These two are actually sisters, shot at different times. I’ve done a few pregnancy shoots, and the goal for me is to capture not just the rounded beautiful bodies, but the love and expectation that these women feel.
Unapologetically Bottomless
Heather and I get a little silly at times (gotta have fun while shooting, it’s my law), and I was seeing and shooting way too many just topless shots, so we decided to reverse that concept. I love the look in her eyes…a hint challenging yet at the same time, perfectly natural standing there.
Color Nude – Io
What to do when you find yourself on autopilot, turning everything black and white? Switch it up! This is Io, a wonderful alt model I’d been wanting to work with for quite some time, then finally ended up living in the same state!
Revisiting Vulnerability
Going to get a little more personal here today. I shot this self portrait last week since I haven’t done that in years. I’m definitely more comfortable behind the camera, which meant it was time to confront those nervous feelings. I’m going to be completely honest here…the range of thoughts and emotions that went through me during that 30 minutes varied widely. Some thoughts congratulated my willingness to do this, while other thoughts were more negative towards my body type. Some thoughts raised me up, while others tried to knock me down. It was like I was split halfway, one part subject, one part photographer. I allowed the photographer side to take over, eased into it more, and forgot about the negatives (ugh…photographer pun not intended). My role as the photographer is to make the subject feel good (while geeking out over gear) so I did just that. This was done with a timer, so there was a lot of hopping back and forth to reset the camera and look at the shots to see what I needed to adjust. Shoulders back. Leg a little to the left. All that fun stuff I usually use to direct others. By the end, I was having fun!
Yes, I’m aware of my body type. And I don’t hate it anymore. Yes, I’m aware that dropping weight will make me healthier…I’m working on it and already feeling better. It’s been a struggle and I take full responsibility for it all. That’s not the point of this though. The point was to confront some things and I did. I don’t know what I’ll look like in a year or even three months. But this is me now. And I accept that. To all those that have wanted to try this and hesitated: don’t worry. You’re fucking fabulous 😉
Black and White Nude – Shower
It’s a gray and rainy day here, so this one seems appropriate…
Another Black and White Nude
We did this shoot right before Heather got about 8 feet of her hair cut off…had to take advantage of the long hair one last time!
Red
Sorting by color today…rained all day yesterday, so I’m in the mood for a pop of color!
Black and White Nude
I love working with a team…but I love being one on one with people too. This young woman has been doing figure modeling on the side for quite some time…other careers have included management and the Peace Corps, and now she’s getting her Masters. This shoot took place in just under an hour with some chatting. I’ll show you more in an upcoming entry, but that one will require more writing time. I love the elegance in her movements!
Dominance, Submission, Shiny
How do you know you have a cool mom? The following conversation:
“Elizabeth, where did that slippery spot on the living room floor come from?”
“Um…I had a dominatrix standing on your fireplace and the slippery spot must be from the stuff that makes her catsuit shiny. Oops.”
“Oh, ok, make sure you clean it up.”
“Yes Mom…”
I’ve shot many a person in the shiny gear, sometimes people in the lifestyle, sometimes people just exploring with the way it feels on camera. Throw in my tendency to think of something ridiculous on the spot, and here’s a range….
Ivy
I don’t know what’s up with ivy and I…it keeps popping up in photos, I have it decorating my bedroom, and even have it tattooed on my ankle. I like vines, I like the way the green takes over. There are some wonderful buildings in NYC covered in it.
LizZusev 