Summer Warmth

These images come from my first shoot of 2021. After a long and tumultuous start to the year with lockdowns, things began to look up as restrictions were being lifted and the vaccine rollout was going well.

The wonderful model (@_aka_nix_ on Instagram) took some time to shoot with me while we had amazing weather in June. Below are some of the uncensored highlights from the shoot.

One of my personal favourites from the shoot – I really enjoy how the colours in the tattoo pop in this image. It was one of my aims to get a great shot of the tattoo.

We managed to find a nice open space to shoot that was well lit. It was a great location as we were able to use different features of the forest for the model to pose in.

Forest King

This aim of this shoot was to try and incorporate flowers on the model to creat an ethereal woodland father figure.

Flower crown

It was the first time using flowers in this manner in my images. It took around 40 minutes to shape the flowers in to a pleasing formation, using all my adhesive in the process.

The original plan was to have the flowers move up the body, sculpting and winding up the models body.

I’ve shared a few images from the shoot. Please enjoy!

Back to action

It’s been a little while since I last updated this blog and there are many reasons for this…

Of course the COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy for any of us. The restrictions have made shooting difficult for a large portion of 2020. With the vaccine roll out happening in 2021, I hope that as restrictions ease, that I can get back to shooting and working with models again.

Another difficulty for me has been with Instagram and growing my presence. Instagram as a platform is difficult to use when sharing artistic nude photography. More often or not, I end up shadow-banned, meaning my posts are restricted and my account cannot be found easily.

What this means for me is that my growth is stunted and it is hard to gain new followers. While being the ‘most followed photographer’ was never my goal, I still need new followers to grow my platform in order to meet new potential models and to build up a stronger reputation.

I’ve tried to grow a following naturally for sometime, but my growth has plateaued for quite some time now and it’s frustrating. That’s why I have decided to try and use Twitter to help grow my following.

I will use Twitter to post uncensored work that Instagram would never allow. Please give me a follow by clicking here.

First Time Model

Frequently, I work with model that have never done a photo shoot before! It is quite a daunting task to do your first shoot, let alone a nude one… I’m composing this brief post to help any prospective models what it’s like to do a nude shoot and what to expect!

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The first big thing to expect is… Nudity! That may appear to be obvious to some, but a nude shoot does involve nudity. However, there are a few things a model should be aware of before ‘dropping the towel’ and revealing all.

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Make sure you are comfortable and in a safe environment. If you don’t feel comfortable shooting in that location, you are well within your rights to refuse. Also, ALWAYS agree upon what you are shooting before hand so that both you and the photographer are on the same page. Get the photographer to walk you through his ideas and poses they want you to do so that you understand what is expected as well as establish your own boundaries!

A nude shoot doesn’t necessary have to involve you, the model, being nude the whole time either. Many initial test shots for lighting etc… can be done clothed as can practising the poses.  You should never feel forced out of your clothes or made to feel vulnerable in anyway.

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While there are a lot of serious aspects to doing a shoot, they should be designed to be fun and as a way for you to let your creative side out! When going into a shoot, it is perfectly acceptable to be a bit nervous, especially if it’s your first time, however a good photographer will make you feel at ease and calm your nerves by answering any last minute questions to reassure you.

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You should never let your body image hold you back either. Many find that after doing the shoot, they feel liberated and happier about their bodies. Photo shoots are a place of no judgement, no matter how you may think you look. The photos from the shoot will always present you in a positive light.

Overall, the key things to remember when doing a shoot are to stay safe, but more importantly, have fun and enjoy yourself!

Working With Natural Lighting

After a brief hiatus from shooting while I was preoccupied with travelling and other matters, I returned to my camera and the woods to shoot with a model. The main focus of this shoot was to use natural lighting to highlight the beauty in the male form. The male model used for this shoot was delightfully pleasant to work with, bringing a lovely charIMG_6477m to both the shoot and the photos. 

 

The real significance of this shoot for me was the development in the maturity in my style of photography. The results highlighted to me a shift from novice photographer who was still trying to find his bearings to a competent photographer who is confident in his work and understands what he is trying to achieve. 

 

Throughout the shoot, we varied the poses from seated positions to standing up. Both worked to high levels of success and I am highly pleased with how they turned out. To further my work and abilities, I hope to become stronger at directing models in new positions and guiding them through the shoot. My aim is to produce images with more dynamic poses, rather than the more subdue and natural poses that are in my comfort zone.

 

Nude Indoors

This is a series of photos taken from my first shoot of the year! It was taken indoors and involved using the bedroom mirror to create an interesting dynamic between the model and his own reflection. It was new for me to shoot something like this, as I have previously not worked mirrors into my photography before making for a fun and creative learning experience for me! There are some portrait shots of him as well, as they turned out rather well.