I first noticed Elvis on Model Mayhem. Elvis had posted a photo credited to Bowridge Green in the 18+ Photo Contest. In the photo Elvis sports bleached hair and poses fully nude on a rooftop. The photo was appealing technically as well as emotionally. I immediately knew I wanted to work with him.
We connected with Elvis through Model Mayhem. We were lucky that Elvis already had a stop planned in our area. Everything, including scheduling, was managed through Model Mayhem messages and email. While I find Model Mayhem to be a flawed platform, it worked out well in this instance.
How much 'negotiation' is there when setting up concepts for a shoot?
Elvis was a complete professional and very accommodating of our ideas and concepts. We always encourage collaboration during our shoots so we welcomed Elvis’s ideas, as well. Elvis was very confident in his body and our work so nudity was never an issue. Once we arrived at the studio he was naked in minutes. With some models it can take time for them to warm to the process or environment. None of this was an issue with Elvis.
Our normal studio was unavailable the day of our shoot so we worked in a smaller facility nearby. While the studio was physically smaller, the owner had a wide variety of furnishings that we had access to. The studio ultimately worked to our advantage as furnishings, such as the brightly colored bar stools, provided great foundations for select poses. When we picked up Elvis at a central meeting place, we were immediately struck by his confidence and charisma. We were also, of course, struck by his physical beauty. Elvis was a complete professional and was ready to work after we made an obligatory stop at Starbucks for a little fortification. We worked for four hours and captured over 1,000 images.
We encountered no conceit or prima-donna qualities while working with Elvis. Instead, Elvis was collaborative, patient, and engaging. Elvis inherently knew how to move and hold his body to highlight its best qualities. He took direction well, but could also improvise if needed. Elvis had amazing muscle strength and balance which were used to create some pretty cool shots. Elvis is a photographer himself and we suspect some of this awareness originates from his own work.
There was no hesitation on Elvis’s part when it came to working through our ideas. His only request, which was not a problem for us, was that we not request poses which were overtly sexual in nature.
What was his comfort level with shooting nude?
Elvis appeared to be 100% comfortable posing nude. At times, the studio owner was present as we worked. While I initially offered Elvis a robe to cover up with, or to otherwise shield his nudity, he wasn’t the least bit bothered at being nude in front of others and I soon gave up trying to protect his privacy.
I enjoy working with color and the singlet offers a punch of red that can work well in a shot. It also communicates a sort of hyper masculinity that can be fun to play around with visually.
Elvis is clearly very fit, but I didn't know he was so acrobatic!
Elvis shared that he’d trained in gymnastics and that he enjoyed balancing poses. This pose was something Elvis offered up on his own. I wouldn’t have known what to ask for! Unfortunately, the smaller studio space limited our opportunities to explore this much, but I saw later that he was able to use his training in similarly styled shots with other photographers.
We provided all the clothing, including the high-tops, for this shoot. I normally look for articles of clothing or other items that the model can have fun with and that might accent their personality or physique. With Elvis, I specifically tried to style the shoot so that his strong legs would remain exposed as they’re truly amazing. I don’t like to rely gimmicks or excessive props to carry our images. Sorry Elvis, but I kept all the clothing. Never know when I might need a kilt….
We’re drawn to images that highlight the subject through the use of imaginative lighting techniques, poses and a limited number of props or clothing items. For our work, we prefer to accent our images with little punches of color and find that too much can detract from the subject’s natural beauty. Bottom line, we’re photographing a person and the work they’ve done to develop their body. That will always be the focus for us. Any props, clothing items, etc. should almost be transparent to the viewer.
No comments:
Post a Comment