jane)

2011-05-06T11:43:00.007-06:00

First off, WHOOOOO!!! Last night was awesome, I don't think it could have gone any better, total success and I can't wait to share the pictures! Thank you ladies! I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls!

ahhh I have so many thoughts! okay I digress, Rob's challenge for me was to try and get a bunch of girls to come do a group shoot with me, not models, just friends or friends of friends, whatever. Alright, well Cousin will be in for sure; she already did one shoot with me and really liked it, and she has a friend who is willing and that friend has another friend who is willing. Awesome, 4 of us. I also have another friend who has seen the photos and thinks it's super cool and wants to do it. She also has a friend who I have met a few times who has danced her whole life and loves performing etc. who I thought might be interested. Not interested. Bummer, well I still have a total of 5 girls, not bad I thought. The week before, confirming with everyone, my friend chickens out and bails; Cousin's friend has a scheduling conflict come up and consequently we lost her friend as well. Now I start to panic, it's less than a week away and there are 2 of us! In this last week, I got a couple maybes, a yes, a yes that turned into a no because of their man, another maybe turned into a no because of their man, another 2 yeses, one yes turned into a no 2 hours before the shoot then turned back into a yes! Phew! It was stressful, but I totally lucked out and got 4 other beautiful girls to the shoot, relatively on time! They all had a great time, thanks to Rob for making everyone feel comfortable and at ease.

For those boys that changed their woman's mind to not do the shoot, this makes me so sad and slightly angry, and I am a really easy going person! This is something I think every woman should experience, ESPECIALLY if they have the guts to do it! I cannot even express how grateful I am that I had a push to get me to my first shoot. This is something I would have NEVER done on my own. I know Rob likes the nervousness because as adults it is rare when we get that feeling or do something that scares us. True, that is one of the reasons I did it in the first place, but now, not having that nervousness is something I truly appreciate. Not just in the studio; not having to change awkwardly under a towel in the women's changeroom at the gym, being comfortable enough in my own skin to walk from the bedroom to the bathroom without covering up is so liberating. Why you wouldn't want them to have that for themselves is beyond me! It is so nice to be rid of that feeling that you are being judged. So damn you silly boys, I hope those women read this and give it a second thought. Thank you to the person who gave me the push I needed, thank you to Rob for the wonderful idea and letting me pay that feeling forward, thank you to the wonderful ladies for giving this a shot. I hope one day you girls will get the opportunity to pay it forward as well.

Here's to the Pay It Forward Shoot! :)

Update (Jane)

2011-05-05T13:38:00.007-06:00

Just wanted to say hi and give an update of what I have been up to in terms of modelling.

Rob and I pretty much have opposing schedules which makes shooting difficult, but we did manage to work out a time at a convenient location that works well for both of us. Even though now we have shot there quite a few times, these shoots seem to give Rob the opportunity to work on different lighting and other photography things... Rob? Maybe you want to talk about this? I haven't seen any of the pictures from the last couple yet but I think the most memorable moment was when Rob asked me to be sexy... naturally, I fell over.

Mac and I haven't really done any nude shoots since the tandem shoot with my cousin, however, I did get him to do a clothed shoot for my sister and I so we have something to give to my parents for Mother's/Father's Day. This was a totally different experience! Not only did I have to think about what to wear, but I seem to be way more relaxed when I don't need to worry about what my face looks like! I get nervous and totally self conscious and awkward when I have to look at the camera! But it also makes me realize that that is something I want to work on. That's the point of all this right? To do things that you are totally uncomfortable with to get better at them and experience new things even if it scares the hell out of you? It is for me anyways.

It was also pretty intersting to see my sister at costume change time, with there being no change room in the studio. Me being naked in front of Mac and my sister many times before had no problems changing in front of them. Sister, however, was a little more shy with the "Is he looking?" and changing as fast as she possibly could so he couldn't get a glimpse of her naked body. BUT, that was me a year ago so who am I to judge!

Clever Rob decided to give me a challenge with a kind of social experiment twist. I like challenges, but this one proved to be more difficult than I thought. I thought I was doing awesome, then I thought I was going to epically fail, then awesome, then fail, now I think I got it together and am HOPING Rob will be pleasantly surp... not surprised, I can't find the word I am looking for... Happy maybe? The challenge shoot is tonight; I'll keep you posted.

February's Tandem Shoot (Karolina)

2011-04-26T11:25:00.004-06:00

Readers, I apologize for the delay in this post. I should have had it up within a week or two after the tandem shoot that Rob, Mac and I had in February. But life kept me busy and forgetful. Tomorrow, Mac will hand me a disc with all the keepers from that shoot. I can't wait to see them for the first time. Part of the reason why I haven't blogged about it is because I haven't even seen most of the photos yet. I will write an addendum after tomorrow, if necessary.

So for those who do't know about it, Rob, Mac and I shot at an indoor location in February. It was my first time meeting Rob, and I'm thrilled that I finally had the pleasure!! The plan for the shoot was that Rob would be photographer, Mac would be his assistant, and I would model. However, Mac ended up shooting just as much as Rob, and the two acted as assistants for each other.

The day started out mellow. Rob and I puttered around the loaction looking for props and attire that we could incorporate throughout the day. I was soon pulled away from this task by Mac who had been on his own scouting mission and discovered a disgusting stairwell... and I was asked to get in there and pose. Done! I got naked and started posing for Mac. Rob happened upon us and got his first view of naked Karolina. I must say this: I love the fact that I have grown comfortable with my nudity. I just met him an hour before, and was so comfortable with Rob walking into that stairwell for the first time.

And we were off. We shot for hours in this location using different rooms, props, lighting setups, etc. I was being posed by two photographers whose creative visions differ much of the time. Rob generally had the lead, as the original plan was that he was going to be THE photographer. Often he would set things up how he wanted, and ask me to pose a certain way. Mac would offer input and suggestions. At times I would shift or lay in a relaxing position that the guys liked, and we'd develop a pose from there.

The day flew by! Many times I felt a little overwhelmed when the cameras were on me. This is because I was in a precarious pose and had to take direction from two excited, camera-wielding characters. One example of this was on a windowsill. I laid on a freezing concrete windowsill, full of sharp bits of debris. It was slightly sloped and narrower than my body, so I had to pose gracefully while tensing, flexing, and holding myself up so as not to roll off. At the same time, I was very aware of the cars and pedestrians on the other side of the grimy window. Meanwhile, Rob and Mac were telling me to turn my head this way and that, point this toe, move this leg, etc. A couple of times I though I might fall off. I felt like I really had to rush and please both photographers simultaneousy at that point, but had one of the most limited poses and spaces to work with. It was a challenge physically and mentally, but as soon as I hopped down I started thinking of other things I should have done on that sill.

This tandem shoot was one of the most significant learning experiences for me thus far. It was the first time I shot under the direction of a photographer other than Mac. I consider myself unbelievably fortunate for the fact that both of these fellows are down to earth, good men with a great sense of humour. They also have a sense of adventure. These qualities are what make an amateur model like me feel completely at ease. Without their personalities I would find myself lacking a sense of adventure and comfort during a shoot. Basically, I could be asked to do anything (Mac: "Karolina, can you crawl under that bathroom stall, hug the toilet, and please point your toes?") and agree to do it. In this shoot I got to experience the styles of two different visionairies. There are so many things one can do with nude photography. They may have shot me in the same space, but Rob and Mac imagined totally different shots. Rob likes to incorporate material things into his photographs. We used clothing or accessories some of the time, or props like blankets and lampshades other times. I really enjoyed this because it gave me something more to work with. If given an empty square room and just my body I might feel limited. I am not experienced enough to always come up with a unique pose, and for that reason was excited to have "something" on me or in the space with me. It allowed me to think of ways that I might interact in that environment.

Watching Rob and Mac collaborate was another great learning opportunity. They truly do take what the other has to say into consideration, and work exceptionally well together. They were two photographers with one model to share, but were considerate of each others' time and visions. One would help the other fine-tune a shot, create the ideal lighting setup, etc. There were a few occasions when the two of them were engrossed in technical aspects of the shoot, and I was left waiting for them to figure something out. At one point I had Mac's iPhone and took a video of them working together. I guess it was the model's view of what goes on behind the scenes...

...On that note, I took a photo at the end of the day of Rob stuck in a stariwell. He tried to wedge himself in a narrow stairwell in order to get a good angle for a shot, and temporarily got stuck. I took the camera out of his hands and snapped a photo or two, then Mac and I helped him up. Funny.

Rob and Mac also share some similarities. One thing that they are both great at is flying by the seat of their pants and improvising. When I say that the plan for the day was Rob would shoot and Mac would assist, I mean it... that was The Plan. We all walked in together, we'd each seen the location at least once before, and generally knew what to expect. Otherwise, we were all free to do whatever. The guys were great at creating a pose from something as simple as me repositioning myself for comfort. At times I would be in an uncomfortable position and between shots would stretch out or curl up for warmth. Sometimes this led to inspired moments and more shooting.

I really feel like I need to see all the photos from that day in order to blog properly. It was long day, and (from my end) a busy one at times. I had to take in a lot of direction and find it hard to recall everything now. Seeing the photos will help me remember specific thoughts, ideas, or events from the day. I will likely be adding to this blog within the week, as Mac is giving me the photos tomorrow.

For all future models of Mac and Rob: these guys are amazing to work with! They are fearless and imaginative, and will inspire you to be the same if you already aren't. Their gifts to their model are open-mindedness, patience, support, and a sense of humour. A model's gift to them ought to be open-mindedness, a sense of adventure, limited inhibitions, and a sense of humour. I have never had a boring shoot, and will say that this tandem one takes the cake. I hope to shoot with both Rob and Mac again. I think it would be ideal to have a shoot with them and at least one other model. I have shot with Karen and Mac before, so had the experience of a two model/one photographer shoot. But I would like to shoot with Rob, Mac, and a model that has done at least as much nude photography as I have. I think it would be great to compare thoughts and experiences with an empathetic soul.

The spring and summer are upon us, and I am excited with the outdoor shooting possibilities. I hope to get "nekkid" soon and be asked to get into some dingy swamp or mud puddle, get bitten by a million mosquitoes, scrape off some layers of skin on sandstone boulders, and deal with whatever else mother nature and the photographers can throw at me.

Layla (Mclain)

2011-03-30T08:18:00.003-06:00

I had the extreme pleasure and fortune to shoot Layla while she is still pregnant. I have put together a gallery of the best images HERE. She is so fantastic to shoot with - I wish she was feeling better on our Vancouver trip as I would have liked to work with her more.

A couple of notes, I figured out how to get my landscape oriented images the proper size on my website. They are nice and large now - the way I intended them to be. I still need to update my maternity nudes to the new gallery format.

Also, our trip to LA to see Ryder from Torrid Art was a huge success. I think a great time was had by all and I will have some images from Ryder to post and talk about here in a little while. I think Rob and I have both made a friend with Ryder and look forward to seeing him again down the road.

Hahaha (Jane)

2011-03-23T09:34:00.004-06:00

Rob and Mclain on their field trip.

If I was in high school this is the type of picture I would tape to the inside of my locker.

Question (Jane)

2011-03-22T15:46:00.004-06:00

Rob and Mac,

How do you go about choosing which images you post on the blog and which images you post on your websites?

Photograph Format (Mclain)

2011-03-22T09:51:00.003-06:00

Article
Ryder over at Torrid Art made an interesting blog post about the orientation of a photograph i.e. horizontal or vertical. I thought his points were bang on and I generally shoot horizontal because the images fit computer displays much more naturally, but the trade off is less pixels on the model than a vertical orientation would deliver. I also try to incorporate much of the scene in my work especially my outdoor work and horizontal format works best for those compositions.

I am off to pick up Rob and then we are on our way down to LA for a few days to visit with Ryder. We aren't even brining cameras :-) I am sure we will post about our trip when we get back.

Field Trip! (Mclain)

2011-03-19T12:58:00.005-06:00

I was surfing the net one day a few months ago as I usually do in search of inspiration and things to look at and I stumbled upon a site called Torrid Art. Torrid Art is one of those commercial, nude sites that some people would call porn, some people call erotica, and I don't really know what to call it. Nude portraiture? I dunno. Anyway, the photographer is Ryder Aeden Perry and I was drawn to his work for its simplicity, lack of extensive retouching, and decent control of light.

