Page created October 19, 2007
Sitting date:  September 20, 2007

 

I am a member of the modeling web site, One Model Place.  People run hot & cold about the site, but I like it.  It does a couple of things that I like:

  1. The administrators review all the images uploaded each day & designate the best ones as "Showcase Images", which they put into a gallery.  I enjoy looking through that gallery every day & following the links to the photographers' & models' profiles & portfolios.

  2. When a member (photographer or model) has travel plans, he or she can update their profiles, and a traveling model/photographer notice can be sent to the members of the travel destination. 

I became aware of Valentine when one of the images of her became an OMP Showcase Image -- I followed the image to her profile and became an instant fan of her work.  She posed for some highly skilled photographers & created some wonderful images.  But she was from Louisiana, and she seemed to be staying close to the East Coast.  So, when I got an OMP Traveling Notice for her, I jumped at the chance to work with her. Actually, her travel dates came & went, so I was resolved to be disappointed -- I assumed that I missed her, but later she contacted me.  Her travel plans were delayed -- we actually set up a sitting for the very next day.  I mention this because normally I have a week or so to plan ideas -- with Valentine, we just winged it.

 

 

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I have this theory:  that tastes & styles you form during your teenage years stays with you for your whole life.  For example:  although I enjoy plenty of different kinds of music from plenty of different eras, I still particularly enjoy the music from the late 60's & early 70's that I enjoyed as a teenager (The Beatles, various blues like Paul Butterfield & Bonnie Raitt, some jazz -- heck, I even became a Tom Waits fan back then, when he had only two albums out).

The time in my life when I first became aware of women & mature relationships roughly coincided with the Summer Of Love -- the late 1960's.  While there is plenty about current fashions that I like (e.g. really low jeans), the beautiful women on the hippie generation really get my motor rolling.

 

So, when I open the door & laid eyes on Valentine for the first time, I thought I was back in 1968.  She was wearing layers of loose & flowing clothing, none of which matched.  She had a long & flowing paisley skirt over iridescent jeans and a "Make Levees Not War" t-shirt under a plaid unbuttoned shirt.  She had granny glasses & a variety of necklaces & bracelets that rattled together when she moved.  She had long & straight hair, compelling arctic blue eyes, & minimum makeup.  

She was the hippie chick of my dreams!  Did I mention that she was in town staying with the Grateful Dead (cover band)?

I mentioned this to her, and she seemed surprised.  Her chosen style wasn't any kind of intentional homage to the Summer Of Love -- it was just how she dressed.  I hope I didn't offend her.  Trust me -- coming from me, it's a high compliment!

Anyhow -- study this picture, and consider it the "Before" image.

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I love these "Getting Started" setups, where I photograph a model in the clothes she wears to my door, and then continue while she removes her clothing.  It's a gradual way to break the ice, and I'm always so fascinated by how a woman transforms herself from a person you could pass on the street into a beautiful nude figure model.

More than ever before, I was interested in seeing Valentine go through this transformation.  The photos I've seen of her before meeting her -- they were all so timeless:  many of these images were outdoors or in neutral indoor settings, and thus, there was nothing to date the image. 

Just look at her (here, removing the rattling jewelry).  Play the game & join me, wondering what she looks like without any clothes on at all.  Valentine's flowing clothing hides the fabulous & interesting figure we are soon to see.

 

(One patron, who got to see some preview images, thought this was a very sexy image).

Valentine is amazing -- none of her clothing matched -- her other clothes were earth toned, but her bra is cool blue & green.  Yet somehow, it all worked together.  Part of me felt that it was almost a shame to ask her to remove those clothes.  A small part of me.  A very small part.  

With all those loose articles of clothing, this image is the first hint at the wonderful figure underneath.  We took our time, and I enjoyed being exposed to Valentine's body one piece of clothing at a time.

