Landscape photography was my first love. I was shooting landscapes for decades before I ventured into the figure genre, which I started in 1998 with the figure in the landscape. Since then I have continued to shoot both, with a distinct preference for outdoor work, deriving my inspiration from nature and the model’s interaction with the landscape. But increasingly the traditional nude in the landscape left me dissatisfied. I could not answer the questions, Why is (s)he there? What is (s)he doing there? If viewers of my images were to remark, Wow! That’s a beautiful image of a nude, I would consider it a failure. Over the years I explored the figure AS a landscape, celebrating the abstract qualities of shape and form, line and texture, found in both the inanimate and the human form. The first two images here are with Brooke.
The following images are with Kiera Grant…
Finally, in some of the following images, I think I have come all the way around, from photographing the figure in the landscape to the landscape in the figure, where the human form but a frame or tapestry for the landscape! The last few images are with Stephanie Anne.
This will be my last blog post for the year. My next post will be from another continent. Meanwhile I invite you to preview Integration, the book. Wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Below are a few shots from my shoot with Candace at the Playa de las Palmas. This was a quick sunrise shoot on the morning I left Mexico. I wish I had had more time to work with Candace. She is a pleasure to photograph.
These are some of the images from my shoot with Carlotta and SaraLiz. We started in the bar of the Todos Santos Inn, then moved to the spare bedroom, recently vacated by Robert.
So I emailed the owner of the Hotelito to ask if she knew of any shops in the area to purchase a sombrero or if I should buy one in Los Angeles and suffer the issues of flying on the plane wearing a sombrero. She told me a friend of hers had some antique sombreros and they just so happened to be from former El Presidente’s of Mexico. Of course I promised to treat the sombreros with the utmost care and she came through for me. This speaks volumes of how amazing she is. I’m thankful she entrusted me to use the sombreros. They were gorgeous!
Carlotta and I traversed all corners of the Hotelito during our shoot and found some beautiful light and cool areas for posing with these historical sombreros and for doing other images too. ¡Arriba! Carlotta is blessed with the ability to work in so many different genres of photography and it’s always so great to work with such a pro. I didn’t get to see her feature in Mexican Playboy while we were there… anyone have a link? Would love to add it here! Quite a coincidence. ha.
I loved the Hotelito for all it’s stark shooting situations and shady spots too. Who needs a backdrop when there’s an abundance of natural light and beautiful vivid walls? I knew it would be good shooting when I looked at it online before arriving and definitely was happy when I arrived. I’m enamored by modern architecture and bold lines.
I worked all week with my Nikon FM 35mm and my Rollei. Little cameras that didn’t weigh very much so I wasn’t carrying around tons of gear in the heat. Plus I was scared to pack up my 4×5 with all my Polaroid film for fear Mexican Customs would hassle me on arrival. On the way home at the airport when they were searching my bags before departing they didn’t know what 120 film was, so I may have had a hard time explaining Type 55 Pos/Neg film to them and Sodium Sulfite. Though Steven Billups managed to bring in all his Polaroid film. Though I was happy with all the work accomplished with my little cameras. I ended up shooting more and going back to the camera set up I learned on.
Claudine and I worked together back in 2008 during the 29 Palms festival with my 4×5, so good that I had something different with me to get a different look. We had the opportunity to work together twice this time around. This is our first shoot. We didn’t wander too far away from that fabulous swimming pool. Shoot 10 minutes, jump in, shoot 20 minutes, jump in again… that was my week really. Claudine is quite an enigma, in a good way. She seems so unassuming in person but when you point a camera in her direction this intense confidence pops out and lends itself to inspiration. She’s great to work with!
It’s always great to start the week off shooting with someone you’ve known for ages. Love working with Candace!
Mostly shot with my trusty Rollei and Ilford Pan F 50. I love the Ilford 50/Rollei matchup. The textures and shadows I get with this film make my mouth water just a little. It’s a very luxurious film that lends itself quite well to my love of dark bits. Very rich.
We started working a bit earlier than I like. I usually love working around noon so that I can really push the limits of the contrast. I can see all you photographers shaking your head at me, but that’s how I like it! I don’t care for soft shades with my work… I want them harsh and dramatic. I can appreciate the early morning light and the late afternoon light even better. I just find, for me, that there’s still an abundance of goodness with harsh noon light. I picked that up when working with toy cameras, holgas and dianas. You need a lot of light with these cameras. I guess I never got used to getting up early either. Not my cup of coffee. And I need at least 3 of those before I begin. Better than smoking pot I guess. ha.
We finished earlier and dropped down into the little shop area of Todos Santos. We ate lunch at Los Adobes then Candace sampled some tequila, and I managed to get a few snap shots. All in time to be back for the model group shoot which I already posted. 🙂
This is part nine in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico.
As I mentioned in the last entry, ZoeFest X 2011 was loaded with talented photographers. Lots of different styles and ways of working. And although we did bump into each other from time to time at the various locations we had been scouting during our trip there, there’s sort of an unspoken rule among photographers that it’s bad form to lurk about at someone else’s shoot, unless you’re invited to.