I snooped around the site for a bit and recognized a few of my favorite models and decided to give Ryder an email introducing myself and if he would entertain the idea of me coming down and observing a shoot. Well, he was quite surprised that I would be interested in coming down to LA to see him and he strongly doubted that I would learn anything and that he would probably have more questions for me. So on that note, some more emails, and a phone call we had it all set up.

I was planning on going alone and didn't think to invite Rob because he has a lot on his plate and a new baby arriving around the corner, but he was more than eager to come so on Tuesday the 22nd we head down to LA until the 25th. We will get to chat with Ryder about his work and his process as well as observe a commercial style nude shoot.

I have been wanting to do this for a while now and actually contacted J. Stephen Hicks of Digital Desrire several months ago to see if I could come see him and observer a shoot or two and he turned me down due to him being so busy. I am not giving up on seeing him though...I really like his style and I will get down to see him one of these days :-)

This trip is going to be fantastic - a meeting of artists - photographers shooting different genres of the nude and from different countries getting together to discuss and share. Fantastic. I am most certainly going to attempt more of this sort of thing in the future (Michael Barnes of the Art Nudes Blog is on my radar for perhaps next year) and I hope the other parties are as warm and receptive to the idea as Ryder. How fun!

Lighting Setup (Mclain)

2011-03-17T21:32:00.002-06:00

Here is the lighting setup for one of the photos I posted below. I have included it again here with the lighting diagram. This is a very simple set up using a softbox and a reflector consisting of two pieces of 4'x8' white foam core taped together along the 8' length to form a "bookend". Most of my recent work is done with a single light and this reflector.

Two Models (Mclain)

2011-03-11T16:51:00.005-07:00

I photographed Jane and her cousin on the weekend and just finished up the images last night. I have been feeling a little more adventurous lately with shooting as I seem to be getting back into the groove again and I thought that a challenge was in order. And what better way to challenge myself than to shoot two models - twice the usual problems to solve :-)

Jane happily volunteered and recruited her cousin to come along. For me, shooting to models is challenging enough and throwing in a new model just ups the notch one more on the challenge scale. I decided to stick with a set that I have been currently playing with so that I was at least confident the lighting would be acceptable and I knew that things would turn out OK as long as I could come up with compositions for the two of them.

I seem to be stalled in a classic, painterly phase in the studio these days which tells me it is really time for a shake-up in my studio. I have all my seamless and background support packed away so I am just using the space I have and my canvas drop cloths. However, my place is for sale so I am not overly concerned about the studio simply because outdoor shooting season can start as early as April here and when the house sells I'll be looking for a new place anyway. Rob and I have briefly discussed perhaps tracking down a decent space that we can both share to help keep costs reasonable.

We both shoot out of our garages, mine being 28'x32' and Rob's being less than half that size (I don't know how he does it!) so we don't exactly want to spend a fortune on a place. That being said we don't really have other expensive hobbies like golf so we can justify (in our minds at least!) a small monthly expense to indulge in our passion for photography. We might even entertain bringing in another photographer to help with costs. A large co-op type thing is certainly not on our radar though.

Anyway, here are some of my favourites with Jane and her cousin. I was going to do a video showing the retouching of an image from this session, but I totally forgot. I'll remember to do that next time!

Strippers (Mclain)

2011-03-10T09:07:00.002-07:00

So Rob and I went out to shoot some arrows last night - that's me in action. After we were done with the shooting of arrows we headed over the the peelers for some beers and I have just one question: for the love of Christmas, why can't strippers dance?!?! I would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the matter :-)

Hi! (Jane)

2011-03-06T22:05:00.007-07:00

I am very excited to be the model for this year of The Raw Files. I have been very lucky to work with both Mac and Rob on a pretty consistent basis for almost a year now! I enjoy working with both of them because they are very different and I learn different things from both of them. Although, I think I am constantly learning and improving as a model during every shoot, I still feel like I am on a different journey with each of them, which I believe is the main premise for the blog this year. I do feel some pressure being the only model though! I have some beautiful ladies to follow and writing has never been my strong point!

Speaking of this year's past models - Layla, you are a stunning pregnant woman! Congratulations! Karolina, you beautiful, brave, and maybe a little crazy model! lol I can't believe some of the disgusting places Mac asks you to model in... on...? Serious kudos to you! I have also really enjoyed your posts over the last year, and if you are going to continue on your modelling journey and you would still like to meet other models to talk about our experiences, I would be more than happy to meet you!

I am going to try and post after every shoot, but would really appreciate feedback and questions from anyone so it doesn't like feel like I am talking to myself all the time :) Starting with my shoot today! I did my first tandem shoot with Mac. And who better to do a tandem shoot with than your confident, adventurous, beautiful cousin! It actually wasn't uncomfortable or awkward at all. The process was a little slower with 2 models, and it probably didn't help that Mac wasn't feeling 100% and I am a little sick, but it was still a fun experience and I'm excited to see how the pictures turn out.

Since I have combined my intro post and my tandem shoot post I thought I would include some of my favourite photos from this past year. I'm terrible at picking favourites, but I will try to just pick a couple.

welcome jane! (rob)

2011-03-04T17:57:00.005-07:00

Mclain and i were out for dinner the other night with our wives, and we were discussing this project. i was happy, impressed and surprised when Mac let me know the number of hits we get to the blog, and we discussed how to continue to keep energy in the project. we came to the conclusion that one of the main things that we feel makes this project unique is attempting to share the models perspective. it continues to prove difficult to motivate 2 models to blog regularly about their experience and perspective, but we are determined to continue to try. we have toyed with a few ideas, including not having a dedicated model assigned to the project, but that just spoils too much about what makes this project unique. so, we decided to try for this year, to share one model between the two of us. two photographers, one model! genius! twice the perspective on one model gives you two unique vantage points and comparison points of how to approach art-nude photography. it also gives us only one model to motivate to post on a regular basis.

so, that being said, let me introduce jane! both Mclain and i have worked with jane in the past, and have a great rapport with her. she is excited to be a part of the project, and we look forward to working with her. with only one model, we hope to show you a bit more of the behind the scenes. one idea we have is to document each other shooting, and posting that for you.

so please take a second to give a warm welcome to jane in our 4th year of 'the raw files.'

(the images posted here are some shots jane and i have done in the past)

Goodbye Lala (rob

2011-03-04T17:51:00.003-07:00

well, it's the beginning of a new year at 'the raw files.'

so, it's time to say goodbye to last years model. layla, you were amazing, but you went and got knocked up, so it was bound to end soon anyway!

it is rare to find a model as lovely, both inside and out as layla. layla found out she was pregnant just prior to us leaving for our trip to vancouver island, and still came with us. she was a real trooper, and i am so happy to have become her friend. i am also incredibly grateful to get to document her first pregnancy, and all the joy's to come (she's assured me i can anyways!)

thank you soooo much layla... it was truly a pleasure to work with you on this project for the year!!!!!

rob

tandem (rob)

2011-02-25T23:39:00.004-07:00

Mclain and I did a tandem shoot with his model, Karolina. The concept of the shoot, as I explained briefly in my last post, was that I would photograph, and Mac would post process them. Of course, I could have predicted that Mac couldn't
abstain completely from shooting... but he controlled himself reasonably well! It was a very fun project, and completely in line with what the Raw Files has always strived to do; challenge us, deconstruct the process, and expose that process to you, our audience. We plan to do a bunch more concept shoots like this, and tonight, over cheesecake, we discussed a few ideas to revive this project, and inject the passion that we always intended it to have. Thanks to everyone who still reads here, despite our low posting rate... it is a challenge to keep energy in a project like this, and we appreciate that you stick with us.

Anyhoo... these are the shots that Mclain decided to keep for me. There were a few shots I hoped he would keep, and he did, which is interesting that what I saw translated to him. Mac's wife made a comment that, as she peered over his shoulder, that many shots out of camera, she could not distinguish between who's shots were who's. That's interesting, as we both feel we have very distinct styles. This leads me to think that, as we both collaborated on the set up here, we are both looking for the similar things when it come an intriguing subject to shoot. Our post processing techniques are quite different, however, and Mac uses some techniques I do not, and vice versa. I actually mostly enjoy Mclains choices here, but seeing as I was not a part of his process, I cannot know if I would have made the same ones. That is for a different project.

Mac... I am IN LOVE with the close-up shot of you peering into the mirror with Karolina's legs to the side. Nice choice to keep that one!

the return of shelby (rob)

2011-02-22T21:17:00.004-07:00

Shelby is back from her worldly adventures. I am super happy to have her back for my camera. Here are some shots we did the other day. As usual, shallow depth of field, fabric and hot lights for these. I also did a bit of a sepia overlay technique in Capture NX... I am happy with the results. I simply used the colourize tool, then brought the opacity down, and chose overlay. I am typically not a big fan of sepia's, but I do enjoy them here.

Mclain and I did a tandem shoot today. The concept was that I would be the primary shooter, and Mclain would do the post processing. It's tough to give over your images completely to someone else. I can't even review them to choose my favourite. There may be, somewhere on the memory card I gave him, the best image I have ever taken in my eyes, and he may move right past it, and delete it.... it'll be interesting.

Don't Forget the Modelling Light (Mac)

2011-02-07T08:14:00.004-07:00

I had a fantastic shoot with a lovely lady yesterday - my best shoot in a long time - over 40 keepers. I was completely relaxed and we just played. I used my 85mm f1.8, my 50mm f1.4, my 20-700mm f2.8 and my 24-70mm f2.8 lenses and I would have used a Lensbaby if I had one! We started out with some head shots she needed for modelling purposes and we then played around with strobes as well as using just the modelling lights which were used to light all the accompanying photos today. I have used modelling lights in the past with success and usually when I want to use a slow shutter speed to capture motion, but I was inspired by Rob's regular use of hotlights to give it a go. All these photos where shot with the 250W modelling lights on my White Lightning strobes either in a 30x60 gridded softbox or a bare strobe with 40 degree grid. So if you have a decently powerful modelling light on your strobe by all means give it a try as a light source. You may be surprised at what you can do with it.

Nipples (Mac)

2011-02-01T11:36:00.004-07:00

Article

Really? Nipples? For the love of Christmas, there are six billion or so people on this planet and unless missing by some freak accident or birth defect we all have nipples - that's a whole lot of nipples! Some 12,000,000,000 nipples. WTF is so secretive about a nipple? Nipples are more common than their owners. What is so special about Kim's nipples that she is so ashamed of? Unreal. Put on your big girl panties back on - literally - and grow up, Kim.

layla preggo (rob)

2011-02-01T10:54:00.002-07:00

Well,

Layla got pregnant, so I had to take some pics. Here they are. Beautifully posed... Layla, as always, makes my job easy. I can just focus on worrying about photographer stuff. I plan to have her back again in my studio for at least one more prenatal, and hopefully a few post-natal as well.

My thoughts on Mac's last... (Karolina)

2011-01-24T00:42:00.004-07:00

Only you know when the time will be right to shoot again. Creativity cannot be forced, nor treated like a chore to grin-and-bear. In doing that, one risks losing the art and being left with just that: a chore.

Since I've known you, you've been a photographer who is a bit of a perfectionist in some ways, an adventurer in others, and a dreamer most of all. You have and continue to research various forms of photography, nudity, creativity, etc. I've seen you strive for originality, controversy, beauty, and much more.

I understand the internal struggle for releasing what is brewing inside you. It's only a matter of time, personal reflection, and growth that will someday let it out. When it does it will hit us with a force like no other. You are beyond talented. You need access to new settings, and you need a muse.

In the meantime, Mac Swift, you continue to be someone that has inspired me. I was oblivious to the shell I was in, but you helped me come out of it. You've taught me about freedom and discipline, and the fact that they often go hand in hand. You taught me to be uninhibited. Because of you I appreciate my own body more.

Every artist experiences a rut at some point. Writers battle writer's block. Painters stare at blank canvases. I look forward to your lightbulb moment, and I sincerely don't care if I am on the receiving end of that flash. Your photos are worth patience.

Hope you're doing well out there, friend :o)

Inspiration (Mac)

2011-01-04T19:16:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year!

Jimmy D has an interesting post over at his blog pondering whether or not inspiration comes to us like magic from somewhere outside ourselves or is built into each and every one of us and merely the act of doing is what leads to inspiration. Jimmy puts forth a summary of "shut up and shoot" to describe the idea of getting down to work and see what happens as far as inspiration goes.

I like that idea in theory and subscribed to it for quite a while, however, I am now leery about that model simply because I seem to be stuck in some sort of creative rut and "shutting up and shooting" expends an enormous amount of my time and energy to create the same old - no thanks. In other words, the act of simply doing is not inspiring my creativity these days.

