It's been a long time

It's certainly been a while since I had a really good art nude shoot. I've been in a state of self imposed purdah since the end of last summer. I've tried landscapes and I've shot other subjects as they have presented themselves but the creative buzz seemed to have deserted me.

Then out of the blue I get an email from a charming young lady in Sussex asking if I would set up a shoot for her. Now my first reaction was that the distance would be prohibitive and her interest would soon fizzle out. We exchanged a few emails and it soon became apparent that she was serious.

Libellule had got to an age where she realised that her body, whilst still lithe and fit was starting to change and she wanted a photoshoot to look back on in future years. I explained that due to the potential weather risks we would need a reasonable time frame to shoot and Libellule said she was happy to book in to a hotel for a couple of days. On this basis I went ahead and set up the shoot. Thank you Libellule for your confidence in me and for rekindling the creativity I have been missing for some time now. We created some beautiful work together. Here's a few 'anonymous' images …

Why I love this image

I've lots of favourites among the images I've taken, and this is one.  To some it may not be art nude as it's too full frontal.  More is revealed than is hidden for example, but to focus on the minor points of the image is to miss the beauty of the bigger picture.

I love this image for so many reasons.  It's different from much of my work where the model is posed in a location I've chosen, or sometimes with a prop that has been carefully selected to contrast with the model.  This image has nothing external to support it. It's Kirsty or nothing.  It works on so many levels too.
Apply the 'Golden Spiral to the image and it fits perfectly, starting from the models tummy the spiral winds out and down, returning up the line of her back then across her arms and down to the bottom left hand corner.

In some ways it is reminiscent of Amaury Duval's, 'The Birth of Venus'. A simple nude rising out of the sea against a plain background of the sky.

Amaury Duval - The Birth of Venus

Golden Spiral

I also love the way the shadows play across Kirsty's body, emphasising her shape and femininity. I love the colours too, subtly desaturated from the original.  I tried it in black and white too but for me the colour version rocks.  It's simple, clean and beautiful.

Hope you like it too.

Hosepipe ban

We had a very dry spring here in the Lake District which meant the reservoirs running very low and our trusted utilities company slapping a hosepipe ban on the entire North West. What has this got to do with photography I hear you ask? Everything.

From the day the ban came in to force it has rained. Heavy rain, light rain, drizzle, we've had the lot which makes booking a model a fraught procedure. As I mostly shoot outdoors, keeping an eye on the forecast is mandatory. So when one of my favourite models emails to say she's got a cancellation for 3 days time, would I like to shoot, I have to weigh up the odds of a downpour interrupting us.

Still it was Raphaella and for some reason the sun always shines when we work together, so despite a very poor forecast I went ahead and committed. And yes, as I met her off the train, the clouds parted and the sun came out - briefly.

The shoot this time was a little different for us both. There are plenty of quiet places I know of but I wanted to do something in a more classical setting. I have had a location in mind for quite some time that was ideal, the only problem being that it was in a public area and there were quite a lot of folks around, it being the middle of the summer holidays. Anyway we got an early start and actually managed to shoot an amazing amount of images in a very short time.

Not wishing to push our luck, we quit whilst we were ahead and moved on into a woodland area where the rain had made the vegetation such a lush green that it formed a sumptuous background for Raph to pose in.

Then it was quickly back home to meet the family and the briefest of shoots in the studio before getting her back on the train and off to her next shoot. These are a few of the images, hope to have some more on my site soon.

Three for the price of one

I met up with a few fellow photographers and models last week for a networking get together. These events seldom pass without the cameras coming out and the models strutting their stuff. Good to catch up with people I've only previously spoken to on-line and also to renew acquaintances with others.

Here's a few from the day.

In the pink shoes; Aimeboo. In the bath Nudey Butt, who travelled all the way from Edinburgh and lastly Miss_G; down on the beach. Planning another shoot with MissG very soon so lets hope the weather improves.

It's gone quiet

My anonymous fan has been keeping rather quiet lately. It's been a week since I posted and she doesn't seem keen to take up my offer of a coffee and chat. Ah well, I expected as much really.

Where do we go from here I wonder? I doubt I've heard the last of you my friend and this one way correspondence is challenging to say the least.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself (Old Chinese Proverb)

Got some more fanmail from my anonymous admirer this week. My, my, someone really has got sand up her backside. This post therefore is addressed really just to you my friend.

Whilst I'd really like to debate with you there really is no mileage in doing it via my blog. Your tenuous grasp on the reality of the situation is frankly laughable and virtually every 'fact' in your last letter has been manipulated and distorted to suit your own skewed view of the situation.

However, amused as I am personally by your outpouring of bile, as someone who has adopted the self proclaimed 'moral high ground' on this have you stopped for a moment and thought just what effect your actions are having on those who you say you are trying to protect? Have you? Do you enjoy giving innocent people caught up in this sleepless nights?

Of course as the self proclaimed moral champion here you'll no doubt say that I've brought all this on myself. Well at least I've got the guts to stand up for my position. I don't go around anonymously spreading falsehoods and lies about other people.

Anyway, enough. Amused as I am, I'm also getting rather pissed off. So I'm going to make you an offer. It's unconditional, take your time. The offer is simply this. Meet me at a neutral place, we'll have a coffee and we can discuss your concerns. I don't like ill feeling with anyone and I'm more than happy to talk things through with you. You can even bring a chaperone …

You know where I am, get in touch.

However should you choose to decline my offer then consider this. We live in a small village, our kids go to the same school, we shop in the same shops. Remaining anonymous is difficult as you have already proven. I will unmask you and I will expose you. Let me leave you with another proverb from China.

