Captured Beauty

I love working with models multiple times. There are a lot of advantages:

I've mentioned this before, but I really don't get a good sense of what a model looks like until I've photographed her. When you look at a photography, you don't always get a sense of how the model moves, how she reacts to direction, etc., and of course, there's no predicting what your chemistry will be like. You may find this hard to believe, but some models just don't get my sense of humor!
Looking at previous sitting images can inspire new ideas.
You've established working relationships and have built trust.
I feel more inclined to experiment with new ideas with people I've already photographed.
And, there are some models, like Victoria, that you just like being around & look forward to seeing again.

(A bonus is the implied endorsement I get when models work with me multiple times. This gives a good impression to new potential models. Further, when a model works with me multiple times, she is often quite happy & willing to be a reference for new models.)

Victoria was aware of my bounty from Spartacus Leathers -- a local leather products manufacturer who has given me a small trunk full of products with the hope that I'd use them in my photographs. Victoria agrees to model a few of the products.

Fetish posing really isn't something Victoria does often, but she is open minded, and since we've gotten to know each other a bit, she consented to modeling a few of the items. Knowing her feelings, I didn't ask her to do anything extreme. What you see here is a comfortable middle ground for both of us.

(Just so you know, as a bonus, I let the models keep any leather panties they model -- I don't feel right recycling them.)

We start with a thin "word collar" (it says "Sexy", and I have to agree) & some leather panties -- the boots were part of Victoria's traveling kit. I've got to admit that I never did justice to the "word collar" -- maybe next time.

You'll note that Victoria arrived looking particularly yummy -- she's lean & fit & muscular & graceful. As it turns out, she recently trained for & participated in the Perfect 10 Model Boxing -- she even won her first match! Look for a Showtime special sometime in early August, 2005 (I don't know whether Victoria will be included in that special). In fact, Victoria met Ashton Gray at that event & became friends.

Like the previous sitting (Kristin's First Sitting), my digital camera was unreliable in firing off the strobes. I wanted to start with lighting similar to the "Master Painter's Light", but without the immediate feedback afforded by the digital camera, I was unable to fine tune the lighting.

I've come to rely on the digital camera during my sittings, and it is frustrating when it fails. The camera is the Canon Powershot G5, and Canon does not support using this camera to fire off strobes using a PC Sync connection. I had been using a Wein Safe-Sync Hot Shoe Mounted High Voltage Sync Regulator.

So, without the feedback, I'm guessing at the lighting. This lighting is good, but not perfect.

The unreliability of the digital camera is nothing new. In the past, sometimes if I fiddle with the Safe-Sync's positioning on the hot shoe or if I twist the PC wire around a bit, I can get it to work.

After this image, we add handcuffs to the mix, I fiddle with the digital camera, and I get it to work.

The image above left is film-based; its companion on the right is digital, as is this image on the left.

(Note: if you look at the file names, you'll see a pattern: the first couple of letters identifies the model, the second couple of numbers identifies the sitting, then there is a "d" for digital or a "f" for film based image, then a number to create a unique identifier, finally there may be some additional information to indicate any special post processing. Thus, this image's file name, va03d0010sepsat.jpg, indicates Victoria A.'s third sitting, a digital image, tenth digital image created, with sepia & color saturation added during photo editing).

I can't tell you why I love this low angle perspective (I call it the "dog's eye perspective"), but I do.

Here's a low angle film camera image. I like it a lot, but it's not quite the same as the digital version (see above). My film camera's wide angle lens is about the equivalent of a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera, while the digital camera's wide angle lens is the equivalent of a 28mm lens. Further, with the pivoting LCD screen on the digital camera, I can position the digital camera more easily. For this film image, I had to lie down on the floor to get this angle. That wasn't very comfortable for me. I do suffer for my art!

That being said, perhaps the less extreme version here is a bit better, at least in this instance. Still, it's nice to have the flexibility.

One thing you can't "see" from these images is how easy Victoria is to photograph -- she is very supportive of the photographer, and she moves with grace & confidence. I am particularly grateful to her for her willingness to pose with these mild bondage products. In addition, she was patient & flexible while I wrestled with the reluctant digital camera.

Thanks, Victoria!

Quick assessment -- I've yet to create a good handcuff picture. That's on me -- Victoria was terrific, showing me different shapes & angles. It's worthwhile for me to think on this some more -- I'm open to suggestions, or send me your favorite image.

Victoria is a special, special person -- she is generous, supportive, happy, fun, confident, and of course, gorgeous. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend working with her.

This sitting continues with Leashed.