So we are left as Jimmy points out in a quandary of just where does inspiration come from? I think it comes from different places at different times and is different for all artists. What once inspires no longer does and perhaps something that one wouldn't even dream of being a source of inspiration becomes one. It could be a new retouching technique, a new location, an image, a song, a person, a new lens. All sorts of things can serve as the spark of inspiration which is why I always try to keep my eyes peeled for something that draws my attention that I can draw from.

I am still stuck with my work, but I am in the middle of trying to change up my studio space hoping the change will be spring some creativity out of me and I am sure it will - once I get off my lazy ass and do it! The list of models is piling up for gals wanting to shoot with me, but I am busy with my regular life (and being lazy) so my hobby will just have to wait until I am good and ready ;-)

The Perfect Woman (Mac)

2010-12-16T10:57:00.005-07:00

Here is a link to a very interesting article showing the extent of retouching Playboy uses to create the perfect, fantasy woman - as if these models weren't perfect to start with. There is quite the hubbub beginning to brew over the extent of retouching these days with things like this going on around the world.

from the cold (rob)

2010-12-11T17:34:00.002-07:00

just a quick update. still plugging away at life, and stuff.

i just went through a major photography crisis, with the release of the new pentax645d.

i was extremely tempted by it... looking to get a machine that could get me some unique details.

one of the reasons i shoot nikon is because i am not interested in the pixal war;

however, there are some instances when more pixals is important.

there are thousands of posts on this topic, so i won't ramble on.

needless to say, i decided in the end to wait it out.

prices will continue to drop, and i am not near rich enough to be dabbling in that end of the spectrum.

anyway,

i am happy to say that i got to use my warehouse space again.

i am really really happy to have a dungy concrete space again to hang out.

here are a couple quick samples from my shoot the other day, with a model mac and i have known for years, and a male model who i convinced to help out.

rob

How can it be November already?? (Karolina)

2010-11-19T04:38:00.003-07:00

I need to blog about a thousand things, and don't know where to start. I NEED to shoot. I'm sure I mentioned before that the process of standing bare in front of a man with a camera has become therapeutic for me. I haven't had a chance to express myself in such a long time and am about to spill over.

My last shoot was months ago, and since that time I have discovered a couple of things about myself. One, that I am a glutton for punishment, and two, that I make unwise decisions often. I do not learn from my mistakes like a healthy person ought to. I have been through some rough patches since the spring and summer, and have not had an outlet for my pent up frustrations, hurts, joys, whathaveyou. I hate to say it, Mac, but I feel like I need to use you. I need to take control of myself again, and to do that I need to take away everything and be exposed. Like a reboot.

Most people feel vulnerable standing bare naked in front of someone else. I feel more safe while naked in front of Mac and his gear than I do clothed and cocooned in life's mindless regime. This is probably because in that moment, IT IS WHAT IT IS. There is no acting, nobody I need to impress. Mac has seen me in all my grace and glory. There is nothing to hide.

I have no direction at all with this blog post. I hope Mac and Rob don't get ticked off, but I'm basically venting in a haphazard way right now. I know we all have our problems, and I've had mine too. People have recently decided to play darts with my heart. My brain needs a rest. My coping mechanism became working out, and I fear I abused my treadmill.

Mac, I hear your frustration with amateur models. We've had this conversation before, and I understand where you're coming from. I sincerely hope that you find a professional model who you are compatible with in all the ways necessary to produce great art. In the meantime, I am an amateur who is willing to do her best in front of your camera. My best may not be what you're after at this point, and this scares me a little bit because I don't want you to stop shooting me. I never feel disappointed with you or the photos we produce. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off and bring our new motivations along. It sounds like you've done some soul searching and growing recently. I have too. I wonder what breaking this hiatus would result in...

Whew! (Mac)

2010-11-10T16:42:00.004-07:00

Well...I have been hibernating for a few months and I have not been feeling very creative lately. Several reasons factor into this I think and I won't bore you with all the details. I have been laying low trying to figure life out and where my personal photography fits into my life's current situation.

I think I am a little burnt out and I have touched on this notion a little bit in previous posts and I think it boils down to expectation and pressure to produce decent work on a consistent basis. Some of this pressure is self imposed, some of it is perceived, and some of it is real.

I would like to try shooting models that have something to show me rather than me carrying all the load. I would like to just sit back perhaps create a lighting scenario and just have the model express herself for me in her own way. I will then just capture what she gives me. Maybe it is a portrait, maybe it is a figure nude, maybe it is gorgeous and sexy, or maybe it is raw and ugly. I don't really care as long as I am not in charge of it. If it fails then it fails and that is OK. I am always afraid the model will take my disappointment and/or failure personally so I never really let go when I am working. I think it takes a very special model to be able to understand an artist and really be connected to the work and be able to let everything go. I yearn to be OK with failure as I am sure there is peace in the acceptance of failure. Perhaps I am just nuts.

I am drawn lately to photography involving emotive and expressive models - women that have a message or a feeling to convey. Something very real, personal, uninhibited, confident, selfless yet self-full, and tangible. Are these the qualities that separate professional models from "regular" people? Maybe it is time to try a professional model. Perhaps I have a distorted perception of these qualities and I am muddying everything up in my mind. I don't know. I just know that I have not been inspired to create for several months now and I need to step back and breathe for a bit - find my groove again. Though I wonder if my passion is lost within me waiting for me to find or is it perhaps waiting to be brought out by a model that can be the spark that lights the fire in myself by digging deep within herself. Who can do that? I don't know. I just hope I will recognize it when the situation presents itself and be present enough to just let creativity happen.

the fashion end (rob)

2010-10-26T22:14:00.003-06:00

so, my fascination with texture has moved me steadily towards more fashion-y kind of shoots. today i rented out the basement of an old warehouse, and scrounged through a bunch of old vintage clothes and accessories to create a fashion shoot with me as the designer and photographer (i was gonna model too, but that will have to wait til another day). basically for this shoot, i really spent time on bringing everything together.

i used lighting as often as i could, to separate the background with it's own light, and to give the model rim light when i could as well. the post processing focused on balancing out some of the background light, if it was too hot on one side, primarily through dodging and burning. i of course, touched up the models with the basics; dodging and burning, portrait filter, patch tool, and some sharpening - specifically the eyes.

can't wait to get out shooting in more unique indoor locations, and exploring strange fashion some more.

i also plan on working on portraiture of artists over the winter. just clean lit portraits of some interesting people....

gotta do something to make it through our winters!!!

rob

Me (Mac)

2010-10-12T13:35:00.004-06:00

Not much going on with my personal work these days. I haven't really done anything since our trip to Vancouver in August - lots of weddings and family portraits but no personal work. I am in a huge creative funk these days. My studio is all packed up since we are trying to sell our house and the outdoors is going to get too cold and unpredictable. I think I am going to reclaim my studio space though as I think the house is going to be on the market for a while.

So for fun I thought I'd post some photos of me doing my thing. Kursten snapped the one above and the one of me in the waterfall during her time on The Raw Files and Mr. Rob gets credit for the others.

Great Businesses (Mac)

2010-10-07T08:13:00.004-06:00

I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Shai, the inventor of the Spider Holster, for an hour yesterday. He called me inquiring about how I use the holster and if I am having any problems with the camera on my left side - apparently there are some people who can't seem to be able to use Nikon cameras hanging on the left. I guess the problem is coming from the fact the the pin that sits on the bottom of the camera sits further away from the edge of the camera when used on the left side than it does when used on the right side. I don't seem to have a problem but I do point the lens forward instead of backwards because the shutter release bangs up against my leg and I end up taking random photos of the ground if the lens is pointed backwards - no big deal.

I was extremely impressed with Shai for taking the time out to call his customers in order to improve his product. How many companies out there do you know of where somebody, let alone the owner, calls his customers to discuss the products in order to find ways of improving them? I don't know of any. Shai is clearly in the minority with his business practices for example, there were apparently a few people who had the latch on their belts suddenly release and the belt and camera found themselves on the ground. Shai made the decision to send out a new belt, free of charge, to people that had the original design (which I am still using by the way with no problems).

Shai also talked to me about how the quality and longevity of his product are important - they are made to last. I find it so refreshing that there are still some people out there that reject this notion of planned obsolescence in product design and manufacture. Shai is even working on user replaceable components should they wear out from heavy use. No cheap, disposable junk here folks.

I have been using my Spider Holster for almost a year now and it is still better than sliced bread. Shai has a bunch of accessories now as well as some innovative new products coming down the line. I have no doubt that with Shai's attention to quality and customer service he will find great success amongst photography professionals and those of us that appreciate high calibre, functional products. Thanks to Mr. Rob for making these photos of me at our last wedding gig.

quickie (rob)

2010-10-06T22:54:00.003-06:00

still plugging away at the same style for now.

I have tried a few other fabrics strung up as a background, and am finding nice success there.

I picked up another hotlight, as I want to be able to pop a little bit of highly focused light into the models eyes using some of my photography grade high tech tin-foil and gaffer tape. I also picked up a whole shwak more vintage clothing, and a vintage wedding dress to cut into pieces and create more accessories. This is a new model I worked with for the first time... Nicole. I was very pleased with her look, and her energy, and look forward to working with her some more!

That's it for now.

rob

keep on trucking (rob)

2010-09-25T19:30:00.004-06:00

So, things are trucking along well with the new wedding business. A couple weddings under our belt, and things are moving closer towards a seamless process. I finally enjoy shooting weddings again! Just like we predicted, the ability to slow down a bit, and take a breath, makes for higher quality images, and a much more enjoyable experience. Mac is putting his tech-savy brain to the test to try to figure out how to use lightroom to help make the post-processing as streamlined as possible, including fabulous things like putting all our images together based on time signatures.

As far as my personal work goes, I have been pushing into some interesting areas for myself. As I have said numerous times, I enjoy textures in my work, and have recently upped my arsenal of hot-lights, which has excited me very much. I have also been playing with fabric, by draping it behind the model - in front of my seamless paper to try to create some texture on an otherwise drab backdrop. I use my extra light stands (now that I have 'retired' my strobes, I have a bunch kicking around) to stretch the fabric out, and hold it up. Easy peasy.

I also experimented with putting some more transparent fabrics in front of the model, to see what that did... playing with the literalness, and depth of field of a photograph.

I am a FAR cry from being done playing with this process, and have no idea where it will lead me, however, I am happy with it so far. Still lot's to learn.

For these shots, I was using a very top heavy light orientation, with a light to either side of the model, pointing away from the back drop to create some rim-light/ side fill. As the hot-lights have little in the way of modifiers, I bought some photography grade foil, and gafer tape, and have made snoot/barn-door type adaptors for next to free with them... they work great!! Especially seeing as the foil is flexible. I have lot's of ideas as to how I can manipulate the light with them.

The intention is to see if the texture, depth of field manipulation, and not using a fully nude model can help create a different kind of mood in the image; something more than just light and shadow can do. At this time it is a playful experiment.

rob

Is It Just Me...(Mac)

2010-09-19T16:29:00.002-06:00

or do 99% of the Lightroom presets out there make most images look absolutely garish and generally like shit?

New Monolight on the Horizon (Mac)

2010-09-16T18:12:00.004-06:00

Oh, boy, do these look exciting - so very exciting! I can imagine they are going to cost an arm and a leg though.

Click here for info.

Don't Forget Your ISO (Mac)

2010-09-14T18:52:00.003-06:00

When it comes to controlling exposure shutter speed and aperture immediately come to mind as the go to settings. While ISO influences exposure as well it is usually a distant third choice and generally thought of for use in low light situations. However, ISO has other uses beyond the usual low light task it has been frequently assigned. With many of today's cameras such as Nikon's D3 and D700 the grain or noise introduced at higher ISO settings is becoming less of an issue. I routinely shoot as high as ISO 1600 without a worry and coupled with Lightroom 3's fantastic noise removal tools I feel very comfortable going to ISO 3200 when the need calls for it - usually very low light situations.

Going beyond the typical low light use of ISO you can use it in other situations to improve your photography. For example if you were shooting a couple with a telephoto lens say 200mm or 300mm a decent shutter speed of at least 1/250th or preferably 1/500th (yes, many telephotos have VR, but I will always choose a faster shutter whenever I can) and an aperture of f4 or even f5.6 would be prudent if you were planning on getting both people in focus especially if their faces aren't on the focal plane. Now let's say these these are the settings you want to ensure the above qualities are achieved but you are now left a stop or two under exposed for your light conditions. By remembering that you also have ISO at your disposal to control exposure you could bump up a stop or two to gain correct exposure while not having to sacrifice a deliberately chosen shutter speed and/or aperture.

