The
Artistic Nude
We all face some challenges at times, not only at work
but also in our private life. Many of us
lack some confidence in some small way and that is often related to how
uncomfortable we may feel about certain parts of our bodies. If we don’t like parts of our bodies we often
try and hide them from view, regardless if that is our feet, arms, bottoms....it’s
irrelevant what people may say to comfort us , it’s how we feel inside.
I have had the privilege to work with a wonderful
artist Jane Thomson, who paints artistic nudes. These paintings are commissioned by the
everyday person. The message that Jane
is trying to promote through her work is that everyone is beautiful and
therefore have wonderful parts of their bodies which she captures and shows
through the final painting.
So where do I and indeed Elle Jé Studio & Gallery
fit into all this? I capture the images
through photography which Jane then takes and makes into a master piece.
These areas were shadowed out providing a distinctive shape
for Jane to paint
We used a model
at the onset to enable Jane to produce work for her initial launch. The studio lends itself very well with the various
backdrops and lighting available for the task at hand. It was important to capture the shadows in
the right areas dependent of course upon the commission. If an individual is unhappy with their legs
then we would ensure the studio lighting highlights the “good” points and the
shadows hides the models selected “bad” areas.
We set the studio up such, that there are areas ready
to create angelic, dark and emotional images depending upon the individual
persons requirements. We used a harsh
light (beauty dish) that was directionally pointed at the areas to be
highlighted and creating exaggerated shadows in the troublesome areas. We used reflectors to throw some light into
the dark areas providing some definition, and where required we used a fill in
light. Some of the images were cropped
tightly in the camera emphasising the selected better areas and avoiding the
unfavourable areas.
For the second set-up we used the infinitive cove and created
a more even lighting, shadowing slightly the areas to which the artist needed
to emphasis. This enabled us to create an
angelic look for the females. The
background was lit with 2 bowens flash lights, the background metered at f22, 3
stops different to the key light, bleaching the background. The main light sported a large octagon
softbox to distribute the light evenly over the whole of the body especially
when the subject sat or lay on the floor.
The advantage of having a larger studio is you can
swiftly position your model for the shoots without them having to wait around
while you are swopping lighting set-ups.
More comfortable for a naked person and especially someone who may
already be apprehensive with the whole experience? By the time you have taken a few shots they
are familiar with all the set-ups surrounding them and comfortable to move
around accordingly.
Now we were ready to start the commissioned work. Remembering that these individuals were not
models and were uncomfortable with parts of their bodies, the task at hand was
to make the experience a pleasant one, to be remembered for the right reasons. My challenge is to ensure that all my
customers are happy and receive a high standard of customer service, this
without say is also extended to their customers.
Off we started
with our first client, a female; this had to also be fun to add to a memorable
day. It wasn’t long before she was at
ease and posing like a professional and laughing with us. Her inhabitations around the lower part of
her body eventually left her when we were able to show her that she looked
stunning and had nothing to be unhappy about...........I wish my bum looked as
good as hers I certainly would be happy
about it then J
Our next customer arrived a guy accompanied by his
wife, how brave 3 females and himself, what a sport he was even when we put him
in some unfamiliar poses. Before long we
were all laughing and having a good time and also we captured what Jane had
been striving for, that image to enable her create a unique impression. The artist at work
Laugh out Loud!