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And somehow Valentine swims in color.  Normally, it wouldn't bother me to post only B&W images, but somehow, I suspect that this collection will feature more color images than most.

 

Valentine removes her skirt to reveal the most amazing jeans -- as she moves, the jeans change color from blue-black to magenta.  Valentine is a three ring circus, and she swims in colors.  Trippy!

Okay, I'm drooling over Valentine's looks a bit too much.  But that wasn't what was going on.  The objective for any first sitting with a new-to-me model is "get acquainted".  As flamboyant as she looks, Valentine is a bit on the quiet side.  I also like eye contact with the camera, but Valentine's eyes just wander all over the room & out the big window.  We took a little while to warm up to each other, but we got there soon enough.

I should note that I'm enjoying the wonderful natural light here in the big comfy chair.

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Now we are getting serious.

Just look at her!  Forget for a second that she's topless (and that she has a really fine chest).  Look at her crossed leg pose & the position of her hands -- like she's meditating.  Look at the lovely light on her moon child goddess face.  Look at those eyes!  She seems serene and at peace; she seems wise & open.  She is 1968 still.

 

Step by slow step, we get to see a little more, and we learn how to work together.

It's hard for me to believe that this is totally lit by natural window light -- the light on Valentine's beautiful face is all natural.  Those iridescent jeans don't hide Valentine's fine & slim figure, and her magnificent breasts speak for themselves.

This is a favorite images from this sitting -- but be forewarned:  there are a lot of favorite images from this sitting.

I also like to play cropping games:  my first camera was a rangefinder, and with such cameras, you are never sure where the edges of the negatives are.  So, I got into the habit of stepping back a little & including 110% of what I think I need.  Then, when I printed the images, I would crop it down to what I liked.  Sometimes, I'd find a picture within a picture, and with a radical crop, I'd produce a whole new image.

On occasion, I did more radical cropping -- using only a small part of the original image.  I'm also a fan on unusual sized images.  I know that some photographers take pride in using the entire original image, sometimes including the graffiti around the edges of the film.  Not me -- I was born a cropper & I'll always be a cropper.

Case in point:  the image below is a cropped version of the image to the right.  This also is a favorite.  Which do you prefer?

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It took a little while, but somewhere around "now" Valentine & I became more comfortable with each other.  We work on removing the rest of Valentine's clothes.

 

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A little wide angle distortion is always fun.  Valentine consents to remove the last bits of clothes, revealing her inspiring figure.

I should note that the windows are uncovered, and we were working in the middle of a Thursday afternoon.  My house is downtown on a busy street.  And here is a ravishingly beautiful young woman prancing around naked by the front window of my house.

The adventurous part of me figures that I'm just enhancing my reputation in the neighborhood.

The reality is that my living quarters are on the second floor (the ground floor is the rental unit of my duplex), and with bug screens on the window, passers-by can't really see into the front room from the street.

Then again, there's a six story office building across the street -- they might be able to see in.  It's a chance we'll have to take.

In any case, it's probably all okay -- I don't believe that anyone can see in, and if they could, well, no one has ever complained.

 

Ta-Da!  Valentine is finally nude.

I'm really pleased.  I'm struck by the transformation from 1968 hippie chick to beautiful nude moon child goddess model.  I've already had a ton of fun with Valentine, and we were just getting started.

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You got to love these "Getting Started" setups.  I've got to admit that I found Valentine's wardrobe style fascinating, but her figure is nothing short of inspiring.  She has alabaster skin, riveting blue eyes, long limbs, fabulous breasts, and a graceful slim figure.  I just know, right away, that I'm going to enjoy working with Valentine.

This sitting continues with The Dining Room Chair

 

(Remember -- feedback is always appreciated) 

All images (c) 2007 Looknsee Photography

Valentine's First Sitting Out Takes

Over 130 more images from this sitting are available in the Out Takes Galleries, which are available to those who have made a donation to the upkeep of this web site.  See this FAQ question for more details.

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