Just some food for thought as I routinely choose a fast shutter speed that allows me to hand hold and get sharp focus and often an aperture with a decent depth of field to ensure my subject matter is in good focus and then I adjust my ISO as required if I am left under exposed by my chosen shutter and aperture settings. It is one thing to make a correct exposure, but if focus or depth of field goals aren't met as well we are then left in a compromise. The better cameras' high ISO performance and Lightroom 3's noise reduction now offer photographers even greater control over their exposure choices with less reason to have to settle on a slower shutter, faster lens, or the good ol' tripod just to get the exposure right.

Practice Makes Perfect (Mac)

2010-09-13T19:18:00.009-06:00

Like I mentioned in my last post I was really going to focus on using available light in more of my work and true to that statement I have begun doing just that. The accompanying photos were from a couple's portrait session from yesterday (we are shooting their wedding this coming Saturday) and I used a mix of straight ambient light as well as some using ambient still as a main light source just enhanced with off camera speedlights. I am very happy with these images and the couple is overjoyed with them. We feel we did a great job capturing them in a manner that they felt comfortable and natural which is sometimes a difficult thing to do especially when the guy doesn't like being photographed - which in my experience is most of the time.

These first three photos were made in an old out-building with the main light being provided by the windows. The images of the two of them had just a touch of fill provided via SB-900 in a shoot-through umbrella triggered with my SU-800 and Radiopopper.

The next two photos were made with just the available light:

These next two (left and below) were exposed for the ambient light and because the dark tones of the clothes blended in with the dark tones of the trees I added an SB-900 to camera right with a Justin Clamp to a tree and triggered with my SU-800 and Radiopopper to give some separation to him while the sun provided the separation light to her. The Radiopoppers performed very well and thankfully because I was shooting from a distance and down at the bottom of the cliff they were on. I really didn't want to have climb up and down several times to adjust the light - being able to adjust the light from my camera is a lovely thing.

some news (rob)

2010-09-13T09:43:00.002-06:00

No pics I want to post today.

But I do have some info to post.

First,

Mac and I decided to open up the Blog to be posted on by all our models. We are getting close to entering our 4th year (OMG!), and have found every year that it is very difficult to keep models motivated to post, and stay involved. This is fine, as life is life. We are just privileged to work with these amazing people. We still want the models to post, so we will allow all our models to post if they like.

We have also decided to attempt to make projects for ourselves to work on. Something to focus our energy on.

For this one, we are attempting simply lit portraits.

We are also trying to arrange a gorilla portrait session in downtown Calgary during lunch hour. Doing portraits of complete strangers will be interesting.

I recently picked up a bunch of vintage hats that I want to incorporate into my shots, as I want to focus on portraits all around.

I hope to get some work done to my studio soon - especially for the winter... I want desperately to get away from seamless paper if I can.

Mac and my journey into shooting tandem weddings is coming along nicely so far. We have our new logo picked, our website url purchased, and our first wedding behind us. Second wedding this Saturday. I am excited.

I had a thought the other day about art.

If you look at art made in various genres - one art genre where you can see very dramatic growth in people- is in music bands. If you look at some of your favourite bands, and compare their first albums, to their later ones, only 10 yrs later, many of the examples of growth are staggering.

It got me thinking; why such dramatic growth in some of my favourite bands?

I think the answer is; in bands, there are many band members, constantly jamming and interacting and challenging each other. I think this stimulates a great deal of growth. I think 'The Raw Files' project is Mac and my band, where we do this for each other as well. The more we challenge each other, instead of trying to learn in a vacuum, the better we can become.

rob

Available Light (Mac)

2010-09-10T22:04:00.008-06:00

I made these headshots with nothing more than the light on a cloudy September afternoon. We were standing in a huge parking lot with nothing but me, my D3, my trusted 70-200 f2.8 and my lovely model. On this particular session I wanted to get out and play around with my speedlights a bit, but ended up getting frustrated with what I was doing with them and I wasn't terribly happy with the resulting images so I put the damn things away and just used the available light. The clouds created a massive flood of soft light all around and the asphalt parking lot, despite being a somewhat dark surface, still reflects a good deal of light as you can see by the catchlights in her eyes and the lack of shadow under her chin. That grey line behind Andi's head is actually a road and a patch of grass along side it - got love the 70-200 f2.8 shot wide open at 200mm!

I have tended to shy away from using available light since the early days of my photographic career (the long four years ago that I started! LOL) and especially with the glut of information and photographers using speedlights and other strobes in their work. I shot my last wedding with nothing more than available light and a reflector and you know...I was quite happy with the work and it was a load off not having to screw around with lights, modifiers, batteries, Radiopoppers and Velcro. I am gaining a new appreciation for available light as I struggle to find my style and my photographic voice and I am going to make it my task to get better at identifying good light and making the most of it. I really enjoy the freedom a cloudy day affords me like not having to wait for flash recycle times and just focusing on catching moments and expressions that are often missed whilst waiting on or otherwise fiddling with lights.

I have used window light before and quite enjoy it, however, I find that the position of the window relative to hideous backgrounds often dissuades me from seeking out windows to use. I am going to start seeking out windows more often and learn to deal with distracting backgrounds instead of shying away from the opportunity to use available light. I have also shied away from available light because of my perceived lack of ability to control the light which I am learning through looking at photographers who use available light is much more an imagined limitation than a real one. Ultimately it comes down to practice. Getting out there and actually trying, learning, retrying, and figuring it all out. I am sure many of you are slapping your foreheads and saying, "Duh!", but sometimes I think this stuff should just come naturally and for me it just doesn't.

I spend countless hours looking at images, buying books, etc. and not near enough time actually shooting, however, with a family, a job and other commitments curling up at night with a laptop or a book is a much easier thing to do. How's that working for me? Not nearly as well as actually getting out there and shooting. I need to get out and shoot more i.e. practice more.

One Location Two Looks (Mac)

2010-09-03T13:41:00.011-06:00

Here are two images taken at the same location but with two different looks. This first one is available light (the bright, setting sun) with the exposure set to correctly expose the model's left side and the second photo is using a studio strobe with a bare reflector as fill. In the first image I really wanted to emphasize Jessie's amazing curves against the blue sky and by choosing to not use fill flash and exposing for the sunlight on her left side I was able to draw attention to her shape.

For the second photo, her pose didn't leave much of a rim light from the sun so she was essentially a silhouette as you can see in the photo below. This photo was taken to determine the ambient light exposure to which I would then add my fill to. The decision for the ambient exposure was based on retaining detail in the sunlit water. Had I chose to retain detail in the trees the water would have been overexposed and made for a very distracting bright section in the image. I was then very careful to add just enough fill to keep her skin tones rich and colourful to match the mood of the sunset. If I had used too much fill the image would have looked very artificially lit which is something I wanted to avoid here.

While it may be obvious to some photographers to try both the ambient light and flash while at the same location to vary our images it may not be apparent to some or, as quite often happens, we simply forget to turn the lights off and see how the available light will influence our work or vice versa. I have a busy weekend ahead with a wedding tomorrow with Rob (our first wedding together as Swift Caleffi Weddings), an engagement session Sunday for a couple that are getting married on the 18th which will be our second wedding as Swift Caleffi Weddings, and a family portrait session on Monday. Until next time...

West Coast Trip 2010 (Mac)

2010-08-30T16:10:00.005-06:00

Well, I am all done the post work from our BC trip. Here is a link to all the photos including some behind the scenes images. I have also included a video of me working on the very last image of the trip. So if you have 20 minutes to sit and watch a guy clean up a ton of dust spots from a VERY dirty D3 sensor click here.

mish mash (rob)

2010-08-28T22:23:00.008-06:00

I appologise... I have no idea how to move these pictures around... they go randomly, and I work with it.

not a lot to say this time around... but a bunch of shots to post.

first, i have a couple to post from our trip to the west coast. it was such a great trip. (bottom 2 shots).

on friday, i went out to kananaskis country to do another shoot with Kailie. i enjoyed it a lot. (middle 2 shots) however, it got me thinking... i enjoy and appreciate that softer style of shot, focusing more on soft lines, and beauty, and definitely want to work on it some more... finding my 'voice' so to speak with that style... as I feel it is a very important style to work on. however, at this point, i think i enjoy shots more like the shot i got today (first shot here).

to me, it has more of a story to it. i still enjoy fabric, and expression, broken lines, atmosphere, and interesting bodies. even in my last shot posted here... from the coast... the body is a bit more harsh and broken, and the lines a bit punchier... or something.

i would love to hear thoughts on this idea, if anyone cares to start a dialogue.

i am a bit tired, and can't bring my brain to say anything more intelligent at this time. sorry.

thanks.

rob

Photography Trip 2010 - West Coast (Mac)

2010-08-19T19:57:00.016-06:00

As Rob mentioned in his last post we headed out to the west coast of BC for some shooting and it was a blast. The photo above was shot at Shannon Falls in Squamish on our first day and the other photos in the post are behind the scene shots on Gabriola Island. I came away with 35 or so keepers, but nothing really earth shattering as far as my personal, artistic growth is concerned. I was expecting a different environment - more rugged coast lines - and we found the coast of the mainland to be mostly inaccessible from the ground and any place that was accessible was too heavily populated. A rented boat to travel up the coast and to the many islands would have been the thing to do.

We shot around Squamish for a bit on our first day and decided fairly quickly that it was not going to work for us so I called up Michael Barnes of the Art Nudes blog as well as Dave Aharonian who were both very helpful in pointing us in a general direction. I have been a long time fan of Michael's blog and what he does for the art nude community and some of my work takes a great deal of inspiration from Dave's incredible environmental nudes so it was a real treat to be able to talk with these guys and have their input. Thanks so much guys!

We decided to take a ferry to Nanimo and then over to Gabriola Island which turned out to be the right thing to do. While the coast there wasn't what I was hoping for it was much more suitable than Squamish or the mainland. We arrived on Gabriola Island only to find that there was anywhere between two and four weddings going on depending on who you asked and that accommodations were scarce to say the least. We literally phoned every B&B and inn on the island and there were no rooms available. On what was our last call we phoned a place called The Haven and they had a perfect room for us - two single beds and a queen. Awesome. It was the first night I slept in two nights of the trip. I highly recommend staying there if you are ever over on Gabriola Island.

Here is a retouching video of an image from the trip. I hope this video is much, much better than the last one I posted and I apologize that it is 45 minutes long...time flies when one is having fun!

Click here for the video.

And this is the final image:

And a couple more from Shannon Falls in Squamish:

go west! (rob)

2010-08-18T21:02:00.003-06:00

we are back from the west coast.

what a great trip! i personally had an absolute blast. it was great to get out in the beauty of the western canadian coast, with some great weather, and great people.

i will be uploading some images from the trip very soon, but here is a little teaser... showing some behind the scenes shenanigans.

rob

Retouching Session (Mac)

2010-08-06T17:39:00.007-06:00

I thought I would put up a video of me retouching a photo so you can see what I do and get a small feel for my thoughts as I retouch a photo. I apologize in advance for the tiny video and for my sniffling - I should have blown my nose before putting the camera on! I have been so busy with weddings lately I have had no time for my own work. My regular models must think I have fallen off the planet. I have a wedding tomorrow and then off to the coast of BC next weekend with Rob and two models for 5 days and then back for two engagement sessions and the last two weddings of the year - been a busy summer!

Here is the image I was working on in the video:

and another version I was happy with:

Art Nude Models (Mac)

2010-07-20T17:03:00.006-06:00

I just received my spring edition of Carrie Leigh's NUDE and it has a section featuring one of the finest figure models working today, Sarah Ellis. Sarah, one of my long-time admired models, is an incredibly talented individual whose work comprises everything from fashion, to classic figure nudes and erotic work and just about everything else one can think of. In the interview, Sarah explains what for me is the essence of a model, "If I respect a photographer's work, I will be completely naked for them. I will bring up whatever emotion, take on whatever shape, to express their idea in physical form. I can cry, I can feel deeply hurt or angry, I can be aroused or ecstatic. These emotions are directed to the camera, and I can turn them on and off at will, but they are still real and compelling in pictures. it's scary to show that kind of vulnerability, but it's something that I've grown to really enjoy."

