'With a model like Josh, it doesn't really feel like work, you're just having fun. Sometimes, this often seems to produce the best results.'
I've been featuring the work of London based photographer Jack Saul for over six years, and I'm always excited to spotlight his work. I am drawn back to Jack's work frequently, and for a number of reasons. One of the major factors has to be the models that Jack finds to work with.
I love the beautiful variety of diverse models that Jack finds to work with and no matter who is in front of his camera, he always finds a way to bring out aspects of both their personality, and their sensuality. With Josh, his sensuality is evident in his beautiful body and face. I was first struck by his eyes and lips, and after seeing an image Jack posted on his Instagram, I immeateatly reached out about featuring their work together.
When Jack sent on the results of their shoot together, close to 400 images, I was drawn to how elegantly Josh used his body to create such unique and sensuous poses. There were so many beautiful shots and poses, it took a long time to narrow down my favorites. When it came to Josh's personality, the string of pearls that he wore, and the socks, gave a hint to one of his passions.
He responded to a casting call I put up on ModelMayhem. He was listed on there as a fashion photographer, so I wasn't previously aware of him.
What first struck you about his appearance?
He sent me a "mood board" of self-taken images, so I didn't have precise expectations of him physically before we met. I certainly got a very exciting sense of expressiveness from him though.
As with the vast majority of my shoots, I never set out with firm intentions or preconceptions. It's very much about following a loose framework (artistic nude) but combined with lots of scope for collaboration and improvisation - which Josh was very keen to actively participate in.
Was posing nude an issue for him?
Not really, no. He'd never done it before with someone he didn't know. He mentioned some anxiety about the fact that he had recently lost a significant amount of excess weight but this didn't show at all during the shoot.
What was Josh like to work with, was he comfortable right away with shooting nude?
He was comfortable & determined about the nudity aspect and didn't show any particular nerves. He's finishing a degree in Fashion Photography and is already working on his own professional shoots, so wasn't fazed at all by any aspects of doing a photoshoot (in fact he almost certainly knows a huge amount more about it than I do).
Was their much chat during the shoot?
I always talk to the model face to face for about 15 minutes before we start shooting and then encourage them to be as chatty as possible throughout the shoot (I'm usually constantly asking them questions about themselves). The only thing slightly different with this shoot was that Josh asked for the radio to be playing, presumably this helped him relax even more.
Were the fashion choices his or yours?
The accessories and underwear were down to him, I think the only think I asked for was the dark shirt
which provided some nice contrast in b&w.
The chains and pearls?
He asked if he should wear them or take them off, but since he came in wearing them, I told him it was entirely his choice.
Did Josh require much direction, or just go with the flow?
A mixture of both. He definitely had certainly "looks" that he was trying to achieve, which I let him go with the flow. I try keep direction minimal in all of my shoots, unless I see something that could work better. When I did give him suggestions, he seemed very willing to comply and clearly wanted to get the best possible results.
What was the beat part of working with Josh?
He's very bright, friendly and engaging. He's one of these people that it's just a pleasure to spend some time with, regardless of what you're actually doing. With a model like Josh, it doesn't really feel like work, you're just having fun. Sometimes, this often seems to produce the best results.
Given how difficult it was to narrow down images, a part two was definitely in order! Check out more of Jack's work with Josh on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
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