Natural Art

Since I've been posing for a photographer other than myself, I can't stop thinking about how cool it would be to find a woman who would pose for me. I have been thinking about this for some time, but now it's in the forefront of my imagination. Although I'm shy, I know I will find the courage to approach someone, one of these days. I'm designing a business card so that I would be able to hand it to anyone I feel would be interesting to shoot. A card would take a lot of the pressure off of me, making the initial conversation that much smoother. I tend to plan my conversations out far in advance (lol). I have gone over it again and again in my head, one of these days I will actually do it. First though, I want to create a new website, using my Shaw webspace rather than the Yahoo that I am using now. With the Shaw webspace I wouldn't have that annoying, and unprofessional looking banner running down the side. My new site would have only my photography in it, no writing related stuff, no link to my blog, just a clean site to show what I can do photography-wise. Once I have this all created, I'll print up the business cards with my website address on it, and then gather my courage to approach people.

One thing I've learned as a photographer/model - it isn't necessary to arrange one'self in elaborate poses when doing a shoot. When I first began posing for my own camera, I went through a stage where I believed I needed to make it as difficult as I could, in order to create something new and unique. I would set the timer, then climb up on my desk and fold my body into these twisty shapes, only just getting it right before the camera clicked. I ended up with some neat pictures, but I know now, it isn't necessary to do this. In fact, I feel that the more natural and easygoing the pose, the more pleasing is the resulting picture.

I think a lot of people mistakenly believe they need to 'work' for the shot. Even with snapshots, people work hard to smile big for the camera, or to sit up straight, etc. They have this cheezy, unnatural grin on their face and they stare at the camera, waiting for the click so they can break their stiff pose and relax. Much better to just let yourself be free. Think of something you enjoy, and let that feeling wash over your expression.

I have a simple idea for a shoot - I would love to find a Black woman with her curls cut very close and short, wandering nude through a field of dry wild grasses. The wheat coloured grass would look great, contrasing with her ebony skin tones. I would have her walk slowly away from the camera, maybe turn to walk toward the camera for a bit, then walk sideways along my view. I would ask her to try and forget the camera was there - what would she do if she was alone, wandering around among these wild grasses? She might stop, and shade her eyes with her hand, maybe set her hands on her hips and gaze out across the field. She might bend to brush her hand over the seed heads, maybe pick a few stems and hold them casually as she began to walk again. I would place a wicker chair further out, and have her wander over to it, then sit down. She might lean back and lift her face to the sun, closing her eyes. Maybe set her elbow on one of the armrests and her chin in her hand, gazing over at the camera in a lazy, relaxed way. From such a simple series as this, I believe I would get a bunch of great shots. That's all it takes.

This afternoon I'm going out again with the photographer and his wife. We're going to a place he calls 'the painted house'. I've never been there, but he tells me it's an abandoned building (or house, I'm not sure), with a lot of graffiti on the walls. I'm going to bring my own camera as well. Since I don't have a car, and wouldn't feel safe going alone to a place like this, especially to shoot nudes of myself, having Bob Cossar and his wife to take me there is a real opportunity that I want to take full advantage of. In the end, I'll have the pictures he's shot with his camera, and I'll have the pictures I've shot with my own as well.

Art ... what a wonderful way to be.