Sarah continues with her thoughts on being a muse, something she admits is "a little scary", "A muse is someone whose physical qualities, movement, and expression are compelling to an artist. Sometimes what makes a muse so compelling is her openness. She may be like a mirror for an artist - showing him or her a self-reflection, or what the artist wants to see about him or herself. Sometimes the muse is beautiful, representing an ideal - the way the artist would like the world to be. There are so many qualities that can define a muse. I think the crucial thing is that she is aware of those qualities and willing to share them."

Beyond near physical perfection, Sarah and those like her, are much more than just mere subjects in front of a camera for the photographer to mold. A great art nude model poses as an expression and extension of herself and her art - she does exactly what Sarah mentioned. I hope to one day have the good fortune of being able to work with Sarah as I have never worked with a professional art nude model and I am very curious to see how a model like Sarah would impact my work. I am forever grateful for my regular models and all that they have done for me - I would have nothing if it weren't for their patience and willingness to pose for me, but I think I am soon ready to try working with a model who makes her living posing for art nude photographers. I just need to come up with some $$.

Natural Light (Mac)

2010-07-15T21:24:00.007-06:00

I wanted to share some images with you from today showing an incredible bit of fortune and by fortune I am talking about gorgeous light. I was blown way by the quality of the natural light on today's shoot with another new model - particularly the color images. The light is very soft and directional which is, for me, an amazing thing to have happen. We were in a valley and the sun had just disappeared behind some clouds which provided the lovely soft fill all over, but the directionality to the light was coming from the open end of the valley to camera right which was acting like a massive softbox. I have never had the luck of such beautiful, soft and directional light like this before. It is just too bad the the model was half frozen from the water and we had to call it quits. The black and white images were lit from soft, cloud-diffused sunlight coming from above except for two that were made in the valley with the directional light...I'll let you figure out which ones those are :-)

simple props (rob)

2010-07-14T22:51:00.005-06:00

I very much enjoy using simple props and fabrics in my shoots. In my modest opinion, photography is already a very very literal art medium. Painting and music can be quite subtle, and open to interpretation, which draws the audience in to find meaning for themselves. A photograph is an exact replica of that which the eye sees. Many photographers use very precise props, that leave little to interpretation. For instance, many use things like weapons (crossbows, swords etc) - or mainstream outfits such as lingerie or bathing suits. I enjoy using props and fabrics that deviate away from concrete interpretation, or what you might see everyday. I feel this has the effect of drawing the audience in to take what they choose from the image,

not what I demand of them.

and that's all i have to say about that.

rob

Black & White or Color? (Mac)

2010-07-14T10:39:00.005-06:00

I was sifting through my web site yesterday as I am preparing a major overhaul and I noticed that I have far more color work than black and white - interesting, I thought to myself. Many art nude photographers shoot strictly in black and white, strictly studio, strictly abstracts, etc. judging at least by their online portfolios. I on the other hand tend to shoot a wide range of things from classic figure work to edgy and provocative - color and black and white.

I certainly love black and white images, but I have a disproportionate amount compared to color and I am not sure why. Some of the places I shoot have such beautiful colors I think it is a shame to lose them by going black and white. I think the color can add to the overall scene I am photographing and if the colors are important enough or lovely enough I just can't make myself go black and white. I also think some images don't lend themselves well to black and white, in my eyes anyway, because they are too flat and end up being more grey and grey than black and white. I dunno.

My last shoot, posted below and throughout this post, I actually set out to do the whole think in black and white - or at least my slightly warm toned version - and it was hard! The colors of the trees and creek were amazing and really lent themselves to creating very painterly images. Alyssa is quite tanned and the warm tones of her skin looked so beautiful with the greens and blues of the scene, but I stuck to my guns and created black and whites.

Do I regret the decision to go black and white instead of color? I don't think so. I am very happy with how the lack of color focuses the viewer's attention on the model since she is now generally the brightest object in the photograph and the eye is naturally drawn to the brightest parts of an image - one reason I am so careful not to blow out highlights. I think a color image would have had an entirely different effect by drawing attention away from the model and to the overall scene in general. This isn't a bad thing - just different. I think the scenes were probably not interesting enough to play a major role in the image so nothing was really lost by going to black and white and the images are probably stronger as a result.

Anyway, enough of my inner ramblings :-) As I mentioned above I am planning a major overhaul on my website and I am thinking about joining the rest of the world and creating a flash based site. Many people are on high speed connections now and can take advantage of the richer content. Now, I generally despise flash sites because they are too "flashy" with too many bells and whistles which make the site load slowly or a nightmare to navigate. I think I have found a design which is very simple, elegant, easy to navigate and gives a little bit more flare and action than my current html based site.

I am also going to be more choosy with the images I choose to display and I may break my work up into sections based on the year the photo was made as I am getting an awful lot of images in each category - 200+ so far in each of my nude categories! Some of those photos could probably be cut as they aren't all that great. I often post images that are not the best examples of my work but because they mean something to me like reaching a certain technical milestone, a certain retouching method I learned, or for no other reason that it just jumps out at me. I think in order to grow and get better I need to display my best work and be more choosy about what defines that. I also want to display my photos in a larger format. Right now they are 450 pixels high and the site is designed to fit nicely on a 13" Macbook, but many people have much larger screens and there is a lot of wonderful detail in my work that is not coming across with such small file sizes.

I imagine this redesign will take quite some time so I will whittle away at it over the next few months and hopefully it all works out and shows my photography in a jazzier, more interactive sort of way. I am also thinking about dropping my portrait and beauty section since I don't think most people are interested in seeing head shots of random people and since I don't shoot them for money it is not like I need them displayed for advertising. I will probably drop my family and children work away as well. I will add that work to my wedding site which will also be getting a major overhaul soon. I am also mulling the idea of being more proactive with selling my work. I have sold a few prints and I like knowing that people are enjoying my work hanging in their homes.

Mental Fog (Mac)

2010-07-11T12:57:00.006-06:00

I feel another photographic funk coming on. Every so often I get into a spot where I am frustrated with my work for one reason or another. I really need to stop comparing my work to others :-) I will be without a studio soon (we are planning on moving), several weddings coming up, a not so great shoot last week, and just busy with life in general are probably all conspiring to snuff out my creative flame as of late.

I am just minutes away from heading out to the Sheep River area for a shoot with a new model and I am hoping to be able to relax and just let the images happen. I am going to bring my camera, one lens, my tripod and a light meter and go all natural. I so very often feel panicked when shooting and I feel like a fog comes over my brain - almost like an out of body experience - and I can't focus on what I am trying to achieve. I don't like it. I think it has do with feeling obligated to get some material for the model as well as not wanting the model to get too bored or physically uncomfortable in a given situation if I were to take my time and really suss out exactly what I am trying to achieve - if I even know what that is. I often feel rushed and confused - mentally fuzzy.

This feeling I am attempting to describe is so hard to put into words, but it drives me nuts and I experience it on almost every shoot. I have often thought that perhaps paying a model for her time would alleviate the problem by taking my mind off capturing enough material so the model gets something at the end of the day, but I am really not sure that is the answer. I may just start telling my models that I am going to start focusing on producing better work, more thoughtful work, better lit, and better composed and by doing so we may not get any images at all from the session. They will need to be OK with that, but then I'll probably feel bad that they drove an hour to see me and got nothing for it which leads me back to paying the model for her time.

Perhaps I need to find a very, very local muse? Someone that lives five minutes from me that can shoot at the drop of a dime and that will work with me for hours on one image or theme until we nail it and not care if we don't. I don't know what the answer to my issue is...maybe I need to see a shrink that specializes in art nude photographers and our neuroses? LOL Well...I better go load up my gear and get ready to shoot. I'll post the images, if there are any, when I get back.

As promised....here are some of my favorites from today's session with Alyssa. These are all natural light images as mentioned above...just me, my D3, 24-70mm f2.8, my tripod, and a fantastic overcast day :-)

aduro podcast (rob)

2010-07-10T10:44:00.003-06:00

I had the pleasure of taking part in a photography podcast yesterday - hosted by "I am Aduro"

http://aduro.podbean.com/2010/07/09/raw-twisted-rob/

Aduro's photography page:

http://www.aduro.ca/

and his wife has a modeling company for Calgary:

http://www.armana.ca/

I think it went very well.

Here is the direct link to the podcast:

http://www.podbean.com/podcast-download?b=187863&f=http://aduro.podbean.com/mf/web/vpqetw/20100709-I_Am_Aduro-Episode_32.mp3

I Have a $5,000 Camera Cuz Why? (Mac)

2010-07-06T21:13:00.005-06:00

I came across a cool video from the guys at Fstoppers showing what can be achieved with very minimal gear. This is perfect for those of you gear heads out there that think you must have the best gear in order to make great photographs and if only you could get that next "thing" your work would be sooooo much better. These guys show entirely otherwise. I am really tempted to shoot some nudes with my iPhone :-)

compare -if you dare (rob)

2010-07-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

one of the great things about this blog (amongst many) is the ability to share ideas, and opinions.

i made some teaks to my image at the damn, and if you feel compelled, i would love to hear feedback about preferences between the two images, and your rationale.

the main difference is i did some dodging and burning, and gradient mapping (to create more impact in the whites and blacks).

around alberta with speedlights (rob)

2010-07-03T10:38:00.002-06:00

i had recently acquired a new SB-600, and some more of the older model pocket wizards (to supplement the ones i already had).

i quickly realized during this backyard shoot with layla, that;

a) not only can you not sinc an SB-600 to a pocket wizard (i already new that),

but you cannot sinc an SB-900, and also use it as a master to trigger the SB-600's.

so, i used what i could in the backyard shoot with layla, but the shoot was kept short, as it was primarily an equipment test - getting ready for b.c. (layla and i both confirmed!)

in this shoot, i was using 3 off camera speedlights, triggered by my on camera flash as commander. pretty simple glamour kind of stuff, but essential equipment testing experience.

typically i have used only natural light in my portfolio work outdoor, and only supplimented with extra light in my wedding shots...

however, this summer i will be attempting to use speedlights off camera as often as i can with my nudes.

so... yesterday, i headed back to 'the camera store' (www.thecamerastore.com) and exchanged my sb-600 for a 900. quick and easy (the camera store is the only place i shop in calgary (i receive no extra perks for posting this).

i exchanged them while i was on my way out to a paid shoot yesterday.

i brought along one of my other regular models as an assistant, as she is also interested in fotography.

the shoot was out of town, and we decided to leave early to scope out some new summer locations to shoot, and re- try out some of my new equipment.

on our adventures, we came across this lovely damn.

again, i was unable to master firing two SB-900's for this shot, (the uber importance of trying out new equipment before 'the big day)

but i am quite happy with the results using only one speedlight with radio trigger.

for my outdoor nudes, i will be primarily focusing on attempting to create fine-art landscapes, with a model as a piece of that landscape. i will be looking for landscapes with fine details that completely dominate the picture, and clash/compliment the soft lines of the model. i think i will primarily be working in a b&w format, unless there is something truly interesting about the colour. yaaaa summer. for this shot, the speedlight is in my hand, being held to the right and top of the frame. i am using a tripod (always) and a trigger. the tripod i have is able to have it's legs folded over, and i can get the camera to literally touch the ground. i slowed the shutter down as slow as i could to get some blur in the water, which is a long used, and fantastic technique for creating mood in water scenes. it's easier if the model is in a very comfortable position, so she does not move.

Kursten is Back! (Mac)

2010-06-25T18:09:00.016-06:00

I shot with Kursten, my Raw Files model from our first season, the other day so I thought I'd share some images as they came out of the camera and as I decided to finish them. Hopefully Karolina and I will get to shoot sometime next week :-) Rob and I are also planning a trip to the Sunshine Coast in BC for several days this August with Layla and I will be bringing my long time muse, Jessie. Jessie and I did a trip to Cranbrook last year here is a link to those photos. We are thinking of making this a speedlight only trip so we will be leaving the large strobes at home. I am a little leery about that idea since studio strobes are more versatile in terms of power, but speedlights travel so easily and it is a good opportunity to challenge ourselves. I have used speedlights on a number of ocassions for my nude work so it is not like I will be fish completely out of the water. Anyhoo, here are some photos of Kursten showing the original as-shot images and my final work:

The backgrounds on the next two photos were cleaned up & extended using this technique.