"Corner a dog in a dead-end street and it will turn and bite"

Spencer Tunick Exhibition

The Spencer Tunick exhibition Everyday People had it's preview evening at the Lowry in Salford last night. It was great to catch up with those people I'd met at the photoshoot and to see Spencer's work alongside the originals by Lowry himself.

Here's a couple from the evening, with the group of us and Spencer. Thanks to Kiran for the photos. The exhibition is well worth catching, especially if you are a fan of Spencer's work.

Bigoted People

Art is a funny thing, some people like one thing, some another. Same with nudity, I suppose. It's not everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately some very narrow people make assumptions when they come across nudity. They assume that nudity equates to sleaze and to sex and just can't see the art there. Ah well, that's life I suppose!

What's prompted this post? A letter accusing me of creating porn. An anonymous letter, at that with example photos from my website. No doubt this letter has been sent to others in the community in an effort to stir up ill feeling. That's the trouble with bigots, they're usually cowards too. So, whoever you are, thanks for the letter, you're opinions are noted and respected.

Why is my website and this blog anonymous? Why do I not put my full name to it. Simply because of this all pervasive attitude in the UK the nudity is wrong. My work is out there to be enjoyed by those that want to and those that don't … well just turn the page, friend. So to my anonymous contributor I say this. I am extremely proud of my work. I strive to create art and the human form is my preferred subject matter.

Last month the artist Spencer Tunick photographed 1,000 naked people in the centre of Manchester. Is that porn? If that isn't then why is my art porn?

So whoever you are, I'm sorry for you, sorry you live such a narrow existence and sorry you are unable to enjoy the human form in all it's beauty. Most of all I'm sorry you feel unable to talk about it.

The end of winter

Hopefully. Not posted on here for a while as I haven't really been shooting outdoors much. Anyway with better weather approaching (or so we thought) I arranged another shoot with Kirsty to start the season. It rained.

Our planned location was near a waterfall but shooting nudes in the pouring rain in March in the UK just wasn't on. Instead we found a boathouse that had a sort of covered walkway so whilst I persevered in the rain Kirsty did her stuff at least in the dry.

Heres a few from the shoot.

Well overdue

This post is well overdue, it's just that the day job has taken up so much of my time recently that I had not got round to editing these images. Anyway …

Last month I was very fortunate to work with the wonderful Kirsty. This shoot had been planned for at least a couple of months but being October in the Lake District I was concerned that the Autumn gales would arrive early and make shooting impossible.

I needn't have worried. The sun shone and so did Kirsty. We worked at two locations, one a lakeside setting with the autumn colours reflected in the water, then we went to an old stone barn set high on a hillside with wonderful views over the lake and hills beyond.

So here's a few images from the set. There are more on my website.

Back to the boathouse

Well it didn't take long before I got to use my new location at the boathouse. One of my favourite models, Raphaella travelled up to the Lakes to shoot with me and as I was on a tight schedule we decided to start there.

I've still to go through the images but here's a sample.

What do you do when …

One question I'm often asked is what do I do if someone walks past when you're doing a nude shoot. The answer is quite simple, cover up, say hello to the passed by and pick up again when they're out of sight. Of course a shoot would never get anywhere if there were constant interruptions so it's easier to find locations where there's no one around. In the Lake District in the summer this is easier said than done but far from impossible.

For a start, no one is expecting to walk in to a shoot in the middle of the country and it's really quite easy to spot people before they spot you. Secondly, you would be surprised how blinkered people can be when they're out walking. Most tend to focus on the path ahead and not see what's going on around them.

The other problem with location shoots is that models invariable turn up in totally unsuitable footwear, so a long trek is out of the question. I've actually started to seek out locations that are close to the road, so less time is spent on walking and more on shooting. As the weather today was the usual Lakeland rain I set off to check out a location I'd used before to see if I could find another angle to shoot there again. I never got there but I did find several cracking spots which I hope to use soon, including this one.

It's a perfect waterside location, boathouse, jetty, overhanging trees to soften the light and only 20 metres from the road, but perfectly screened.

Now all I need is a break in the weather.

Things are looking up.

I left the camera in a warm place overnight and all seems well this morning. Memo to self. DON'T SHOOT IN THE RAIN …

Am I just careless?

So today I bought a Sigma 24 - 70 mm lens to try out the Canon 5D with. Looks great and I tested it out at a local stock car event … in the rain. Now I can't get any playback on the camera, nor can I download the days images.

After the events of last week and trashing two lenses I'm beginning to think I may be jinxed. Just as I'm trying to step up a gear, everything seems to be going wrong.

Fingers crossed it will dry out overnight.

Conwenna

Earlier this week, when the weather was kinder I had a shoot with Conwenna at a riverside location in the Lakes. The previous day had been very wet and the river was up, making conversation and instructions slightly difficult.

The shoot was supposed to be a try out for my new Canon 5D and started off reasonably well. But in my haste I managed to drop one lens in a large puddle and later slipped on a greasy rock, damaging a second. The camera, fortunately escaped unscathed.

Despite this misfortune we got some super images, one of which is shown here. Conwenna was a delight to work with. Quiet and reserved but giving her all to get the best result.

Lifescapes?

I'm a photographer living in the beautiful English Lake District. Like a great many others I've photographed the beauty of Lakeland over the years and more recently started photographing beautiful women as well.

A pretty girl in an idyllic setting can make for an arresting image. Most of my shoots these days are art nudes but not exclusively so. I also shoot anything and everything that takes my eye.

In case you're wondering why Lifescapes? It's just an amalgam of life and landscape and the two go together wonderfully.

I hope to use this blog to show examples of my work and to share it across a wider audience.