Music is Well Said to be the Speech of Angels
February 15, 2007
I like to use large format film with my portraits and internet people. But sometimes it is just so fluid to use a small digital camera and do hundreds of photos in a session. The problem then becomes a matter of editing. These are from a shoot with Cristina, with minimal Photoshop work done to them — they are almost “straight” from the camera, as shot. I made global adjustments in Adobe Bridge, cropped, and hit each one with a slight sharpening. But this isn’t about my photo-nerdism. The simple fact of the matter is that Cristina has amazing skin.
I think women with ink are braver, bolder, and brighter than average. But, while I love seeing their tattoos, I can’t think of a single case where I wouldn’t have wanted to photograph them the same way even if they didn’t have a tattoos. Likewise, it seems dumb to concentrate solely on the tattoo. The ink should be shown in context, and the best pictures should tell us more about the person than the marks.
I’m really happy with how this shoot came out. Cristina is a great model, very at ease with herself yet modest — just the right mix it appears. I was also comfortable with the little “toy” camera — it allows me to try a lot of different things rather than spending 15-30 minutes per 4x5 set-up. The hotel rooms are a bit boring and I can see how some people might be put off by thinking it is a little bit sketchy to shoot in them. But I’ve decided that I hate photo studios and it is wintertime…. And posing on a bed is sexy. Which is, frankly, what these shots are trying to be.
Doing photos of models, actors, celebrities (and even CEOs) is my goal here. The short pitch is that I’m able to get people comfortable enough to reveal a little bit more of themselves than they might otherwise be willing to do.
Reader Comments (add yours)
1. Wilma — Aug 14 2007 05:06 PM
The pictures above are ABSOLUTELY to die for!!!! incredible!!