AC Power for Speedlights (Mac)

2010-06-14T09:24:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to an AC power source for your speedlights via Jimmy D's blog. It is about time some one came up with an option like this. Come on Canon/Nikon...why does a third party have to come up with highly useable accessories for your speedlights? Get with it.

I'm alive! (Layla)

2010-06-09T00:37:00.001-06:00

Well here I am finally! I’ve had such a busy couple of months just like the rest of you; I finished up a semester of school, went to Phoenix and have been working and volunteering lots. Hopefully the summer will be more relaxing!
Rob and I were able to shoot last week which was great. I have been reading the last few posts about relationships and it got me thinking as well. More specifically, it got me thinking about our last shoot. Let’s put it this way, I would ever in a million years let anyone put paint into my hair or be doused in baby powder without having a big freak-out session first. I’m quite protective of my face and hair you see…(well, who isn’t?) but I didn’t have any hesitations when we did all that for the shoot. I just kind of went for it and didn’t think about it twice and I think it all has to do with my trust in Rob and respect for his art! I agree, there certainly has to be a huge amount of trust between the photographer and the model, especially in nude photography. As Rob said, we definitely have a good level of trust and respect between us which is crucial to the work we produce. I know for me personally, a sense of humour is very important as well which Rob has plenty of! (That must be where my silly faces come from, haha) I can come off as being quite conservative in my daily life but it’s quite liberating to be in a place where I can let go in front of a camera and not worry about how everything looks and just being able to get messy.
I’m also learning to do some more “awkward” poses which can be difficult as we are so used to posing “pretty” when out and about. I am seeing now that being able to be “awkward” means to bend and position your body in what feels like some VERY unflattering positions. In our last shoot, I also figured out some ways of making some intense facial expressions which felt unfamiliar to me but was interesting to explore none-the-less.
I’m dying to get outside for some shoots as is Rob I’m sure! Haha, I think we are babies when it comes to shooting in chilly weather (well I am anyway!) On that note, I am very impressed with Mac and Karolina getting out there in the cold and getting some really beautiful shots. Also, great video!

High Speed Sync (Mac)

2010-06-04T18:36:00.012-06:00

I photographed a brother and sister today as a very late gift for Mother's Day and I took the opportunity to put the lovely young gal out in my field of dandelions before it gets mowed. I wanted to use f2.8 on my 70-200mm which is my absolute favorite setting shooting portraits of pretty girls out doors, but with an ambient exposure of 1/3200 it would mean I could not use studio lights for fill. The sun was high and in the left of the frame (as evident by the slight hot spot on her shoulder and foot) and I had her brother hold an SB-900 modified with a medium softbox just at the edge of the frame camera right (you can see the catchlight in her eyes) triggered with just my SU-800 as the batteries in my Radiopoppers where dead.

This image was shot at f2.8 and 1/3200 shutter speed. By using the high speed sync capabilities of the speedlight, I was able to crank my shutter speed fast enough to allow me to shoot wide open for that lovely shallow depth of field. I have included a few versions of the image for you to look at.

The first one is straight out of the camera:

This is the final, retouched version:

And here is an unsharpened, 100% crop of the finished photo so you can see just how sharp an image can be at f2.8 when you nail the focus:

You may notice some stray hairs on her teeth and such that I didn't retouch and that is simply because those hairs aren't visible at the printed size or normal web viewing size - I have better things to do with my time :-) Even though a 12mp camera gives you tons of detail you should always consider the output size and purpose of the image before getting crazy with your retouching - you can save a ton of time retouching not needing to get at every last pore and eyelash. I also chose not to neutralize the yellow cast from the dandelions I think color ads to the airiness of the image. If you think she looks jaundiced - let me know ;-)

The Old House & Studio (Mac)

2010-05-31T17:54:00.002-06:00

Here is my first video shoot of a photography session. Please excuse the quality as I have no idea how to shoot or edit video, but this at least gives you a glimpse behind the scenes of one of my shoots. I hope you enjoy.

Back in the Swing of Things

2010-05-30T13:00:00.006-06:00

I am feeling yesterday's shoot... such sore muscles. However, 100% worth it! It was wonderful to get back to shooting after that hiatus. Mac and I started out in the studio and experimented with various props. I am usually more comfortable posing without a prop,but in this case it worked. I was blindfolded for part of the shoot, and the only difficulty I ran into was adjusting my pose. For some reason, having no sense of vision totally robbed me of my ability to differentite left from right, front from back, and Mac's directions in general.

I enjoyed the shots when Mac was focusing on an object closest to the camera, while I was posing and out of focus in the background. While he was dealing with his technical details I was trying to think of a pose that would look interesting in the background. I normally LOVE weird abstract poses, but in this case I thought feminine and natural would be best. My fave from that set is different from the one that Mac posted, so here is instead:

My favorite part of the day happened outside the studio. We shot in a pair of abandoned houses. The first looked like something out of Cops episode: dingy, cold, wet, littered with junk, and generally gross. But it was so much fun in there! I agreed with Mac about it being a location that we could think about and return to. It was so littered with potential that we were both overwhelmed. One hindrance was the lighting and physical space. Mac had a hard time shooting some spots in the house because there would be a window giving too much light, or an awkward space for him or I to work in. He could have used a wide angle lens (haha) and some lighting equipment. One really cool spot was a narrow staircase leading up to the loft. It had some potential, but Mac did not have much room at either top or bottom for himself, and it was not well lit.

One of the best parts of shooting in that filthy house was the fact that I got a little filthy too (in more ways than one). I did get a bunch of dirt on me which ended up workin in our favor for the bathroom shoot. Mac also decided that we could change our normal theme of pretty, feminine, and painterly to a little more edgy and risque.

The best photo of the day was in an empty tub in a disgusting bathroom, dirty feet, and suggestive pose. I want to do more photos like this, Mac! I don't really want to delve into erotic nudes, but the hint of erotic is great. It opens the door for me to try more poses. If trying to achieve the pretty curvy graceful pose, a model is limited. Legs are almost always together. Back is arched and never slouchy or humped. Posture is of utmost importance. But having a chance to let loose, sit like a slouch instead of a lady, sprawl out, and put my hand on a part of my body that I never have before in our shoots is amazing. I loved the freedom. I am not a girly girl, and this was the first time I have shot with Mac when I felt free to play around; too bad I was so overwhelmed and cold. In his last blog, Rob talked about incorporating facial expression to the pose. I agree with him; I think a face is sometimes an integral part of the photo. I would like to explore this more myself, and shooting outside of the graceful pose would help me. My face does not do "pretty" very well, but I can express emotions, and hope for an opportunity to do so.

I am attaching a couple of photos that I think are really cool, but that did not make the website.

Lensbaby and the Nude - Revisited (Mac)

2010-05-30T12:11:00.005-06:00

Our shoot went well yesterday and we came away with some good stuff I think which I'll post about later in a special Raw Files first. Today's post is about using the Lensbaby for nudes. I made a post ages ago here about using the Lensbaby and I haven't used it since that post until just recently. I have an older version called the 3G, I believe its called, and I think I am going to upgrade to the Composer simply for the improved ease of use I think it will offer especially when shooting from a tripod - sort of set it and forget it type thing. The 3G is a lot like the Control Freak, but I just have no patience for tweaking the little knobs and screw things.

I am really starting to enjoy the dreamy, painterly images that the Lensbaby produces even though I am sure the effects could be reasonably duplicated in Photoshop. However, I prefer the Lensbaby because whenever I can achieve a desired effect in-camera with lens choice or lighting I will always opt to do it in camera - it saves time.

All of the accompanying images today were photographed with the Lensbaby and using only the modeling light from my strobes and in some cases a white reflector and, of course, a healthy dose of retouching. I like to use the modeling lights because it allows me to use a slow shutter speed which helps in the blur department by introducing a bit of camera shake and I can shoot very quickly without waiting for my lights to recycle while I move the Lensbaby around trying to nail a focal point in the image - a lot of hit and miss.

Professional Photography (Mac)

2010-05-29T08:45:00.003-06:00

I just woke up and I am sitting here in bed trying to balance my wife's huge HP laptop on my lap as I post this. I would normally use my 13" Macbook for such endeavors, but since my two year old knocked my coffee cup and it spilled all over the keyboard the machine will no longer run on the battery. Calling this computer a laptop is stretching things a bit.

As I was coming out of my morning mental fog, tossing and turning, and thinking about my shoot with Karolina today I was also pondering a shoot with a little boy that I have to do soon and that got me thinking about making money from photography. While I shoot five or six weddings a year and a handful of family and children's portraits I don't generally pursue photography in a more professional capacity and I have pondered a few reasons for that.

I have observed that many of the working professionals out there with blogs often post less than stellar examples of their work. While these guys certainly know their way around a camera they don't always produce amazing photographs and that got me thinking that maybe the ability to produce awesome images every time one picks up a camera isn't necessarily required to make money with a camera. I certainly have the technical skills to produce great photographs though probably not as consistently and in any given situation like most pros can do - which is an important ability to have, but not the most important especially when trying to capture a subject's personality.

I think the most important skill in being a successful, professional photographer is the relationship the photographer has with his/her clients. The ability to make them relax and be perfectly natural in front of the camera is key. Headshot photographer, Peter Hurley, does an incredible job at this. Me, on the other hand, not so much and it doesn't help that I look somewhat like a Hell's Angel member. If there is one area in my photography that I struggle with it is making people relax in front of the camera. I am not talking about my nude work, but commercial type portraiture, headshots, etc. and this is what prevents me from pursuing more paying portrait work.

Don't get me wrong, I think I am a nice guy as do most of my models and I think my kids like me ;-), but I just don't have that knack for the small talk that puts people at ease and allows for great photographs to be made. I have been told many times that I am very intimidating when people first meet me so much so that at gatherings people will avoid me as told later when they get to know me. The problem with all of this is that first time clients don't get the time to know me and thus the images we make tend to reflect their discomfort. I can generally manage to capture a few acceptable images, but not the great images that many of the pros out there manage to create and I attribute that to a personality much better suited for portrait photography than I probably have. I seem to make people nervous and nervous people don't photograph well.

So while I think that my lack of confidence in being able to technically produce quality images in any given scenario plays a small role, though less and less as time goes on, in preventing me from seeking out more paid work the real clincher is my poor ability to get people to completely relax and be themselves. I think a successful portrait has to capture the essence of the subject's personality and be interesting as well as have strong technical merits. There are photographers out there who have amazing interpersonal skills, but their images are technically awful (I think this group makes up a large percentage of working photographers today), there are those with the opposite problem like me, and then there are the amazing, successful professionals who have mastered both.

studio depth of field (rob)

2010-05-27T15:33:00.003-06:00

long time, as usual since my last post.

been excruciatingly busy. but such is life.

a quick comment on mac's last blog. i certainly agree with his statement about finding a connection with a model. art nude photography is best when there is a connection between the photographer and the model. the connection is one where one member of the relationship is being asked to be incredibly vulnerable; physically, and hopefully emotionally too. in a situation like that, there needs to be a lot of respect and trust. this seems obvious to me, but i agree with mac.. many think my work is pornography. i disagree with mac, though, in that i do believe that there can be sexuality in art photography, and still have a relationship of trust and respect. i would add a 3rd element, maybe. one of seeking a connection with your audience based on respect. if that 3rd element is missing, that may be a cause of pornography. hmmm, just thinking out loud.

anyway, i certainly have a relationship of mutual respect with Layla. i am noticing something else with her, though, that i am very very pleased with. Layla has a very fantastic desire to experiment with her poses. she is not self conscious about pulling silly looking pose, and really goes for it. more than that though, is that Layla is able to emote with her face. that is soooooooooooo unbelievably rare in a model. i have worked with countless models who i respect and made great work with, but whose ability to take risk, or have an understanding of what i am seeing ends at the neck. to have a model who is willing to pull a funny pose, & a funny face is truly exciting for me. as you can see with these images, there is a story in the face.

for these shots, i have been playing with using hot-lights again lately. i started photography years ago using hot lights because they are cheap. i have gone back to them because i can dial down to f1.4, and create beautiful depth of field. i placed the hot light to her left top of the frame, parallel to Layla. behind her and to her right of the image i used my strobe dialed all the way down with a snoot attached to create some rim/spill/hair/whatever light. for these images, i used white paint in her hair, oil on her skin, and we laid her down and doused her in baby powder.

after the shoot, i worked on the pictures, and she likely spent a good hour in the shower!!!! i love messing with my models! but i am extremely happy with these images, so it is worth it. to my eye, they have depth of field, good use of light and shadow and interesting composition. they also have a captivating model, using great awareness of body posing (but not predictable) and emotion/story to the face. i also used a tripod and trigger.

as a photographer becomes more aware of how a photograph tells a story, we add more layers to our images.

at this point in my photographic journey, an image like these has a large majority of the quality layers that i know how to add.

i expect to add more as i grow.

