Monday 7 April 2014

Life, at Home - a deeper perspective

This is aimed primarily at those who might want to participate in the "Life, at Home"  project outlined in my previous post.

To summarise, I would like to shoot life models at their homes. The emphasis for the project is on the nude & the resulting images will be black and white shot on film in a personal style bearing the imprint of the model's personality.

To illustrate the type of image we might capture, I'm including here some of my images, most of which have not been published previously. There is a life model in another's home and an artist at home with his life artworks. None of these images feature a life model at home.

I would like photographs of any participating life models to say something personal, albeit enabled by the presence of me as a photographer. But an important part will be the relaxed image too - this is not all about intensity, but about wider humanity and all kinds of emotions.

"E"
"E"
Mike
Mike

Other work with the nude includes environmental nudes included within my professional photography site here.

If life modelling does help with body issues then I would like this to emerge from the images and accompanying text. But having said this, I do not want to exclude those who use life modelling to celebrate their bodies and even those who simply don't give a damn about nudity, art, whatever; it's just a source of income!

Do not shoot with me if you are nervous about the images appearing on the internet. However, I intend to to follow principles I apply to myself to do the utmost to preserve anonymity whenever desired while giving the images from the shoot maximum exposure. You will be able to review images prior to any being published and, within reasonable bounds, individual images which you do not like will not be published at all. You should not pose for, or ask me to shoot, any genre of image that you would not wish to see published.

The shoot...

...will be your home, and that would include your garden if you wish. During the shoot I may on occasions use a digital camera too. This gets the model used to the dynamics of the shoot and gives me instant feedback on the lighting conditions, helping me use film to its best advantage.

Models will be very welcome to have other people about during the shoot, even included in some of the images, especially if they are part of 'home'. In fact I'd prefer it - a distraction from the all enveloping presence of the photographer and lens can yield some great natural images.

Only the model who is the main subject need be nude. The fundamental of this project is that that subject must be a genuine life model willing to be photographed nude at their own home.

Who will I work with?

If the models in these images seem young and/or skinny then that is because I have not previously sought to shoot with life models, who I know will occupy a full spectrum of body types and ages. This project is a challenge to me to do something different - in working with film and with life models I hope its a challenge that will stretch me to produce some diverse and interesting images.

I want to achieve a balance of the sexes and ages. I live in Brighton. In shooting with film I'll be incurring extra time and expense - but in this regard location will be a bigger issue. I will of necessity have to probably restrict this project in the South East and places I can easily connect to. As I become more certain of how the project is developing I may be able to deal with other areas or a sudden opportunity may arise to shoot further afield. So wherever you are, do not be afraid to register your interest.

What's in it for the model?

Participating models will get to review proofs and will receive high resolution retouched digital files of their 10 favourite images together with similar files of any other images that I chose to publish. They will have the right to print for their own use and sell prints of these images, credited  to me as photographer wherever sold. They will also have the right to use images in online portfolios or on social networks, again giving appropriate credit to the photographer.

When using images, as far as it is in my control, I will give credit and link online to the model's portfolio or other source.

If there is a book then it will be made available to models at cost.

There is no payment either way. I have never paid a model or made any money from shooting art images; nor have I been paid to shoot by models who like my work. What I most want is to put all this aside to shoot with people who see the style of image I produce and say to themselves "I want photos like those, but imprinted with my personality". I want to shoot people who want to engage in a genuine artistic collaboration, what is shot being driven at least as much by the model as by me.

What will I do with the images?

This blog will be illustrated with several images from the shoot and present a few freeform paragraphs about you that will come out of the Q&A. I may well publish these or other images from the shoot on social networks such as flickr and tumblr. Images may finish up getting shared from these sources to Facebook and I will follow instructions on whether or not they should be tagged. Wherever I can, I will credit you in whatever way you prefer, including web links, wherever images are used.

Ultimately there may be an exhibition or a book. I reserve the right to print and sell the book and prints of these images to hopefully recoup some of my costs

And finally, the Q &A ...

Ahead of the shoot I will ask for answers to the following questions. I'd like you to answer them all as honestly as possible. When images from the shoot are published in a blog post and/or in a book, I will use the answers to write a short profile of the model.

When making initial contact I ask that in some way you deal with questions 1., 9. and 10. so I can make a judgement on how the shoot is likely to turn out in the context of the project.

  1. For how long have you worked as a life model? To what extent (if any) do you do it to earn money
  2. Have you previously undertaken photographic modelling and if so, as an experience, how does it compare to life modelling?
  3. Are you a naturist and if so what does that mean?
  4. Is life modelling a pleasing experience and if so in what way? Or is it just another job?
  5. Do you consider yourself an artist?
  6. Away from modelling, do you participate in public or artistic events that involve nudity??
  7. How do you look after your body and is this any different because of your life modelling?
  8. Is life modelling an activity known to friends, family and acquaintances? If there are exceptions, why should that be the case?
  9. Where are you located? What name do you use as a model and is it different from your real name? Please share any model portfolio links with me. Can I share them with others?
  10. I am somebody who has had issues with what is perhaps a mild form of body dysmorphia. I have used myself as a nude model, for example in some of the environmental nudes linked above. Do you have any 'body issues' that life modelling has helped you deal with? Equally, let me know here if, for example, you simply celebrate your body or don't give a damn...

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