Anyway, the last blog I wrote was all about doing some proper posh portrait pics with a pro, working with that Mike Hardley fella, and going to drawing classes.
It has been a quite couple of weeks, but what I have done, has been interesting! I spent Monday evening after work last week doing a really fun three hour studio session in Milton Keynes with a photographer who is slow and calculative with his lighting approach, knows exactly what he wants from a shoot, and comes (helpfully) with a selection of thumb nails for reference to the kind of thing he wants. It is a great resource to have on hand, and especially good when someone is running short on motivation, which does happen from time to time!
So then, I booked a half day off work on Wednesday and wondered on down to KV Media for a shoot with Karen Jones and Tony Nutley. A very productive day and two pleased photographers who both had projects and ideas in mind, and achieved what they wanted. There will be further results to follow, but for now, here are a couple of previews. Working with Karen is a joy every time. We work in a very relaxed manner, but seem, more or less, to produce results every time, and with the most unusual of props. The dress in the photo on the left was one of the most unusual things I think I have ever worn, but I was sure I could make it work for a photo or two, and low and behold, here is one of many examples of shots that worked.
Tony and I have worked together on numerous occasions too, but seeing as we live so far apart, our meetings for photo fabness are far less frequent than I would like. Again, we get great results each time we shoot (even when make-up artists do ridiculous things with my eyebrows) and Tony is so lovely and easy going, the time seems to whizz by in the blink of an eye. So, we did some great stuff with a single light from all different angles, and my favourite is this one here on the right.
This is a fairly typical pose for me, and one photographers ask me to replicate over and over. The first time I did this pose was when I spent a day with John Tisbury at Arianne Studios in Tamworth, being wickedly creative with one light, but from directly above. A slightly different approach to that of Tony, but just as effective. Take a look for yourself. A couple of the other shots from this shoot when on to be published in the Guild of Erotic Arts second book, named "The Guild of Erotic Artists II". You can see some more of these images on my website. www.nicbutton.co.uk
Finally, last night I spent the evening working with a group of photographers from a photographic group in Hertfordshire. There were two photographers working with film - something which makes me feel fairly under pressure. Call me anti-old fashioned, but there is something wonderful about being able to do it again and not waste a whole shot when you accidentally lose balance, blink or forget to stand on tippy-toes. Equally though, and I am not just saying this, there is something gorgeous about a proper film photograph. The pressure means you work an extra bit harder, there are smaller parameters for post-shot editing, and whilst you do run the risk of potentially ruining a whole roll of film, a perfect shot from a film camera can be really satisfying to look at, especially if you have been part of it.
So much for short and sweet! Have a great weekend people, and thanks for reading!