Relationships (Mac)

2010-05-26T17:55:00.001-06:00

Sorry for not posting for so long. Life, you know? I have been busy with my job, my wife has been working late and gone on weekends which leaves me to shuttle the kids around and whatnot, as well as tinkering with my other blog. Karolina and I are finally getting together on Saturday - rain or shine - which brings me to the topic of this post.

I have, or at least I like to think I have, a special relationship with a few of my regular models - Karolina being one of them. From our first shoot I felt a connection with her and in this post I am going to attempt to put that connection into words to help those of you that have never experienced an artist-muse relationship.

I have been abundantly fortunate to have a few very special, artist-muse relationships - probably more than my fair share. I am not talking about merely getting a girl naked in front of one's camera a few times, but something much deeper - profound, if you will. While I respect all of the women who pose for me and I always strive to produce good work, my muses, or regular models, are different.

These women share my passion for art nude photography. They love the process, the laughs, the hard work, and the resultant imagery. And for me, that reciprocal passion is vitally important. One of the reasons I don't seek out new models on a regular basis is that I seek to develop that relationship of sharing in the passion for the work. I find working with new subjects is often sterile as far as that connection goes and I believe it takes several sessions to determine if there is indeed a potential for a deep artist-muse relationship as opposed to a fleeting "thing".

I have profound respect, admiration, and gratitude for my muses. They allow me to be with them in state of being that the majority of our society deems private - sacred. I respect that belief for the most part insomuch as our society has made people ashamed of their nudity. I am humbled that these women share their bodies with me for the sake of my photography and those that understand and appreciate the nude human as a subject of art.

My work and relationship with these women is far more sophisticated than I imagine most laypeople would understand. In our culture of automatically associating sex with nudity many people don't have the capacity to understand an artist-muse relationship. I can say until I am blue in the face that I have no sexual motivation whatsoever, but in our society where nudity/porn is a billion dollar industry it is a tough sell. I am fortunate I have a supportive and loving wife and models that have evolved to understand that a separation between sex and nudity is possible and indeed a reality.

Even though I don't see many of my muses regularly when we do get together for a session we click. We pick up where we left off and it is always good to see them. We continue to explore art together with me behind the camera and them sharing their bodies and spirits with me in the hopes of creating compelling and beautiful images. Karolina holds a very special place in my heart as one of my special muses and regardless of how long we go without working together I will always welcome her and look forward to our shoots with a sort of tranquil yet excited anticipation.

Blog about not blogging... (Karolina)

2010-05-02T10:46:00.003-06:00

Well.... I am just as guilty as the rest of us for not blogging. My apologies. Seems that just as the grass starts to grow, so does our personal workload. I texted Mac today about shooting this Friday, but no can do. We will keep trying to match up our free days, so stay tuned for more photos; I promise they are coming. (FYI, I am such a school nerd that I will be busy until December. I have decided to fast track my degree through the summer and graduate early. So... busy busy, but as of New Years I'm all yours Mac!)

Despite not shooting and blogging, I have not been totally lazy. I am still perusing nude art all the time. I am becoming more and more obsessed with the vintage pieces. I like the quality of the photos, the models, etc. I think the works from the 20s and 30s were stellar! I had hopes to go see the Nude Art exhibit at the Glenbow, but sadly missed my chances to do so.

Yesterday, I went to Fair's Fair (a used bookshop) in Inglewood. I was there for such a long time because I am a giant nerd. I want to read everything... Anyway, I found my way to the shelf with photography. I noticed that at the very top of the bookcase the top shelf was dedicated to nude photography. I set down my pile and began reaching for a book. I was too lazy to get a stool. Of course, half the shelf of big, heavy, hardcover books fell literally on my head. I even said "Ouch!". I found myself rubbing my head, surrounded by a dozen books with naked people and words like "Erotic" all over the pages. Apparently this was nude and erotic photography. What makes this embarrassing is that there was a man with a little boy right beside me. In his concern, the man came over to help me, son following. The commotion also brought a male staff member running over. I stuttered and quickly put the books back up. The men who came to help acted awkward. The little boy was oblivious. All I could think was "Man, Mac would get a kick out of this." Anyhow... this might have been funnier to see than read about, but it is the only blog-worthy story I have right now.

Here are my plans for shooting with Mac:

#1. SHOOT SOON! we will find time...
#2. I recently cut my hair pretty short, so find a way to make that look "flowy" and "painterly" (both words used excessively by Mac)
#3. Shoot in Maligne Canyon in Jasper

Hopefully the other duo is having more luck in shooting for Raw Files. I look forward to continuing on :o)

advice (rob)

2010-04-03T13:49:00.003-06:00

A nice set of rules, and advice from another blog I stumbled upon.

I have to say I agree with it all;

http://prettygirlshooter.blogspot.com/2010/01/10-pretty-girl-shooting-suggestions-for.html?zx=728a740a62b0c07c

bad bloggers (rob)

2010-03-31T21:59:00.002-06:00

we have all been slacking! I for one have been. 70+hrs a week will do that to you.

well, today is no different. I have nothing special to post.

I finally got the mounts for my elinchrome barn doors. I will never purchase another product from them. They are far far far too expensive. White lightning is where it's at. Inexpensive, well reviewed, and well made. AND... fantastic, prompt customer service.

The weather is starting to change finally. I can't wait to start shooting outdoors. I have discussed with Mac about getting out to the junkyard again. I have some ideas brewing in my head about that.

Still focusing on the details in my shoots. Using a tripod, prime lens, trigger, and moisturizer for the skin. I have a few things I want to try with that as well.

I also have an idea for a train tracks shoot I want to try... thank god for summer! For those of you who don't hibernate all winter... it sucks!! I hate it. It has got to be one of the most draining things in the world. Especially with a very young child. There is very little set up here for young children to do all winter... so you sit in your house and rot!

Summer is life. Gotta move somewhere warm. I want to go back in time, and punch the pioneers in the nuts who settled here. Come on!!! after one winter back in the 1800's!!! are you kidding me!!! this was your promised land?!! It is gorgeous in the summer.... but anyone who claims to love the cold is out of their fucking gourd!!

later

rob

Color Space (Mac)

2010-03-18T11:53:00.000-06:00

Color space is something I struggled with for a few years and I have recently made a final decision on. I have decided to shoot in sRGB instead of Adobe RGB and I don't even look at ProPhoto RGB since nothing out there can display the amount of colors so what's the point? I read some articles here and here along with many others that lead me to me decision of using sRGB.

While Adobe RGB has a wider color gamut than sRGB, mostly in the cyans and greens, I decided that since a) I shoot naked people which don't have a lot of those colors present, b) the vast majority of my work is displayed on the internet where sRGB is still the standard, and c) my print lab wants my files in sRGB that I would just set my camera to sRGB.

As noted in the second article above I want the most amount of information to be given to the colors that are present in my images. Adobe RGB spreads the available data across a much larger space and therefore leaves you with less data to make up the colors and transitions between colors that are present in the image. Also, by shooting in sRGB I don't have to convert my files before saving them as jpegs for display or printing...just one less step in my workflow.

As a side note, I also do all of my post work in 16 bit to, again, maximize the available data in my images. You can read more about bit depth here and here. Working in 16 bits allows me the room to make larger tonal adjustments and still have the image hold up.

Tips (Layla)

2010-03-17T18:03:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! So here I am…the grass is finally growing sideways, haha. I know all about the winter blues, it’s so hard to shake off! I’m definitely looking forward to spring/summer and everything it brings, especially for the Raw Files.
I really liked our last shoot; we didn’t have anything particular on the agenda. I just bought over some funky clothes…different colors and fabrics. It’s kind of funny we ended up deciding on the striped one-piece suit. I got it from American Apparel a couple of years ago, not really knowing what it would come in handy for. They have many other unique outfits like that; the only downside is that it’s on the more so expensive side. The other minor but in my opinion a very important detail is adding copious amounts moisturizer to my skin! Rob has a bottle mineral oil in the studio (which freaked me out at first, haha) but it’s actually the best in giving my skin that healthy sheen for the photos. Regular moisturizer just doesn’t do it in this dry cold weather and my skin can end up looking quite dull.
I’m looking at some of Mac’s multi-model shoot photos and am blown away! It must be so difficult to pose people like that without everyone falling over, but the results are amazing! Rob and I have been talking about doing some work with other models down the road…I’ve never done that before so it will be a whole new learning experience. I think I’m going to be a lot more self-conscious…guessing that’s pretty natural?
Also, if there are any other "tips" that anyone can share to help a model out pre-shoot, please feel free to share, thanks :)

Just a Post (Mac)

2010-03-17T14:10:00.004-06:00

I have been a naughty blogger as of late. I am in my usual winter funk which renders me lazy and apathetic to the goings on of a great many things - including the Raw Files. Karolina and I were supposed to get together this afternoon, but she went and sprained her ankle so that has put her out of commission for a while. We are going to try on Monday if I am not too busy with work.

I worked with a male model for the first time last weekend. I was very happy with the work we managed to create. I paired him with Karen, one of my semi-regular models, just to make things harder on myself :-) I am really getting into shooting multiple subjects as of late despite how incredibly difficult I find it. Posing one body is often a challenge and posing more than one certainly doesn't make things any easier, but I welcome the challenge and inevitable frustrations.

These are a few photos from some sessions from the last week or so and I am working with a brand new subject on Saturday morning...looking forward to that. I am also looking forward to this year's outdoor shooting season which I hope will begin in early April.

the little things (rob)

2010-03-10T16:18:00.003-07:00

Mac and I were talking today about what we do when we are feeling a bit blah. Winters will do that to you. Mac doesn't mind going out into the cold to shoot, but I hate it, and I can't think properly in it. What I have been doing is focusing on the little things. The technical details. This shoot was very simple. I used a fixed focus lens (50mm 1.4) and a tripod and trigger, and I didn't move my camera more than 6 inches up and down, and 2 feet front to back. Lighting was mostly up nice and high on both sides to the front, but I used a rim light for a few too. I made sure Layla had moisturizer on her skin, and one simple outfit. The result is really nice, clean crisp shots, full of personality, and nice light.

Speaking of personality;

why don't models ever post? I think Layla is fantastic and she knows it... but getting models to post is like getting my grass to grow sideways. I think Layla is too busy being pretty to make the effort. Layla, get over yourself... seriously. You're actually not that pretty! People just tell you that because you have a fragile ego. Sorry to burst your bubble! So stop staring at yourself in the mirror, and post something. :)

rob

Lessons (karolina)

2010-02-17T14:16:00.005-07:00

Well, I have taken a few days to try to organize my thoughts about Mac's and my last shoot. We shot on the 13th, and did location and studio. I was very excited at the start of our day because it was one of those with incredibly dense fog. We drove around for a long time chasing the fog and trying to find a photo-worthy spot, but were running out of luck. We did try shooting in a running creek. I was perched on a large log hanging over the water and ice (I think it was an old bit of beaver dam). No keepers from that spot because there was some ugly background, and Mac could not get himself in the right position/angle. He also said he needed a tripod. I can't say I expected many keepers from that one because I knew the scenery behind me was ugly, and I was pretty uncomfortable. Highlight of that one was Mac almost losing his truck keys in the creek! haha Also, I am glad to say I finally got my naked tush in some icy winter water (well, up to my ankles).

We shot on a hill with a tipsy tree. That was pretty neat, but Mac made a great point that we could have shot that one in the spring or summer. There was no snow anywhere nearby... Still, we got a good shot out of that.

As we were heading back, we encountered another thick fog patch. Since all the land around us was private property Mac had me pose in the middle of the road. And my favorite photo of this year so far was born!! Simple.. just me sitting on the yellow line, looking into the fog ahead. The only hard part here was the road itself. It was clear of snow and ice, but my feet were numb within a minute, and the tiny gravel bits felt like razors. I did my damndest to put up with it for Mac. I even trekked back out there after 2 cars went by (Mac has a humiliating photo of me trying to run for cover... I wonder if he'll post it).

We finished shooting in studio. Simple stuff with a beautiful trunk.

The best part of the day was what came after the shoot. Mac allowed me to sit in while he went through all the photos, made selections of the keepers, and took me through the editing process. This was invaluable!!! Thank you Mac!