I would catch a quick glimpse of a lighting setup or perhaps what camera they were using, but then it was a case of a self imposed, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for. Move along.”
Sara Liz at Todos Santos Inn
It’s not to say that we wouldn’t all find ourselves hanging out together in one of the common areas at the various lovely boutique hotels during post-shoot afterglow, talking shop and reviewing a few images here and there. But during the actual photography, everyone needs a bit of distraction free space to create.
Because of that, I, like you, kind readers, have to view their work online and I have provided many links below for us to do so.
First, a couple more exceptional Canadian photographers to get us started today.
Robert Farnham is from Kitchener in Ontario, Canada, a bit south and west from the Toronto area. Robert and I had many discussions about our respective work and the styles of the other photographers at ZoeFest. Robert likes to work in the details. Much tighter framing than subjects in vast landscapes. another photog who shot film, his style is more like my roots in Figure Photography. And I was glad he reminded me of that. Beautiful work.
Ron Chez is great fun to be around. From Sechelt in British Columbia, Canada, near Vancouver. I really need to visit that area some time. I hear it’s really lovely there. Ron seems to be wherever fun is. And there was a lot of fun at ZoeFest this year. Ron was one of the film guys on our Mexican adventure (still jealous), and is incredibly creative with his work. His Series portfolio is especially clever and makes me smile. I look forward to seeing more of his creations once he has time to process everything!
Ron was also one of those many behind the scenes heros. He managed to be a bit of a Land Traffic Controller by making sure everyone who rented a car for the drive from Cabo San Lucas Airport to Todos Santos had people in it and everyone who didn’t rent a car had a seat in someone’s car who did. Again. Hero.
Now, a few more of the Yanks to round things out. For my country mates who may not be aware, yes, we in the U.S. are sometimes referred to as Yanks out there in the wide world. Short for Yankees. It’s not about the baseball team and it’s not derogatory. To the rest of the world, it’s not about our Civil War unpleasantness either. Nothing to do with the North or the South. It’s a general term of endearment, which for us these days, is not only sometimes rare, it’s quite welcome.
Mitch Rice, from Santa Rosa, California near San Francisco, is a genuinely nice guy. I only had a few brief conversations with Mitch during ZoeFest, but you know how you can just tell someone is decent even though you just met them? Mitch is that guy. And he makes beautiful inspiring photographs too. I look forward to seeing more from our trip.
David! David is my city mate from Chicago, Illinois. I mentioned that we happened to be on the same flight from Chicago to Cabo, sitting right next to each other yet, but we didn’t realize we were going to the same place until we were half way there. Very funny.
Sara Liz at Todos Santos Inn
First, a bit about my home town. When I used to travel abroad in the early 1990s and I mentioned I was from Chicago, the usual response was something like, “Ah, yes, Chicago! Al Capone, Bang! Bang!”
Later it was, “Ah, yes, Chicago! Michael Jordan!” Better. Slightly less sinister.
These days it’s, “Ah, yes, Chicago! Barack Obama!” Better still. So much better to travel abroad these days and not have to pretend I’m Canadian. Thank you Canada for being a reasonable place to pretend to be from when it was less than pleasant to travel as an American not so long ago.
But I digress. Back to David. He’s a former Ad Guy, and as I also work in the same industry, I can relate to his path. Sometimes it’s nice to create something that won’t end up in a focus group.
Gerry Oar‘s home base is in Olympia, Washington. I spent a lot of time with Gerry near the Todos Santos Inn veranda. Gerry is another great human. Always willing to answer a question. He’s also an amazing photographic craftsman. I could learn a few things from this Gerry guy.
And he made some lovely photos of Todos Santos Inn, which was home for many of us for an all to brief time.
Steven Billups is from Lewes, Delaware. Just between you and me, you should immediately move your mouse back to his name and click. Steven is great with composition. There is an amazing flow about how the components in his images go together. And I love his work with water as well. And yes, a film guy. More jealous.
Joel Belmont has the good fortune of living in Aspen, Colorado. Lovely place, that Aspen, Colorado. And Joel shoots with view cameras. I have mad respect for that. Nothing like a giant negative to soak up every little light particle. Joel has some images up from our Todos Santos get together, but I suspect those are just digital polaroids and the real large format work won’t be up for a while. Something to look forward to though!
And Joel is a conscientious humanitarian as well. His projects usually involve helping to right a devastating wrong out there in the world. He really is a good egg.
And there we have it. The Photographers of ZoeFest X 2011. An amazing group of talented, passionate image makers. I’m going to write more about what I learned about my own work being a part of this inspiring group a bit later.
For now, the images you see here are more from my shoot with the stunning Sara Liz at Todos Santos Inn.
Coming up, it’s back to stories of lovely, intelligent and creative models on day 3 (can you believe we’re only on day 3?), and shoots with Claudine, St. Merrique and Rebecca!
