About The Living Room

Betcee wore this denim jacket when she arrived, and figuring that we can do some "less is more" images, I ask her to wear it. We get her up off the floor, but we still utilize the natural window light coming in from the south facing window.

When I set this up, I was thinking about the perpetual challenge of how to make the model appear more nude than nude. This comes close, very close, and there's a lot to like in this image. I like Betcee's askance glance -- it works well: it "cheats" her face towards the light source, and the light on her face is very nice, yet her look is natural. I love that there's a jog in Betcee's stance, both in her hips & in her shoulders. -- that's appealing. And of course, Betcee's figure is very appealing.

I do pay attention to my models' hands -- hands can be very expressive. In this pose, Betcee's hands are very natural.

The success of this image is a tribute to Betcee's skill as a model. A less talented model wouldn't have been able to pull off the shoulder jog, the hip jog, and the face cheat so naturally.

See below for an alternative cropping.

When I put together these web pages, one of the last tasks I do is find an image, usually from the most recent sitting, that I can use on the front page of the web site. While this web site features nudes, I prefer to keep the front page image a little less than nude -- something PG-13 or so. Sometimes, I have a little fun with cropping, and this image is the one I chose for the update. One reader mentioned that this was his favorite of the whole sitting. I like it, too. Cropping can be a very fun exercise.

Another image that I like. There's something definitely sexy about how the jacket is allowed to move as it will, and I'm still a fan of the hip jog with the associated model leg position. There's a touch of the window light on the wall, and the inclusion of a little bit of that fancy-framed mirror balances the composition.

Or maybe it's just Betcee's sultry & haughty expression that I like. You know, 95% of the time, you can't talk a model into that head position & expression -- but Betcee pulls it off.

Below is a similar image that's even better!

The sun never stops moving, and as it moves to the west, the light from that favorite window becomes less appealing. The opposite side of the living room faces west and has three large windows that brings in a ton of light. We plop Betcee into the big comfy chair & take a look at the direct sunlight that falls on her. Here's an unusual angle -- me above Betcee.

Again, I'm afraid that I'm guilty of letting the digital camera set the exposure, and that patch of bright sunlight on Betcee's face throws off the automatic exposure. I should know better. Still, Betcee looks comfortable. I believe I asked her for some non-standard but comfortable looking poses, and she delivers.

For me, hosting photography sittings can be intense. I'm always dividing my time & attention three ways:

I am managing the relationship with the model. I want her brain engaged, so we are constantly talking. Sometimes I'm communicating the image concept, and sometimes we are just talking about whatever.
I'm thinking about the next image: exposure, composition, shape, how it is different from previous images, etc.
I'm trying to take a step back & think about whether I've explored the overall setup sufficiently, and if so, what the next setup should be.

So, I decide that the bright, direct sunlight is just too powerful. I close the roman blinds on the left windows, which cuts off the direct sunlight, and I add some artificial light -- a strobe in a big soft box to the camera's right.

This image doesn't quite work -- I don't like the big reflection of the soft box in the window behind Betcee. I can fix that with an adjustment to the camera position.

Better. The strobe light overpowers the afternoon light in the sky outside, making this image feel like it was taken at dusk. There's still a bit of reflection in the window, which makes the outdoor stuff look a little confusing. I like that we utilize the living room as it is, with the bookcase (those are my photography books there).

Although Betcee looks comfortable, I'm not sure I like her pose -- she's in the horizontal equivalent of a slouch. So, I ask Betcee to show me something else.

Better. I had to crop out the reflection in the window. See -- I miss using film, because with my film camera, I could have put a polarizing filter on the lens & used it to reduce the reflection, but I simply don't have a polarizing filter for the digital camera, and such lenses often interfere with the digital camera's operations (e.g. focusing).

But I do like Betcee's pose. I'm man enough to appreciate that her breast is exposed from the opening of her lingerie. I also like the light on Betcee's face.

Betcee turns around, facing the light source more. In retrospect, I think I like the previous image better -- it's sensuality is more subtle. I ask her to move back around.

A favorite. The "evening" feel to the lighting makes Betcee look incredibly sexy.

We spend quite a bit of time, rolling around in the big comfy chair.

I often say that I'm dependent upon chemistry to do my best work. I've got to admit that I'm a little shy. So, it takes a few sittings before I really get to the good stuff when working with a particular model. It's even more difficult when it comes to traveling models -- they just don't come through town often enough to build that special relationship.

But it's a tribute to Betcee that we've become so comfortable with each other. I mentioned before that Betcee tends to lead a nomadic life, and she is very successful with that. In large part, I believe that she is so successful because she's just so confident and so easy to be around.

Still, I don't think I would have been able to make this image during my first or second sitting with Betcee. Somehow, today's images are more sensual & sexy than the images she & I have made before.

Here's a pretty good image -- I like the light & shadows on Betcee's torso and the non-standard pose.

I should mention Betcee's leg position. Some models, especially less experienced or less confident ones, will keep their legs tightly closed, and I think that limits their posing. More experienced / more confident models are willing to experiment. I might be shy, but I'm clear about what I'm trying to accomplish, and it is a tribute to my relationship with Betcee that she understands that I don't want to make, umm, "gynecological" images. Betcee trusts me to manage the camera angle & the lighting so that I don't reveal too much. It's just not an issue.

Still, there's something missing here. This is a single light source image, and I think it could have benefited from a second highlight light source to give a little detail in some of the shadow areas.

Shadows are critically important -- they are necessary to make these two-dimensional images feel three-dimensional.

I finally get Betcee naked!

Like that's difficult -- Betcee was quite willing to pose anyway I want. It was me who kept Betcee partially clothed.

Betcee is so marvelously comfortable in her skin. That adds to the pleasure of working with her.

There's more to being a great model than having a good face & figure. Betcee has the complete package:

She has considerable beauty. She has the face of an angel, and a full, soft, curvy figure.
She does "sultry" well.
She is confident & quite comfortable with her body.
She has great interpersonal skills. She can put the photographer at his ease.
She knows how to present herself in many different ways.

We stay in the living room, looking for more inspiration.

This sitting continues with Couched