I discovered that something as simple as cropping a photo can be unbelievably challenging. The fave I posted below took us ages to crop. Each option made the photo feel completely different. It actually created different feelings.

I learned about the grid (thirds.... Mac, what did you call this?) and how to draw the eye to a certain part of a photo. About black and white, and how complicated it actually is. I always hated the black and whites I took with my cameras, and now I know why... because mine are just grey flat verions of the raw photo.

I tried very hard to organize my thoughts and feelings from this last day. I've decided to be frank:

1. I was a little disappointed with the lack of successful photos from location. We drove and drove, and only had a couple worthy shots. However, I am IN LOVE with the photo I'm posting here. Feeling disappointed about the rest is not a bad thing either; it has motivated me for next time. I will not rest this winter until we get something amazing in snow and ice. I still have high hopes for Johnson's Canyon........

2. Mac is a genious! I am forever grateful that he took me through his process of working a photo. I have a new level of appreciation for the finished product. I hope to have more opportunities like this because it was a lot to take in the first time, and after an especially long day.

The Art Nude Genre (Mac)

2010-02-11T15:32:00.018-07:00

I ran out of work today for my day job as this is a slow time of the year for me so I just spent the latter part of the afternoon perusing Michael Barnes' celebrated blog, Art Nudes. I went way back to his first posts and worked my way forward through the many artists Michael brings to our attention each week and I have to say there are a lot of art nude photographers out there.

I am amazed by the variety with which we all photograph the nude. There is everything from classic figure nudes to outrageous, digitally altered work and everything in between. Some of us are professionals, formally educated in art with decades of experience behind the lens and some of us picked up a camera a few years ago and are self-taught in the art and science of photography. There are many photographers who are abundantly creative who seem to be able to carve out exceptional and unique poses from the human body and there are those who are more predictable and generic with their work. Some still use film and the myriad of darkroom and printing techniques and materials used to create unique work and those of us that use digital. A few of us are outstanding, many of us are good, and some of us are, well, we just are - art is subjective and we all have our tastes and unique vision.

I have been shooting nudes since late 2006, in fact that is pretty much all I started with. I have come a long way and still have a long way to go with my work - technically and artistically. I experiment so much with the nude from studio work, abstracts, quirky, digital composites, outdoors, classical figure studies, maternity, and pretty much anything that pops into my head or have been inspired by another photographer. I am not sure where my work with the nude will be in five years, ten years, or beyond. I long ago gave up trying to figure out, rationalize, or even justify photographing the nude. I suppose I could try and put together some sort of deep or rational explanation, but honestly, when it comes right down to brass tacks - nude women are just beautiful to look at.

The photographs I have placed in this post are photos that I haven't published to my website. While any given session may produce several "keepers", I only publish the photographs that jump out at me as being the best of the best for that particular session or perhaps the image represents a new technical milestone for me or maybe I just like a photograph because it makes me happy to look at and that often leaves several photographs stored away on my hard drive. This is a random gathering of photographs as I learned, tried, and developed my eye from my first days to my latest sessions. I hope you enjoy some of these photographs that only myself and the model have seen.

I am shooting with Karolina on Saturday where we hope to get out to frozen waterfall and do some studio work as well. If Karolina has time, I would actually like to give her the rare opportunity to sit down with me and watch/participate in the selection of the final images from the day so she can gain some insight into my thought process as I choose the keepers.

Photographing the Self (Mac)

2010-02-08T16:17:00.006-07:00

Today I continued on with the idea of using myself as the subject as I mentioned in an older post here. Beyond the regular issues of self portraiture of focus, timing, composition, etc. posing for art nude photographs as a male is challenging. The most challenging aspect is the pose.

Our society is not accustomed to seeing naked men and when a nude male is presented in art it is usually in the classical Michelangelo fashion or the ancient statues we are all familiar with. Other images of males in popular media show the huge physiques of bodybuilders in the classic, masculine poses associated with the sport as well as the sexy, provocative poses often associated with product advertising and of course images designed for titillation of the gay population.

On the continuum of poses from the most stereotypical masculine to the most stereotypical feminine poses I am most interested in exploring that realm in the middle - poses that could be considered gender neutral. I think the challenge for the viewer is going to be to accept a pose as being gender neutral since the viewer is likely to have no experience with a male nude in any other pose than the stereotypical male poses.

I am going to continue to explore the idea of using my own body in my work which is a departure from the hairless, tanned, fatless male bodies we are used to seeing when it comes to males in art - I am clearly not the stereotypical male model. Nevertheless, I believe I can create beautiful and compelling work with this thirty-six year old body of mine. I also have some ideas to tinker with Karolina down the road involving the two of us.

more time lapse (rob)

2010-02-06T10:16:00.003-07:00

So, this is starting to look like some things that are going on in my head. The lighting is decent, the composition is decent, the setting is decent. But with the addition of a bit of movement, we create something a bit more dynamic. I know videographers with $200,000 cameras have been able to do this for some time, but this is done with a DSLR with no video, and a bit of software (imovie, 1/10 of a second). I think the sky is the limit with this stuff. I am certainly excited to get a DSLR with video, but until Nikon comes up with an FX sensor, and HD video, I will wait. I am actually glad they don't have one yet, as I am enjoying the time lapse stuff for now. I think it's limitations offer some really cool opportunities for experimentation that I wouldn't have tried if I went right into video. It's like I said in my last email; there is strength in limitations.

Rob

The white board :) (Layla)

2010-02-02T23:52:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!
I actually typed up half this message the night Rob and I had our last shoot a couple of weeks ago but never finished it and posted it until now, my apologies! I do like the idea of writing things down shortly after a shoot while I’m still in a creative zone and everything is still fresh in my mind.
It was a really neat idea to use a white reflective board against a white background in some of those shots. I didn’t quite understand the effect it would have on the pictures but now that I look at it, wow! The only downside (and this isn’t a big deal) was that the board was super cold and it was difficult to lay down on it in certain ways. But now that I look at (Mac and Karolina’s) shooting outdoors in winter shots, I don’t think I should complain about a cold board, haha! One good thing about being cold however, is that it helped my tense my muscles a bit more which I find myself doing often during body scapes…perhaps to get better tone and definition? The other distorted shots on the couch were the opposite in the way that they were quite relaxed and actually quite comfortable as far as posing is related. I’m really a big fan of the colors in that picture!
It’s really nice to see to the end product after Rob’s done fixing the pictures…everything seems way different to me as the model while we’re shooting as I sometimes have days where I get quite self-conscious and think “wow, I must look awkward right now in this position” or “MAN, my scars look extra dark today!!”. But of course, none of those thoughts are reflected in the photos which is a good thing! Perhaps, I need to do more self-care type activities such as yoga to boost that inner confidence?
Anyway, I’m looking forward to our next shoot coming up soon. We were hoping to play around with new outfits and accessories, the possibilities are quite endless! I really do wish it was nicer out so we could try taking some pictures outside but it should be fun in the studio none the less!

hey there (rob)

2010-01-27T22:32:00.002-07:00

Hey all,

these images are from our shoot a couple weeks back. we played around with a bit of video also.

the video post here was just a hello, but we also played with a bit of my 'moving photography' idea. still needs some work, but i think that the next time i try it, i will be able to post something.

these images were a lot of fun, and pretty simple. i picked up a bit of reflective material from home-depot for the white shots. i was hesitant to grab plexi-glass, and delaying it, until Mac suggested picking up a sheet of material used for redoing bathtub walls

. it works perfectly. simple set up... dump a bunch of light on the backdrop, and a bit of light behind the model, facing the model.

Very fun, simple, and gives the image an incredible amount of punch.

the last image, used my gimmicky little 'lens baby.' i bought this toy a while back, however i've only used it once, or twice; always outdoors. it occurred to me that i could also use it indoors. the problem was, however, the same problem i have had recently, which is a lens baby has only one aperture setting;... excessively wide open!!! my lights were just too powerful. so, i brought my 'alien bees' (baby brothers to the white lightnings)... but even these couldn't be dialed down enough. however, shooting with one light, to the back left of the image turned out to be not soo bad. i quite enjoy the distorted look of the image. i feel strongly that many photographers go too quickly into 'fad photography,' and don't learn enough of the technique. i think that imperfect art is truly interesting, but you can't rely completely on gimmicks and fads. i feel you really need to become technically knowledgeable, then start stripping things back, so that your artistic vision comes through. however, if you never learn technique, then you will always be a gimmick, or fad photographer, and when that fad ends, or the gimmick wears out, so will your appeal.

anyway. we have a shoot booked for next week... looking forward to it.

rob

Shooting Outdoors in Winter (Mac)

2010-01-22T11:19:00.017-07:00

Sorry for not posting in so long...been uber lazy lately. Karolina and I went and shot at a location a few weeks ago with the intention of getting some images incorporating the winter landscape however that didn't quite happen. Even though the temperature was +2 or so the wind made the temperature feel below zero which makes for some uncomfortable shooting. We stayed inside the buildings and still froze our asses off and barely got a hint of any winter look as my post title would suggest. We could have just as easily and more comfortably shot these images in the summer :-)

Here are a couple shots showing Karolina exploring pose ideas for a doorway. I usually have the model remain clothed when we are working out the first photo of the day and especially if it is cold out. All of the work done that day was with available light since it was too cold to be messing around with speedlights and I don't think adding flash would have benefitted the available light. I also noticed from a using my speedlights outside on a shoot a few weeks previous that when the velcro gets cold the glue freezes and the velcro comes loose so my Radiopoppers are in mortal danger of falling off the speedlights.We noodled around in this first building for a bit and got these two "keepers":

After we were done there, and we didn't spend much time because of the cold, we moved on to another building which presented a huge challenge for me. The room had this big piece of equipment in the middle and there were several windows around the perimeter.
I was having a hard time visualizing how to have Karolina interact with the machine in a meaningful manner while at the same time trying to avoid the windows in the composition lest there be big, bright white squares of overexposed window in the image. The cold doesn't make the creative process any easier because I don't have the luxury of humming and hawing for 20 minutes before deciding on a direction to take. I settled on stuffing Karolina up into a window that was boarded over and focused on the machine in the foreground making Karolina a sort of "where's Waldo" type of thing. I dressed this photo up with a very warm white balance.

Here are a few more photos from the day:

Sunset Palm Desert (rob)

2010-01-13T23:28:00.004-07:00

.. for some reason the video 'sticks' for me... if this happens, just move the timer slider forward a bit, and hit play.

this was my first attempt at "moving photography" as i am calling my attempts.

... it get's more interesting near the end (ie during the actual sunset)

i am not so much interested in video, as i am this concept i have invented for my own purposes.

layla and i did a bit of experimenting with it as well tonight (she will post a video blog introducing us... this is not it).

my first attempt was the sunset, as i wanted to play with time.

i also took some 'moving photography' of the las vegas strip.

i am differentiating here, because no matter whether i am using a still camera, and shooting rapid fire, then gluing the images together at 10 frames a second, or 24 frames a second, or down the road using a professional video camera, my intent is not to create 'video.'

it is to create a 'moving photograph.'

a photograph is static. you use light, and composition to create the illusion of a 3rd dimension (or if not the illusion, then you at least try to represent it in a way that translates to the viewer), and you try to tell a story,

however, it is near impossible (or actually impossible) to communicate a 4th dimension.

this gives photography one of it's strengths no doubt (there are many many many strengths in limitations), however, i wanted to explore that next realm.

however, i wanted to do it from a photography perspective.

in other words, it's harder to create a dynamic photograph than it is to create a dynamic video, because video is already a dynamic medium.

but if i can put that same effort... ie, not take the 4th dimension for granted, then i think i can create a truly incredible image and story with a moving photograph!

so, this was me playing around with a very simple concept to get started. i hope to continue to play with this, and will certainly share some techniques, and more ideas in my upcoming posts.

suffice to say, that here, i lowered my camera's image quality to it's lowest (DX, and itsy bitsy tiny image size), and used a tripod. I then used my interval timer setting, and took a photo every 10 seconds (I believe... I tried a couple different ways). I over exposed at the beginning, because I new I would loose light over time, and wanted to go as far into the sunset as possible. this took about 2 hours.

I then got home, and had the brilliant epiphany, that instead of mucking around with some new software that I don't really want to learn how to use, I would plug the images into 'imovie' and set the duration of each image as low as possible.

it isn't as smooth or pretty as i want, but the initial results are promising.

rob