I am primarily a landscape photographer. But every now and then a different opportunity comes along -- like opera performances . . .
or jewelry . . .
or house construction . . .
-- and I'm willing to give it a try.
Back in June of last year, I participated in a photography workshop led by the amazing professional fine art photographer Laurie Klein (pictured below). You can visit her website by clicking here.
The workshop was intended primarily for infrared photographers (which I am not), but I had taken one of her workshops in 2015 -- see my blog post entitled "Stretching My Comfort Zone" here -- and was ready for another good dose of creative challenges and learning experiences, so I signed up.
Turns out this workshop was all about photographing female models in natural landscapes . . . and it didn't really matter that I wasn't shooting in IR.
After a 90-minute classroom session, we went out to shoot in two locations in the bosque (cottonwood forest) along the Rio Grande a couple of miles from my house. We had four professional models to work with, each with a different style and vibe, and after some coaching from Laurie we all had the opportunity to direct the models.
The cool thing about working with models as subjects is that, unlike landscapes, you can pose them any way you want (within the limits of the human body). The challenge is . . . you have to know what you want, and you have to tell them. Professional models are great at translating ideas and emotions into physical postures, but they're not mind-readers: they can't do their best if you're not sure what you're after. Inevitably there's a process of experimentation and collaboration, supported by good communication, but the photographer has to lead.
First, some behind-the-scenes shots on location . . .
How many photographers does it take to set up a changing tent?
Wardrobe management:
Directing a pose:
Shooting:
And here are some of my results featuring each of the models as noted:
Felicia Davis
Tara Danielle
Colleen Fadgen
Kristenleigh Parrish
If you would like to see these images in a larger format, please visit my photography website, Todos Juntos Photography, by clicking here.
Enjoy!
