Autumn will be here next week and the sun is dipping lower for us in the northern hemisphere, taking in the last bits of summer beach weather while it lasts with wonderful company.
#artnude #naturenude #artmodel #beach #nudebeach #lastdaysofsummer #birthdayseason with a first time secret #nudemodel
![So back in the days (mid 2000s) I newly switched to digital from film I was driven to do as many photoshoots I could now that I didn't have to worry about the limitations and costs of shooting film.
At the time aside from a little Sony P&S rangefinder style camera (DSC V3) I was able to get a hold of a used Nikon D100 and a 24-85mm nikkor kit lens but still preferred my film era manual nikkor lenses, thank goodness the mounts stayed the same.
So I got this opportunity to shoot this official online playboy model that peaked my interest and who has worked with some photographers I know.
I made the drive to Hollywood and met her and her good [model] friend Liz but I had only booked Carlotta.
With a pair of hot-lights in tow, some fabric, my camera and three old lenses, we made the best of what we had for our two-hour shoot.
Being a nervous wreck because I was shooting with the incredible Carlotta Champagne trying to not let my fanboy come out, we actually ended up having a fun time shooting nudes with good conversation. This shot reflects the energy that morning.
Now I totally remember Carlotta being a real sweetheart and easy to work with like the true professional she is.
After that day she was really gracious within the art community and referred me to other models which I truly appreciate to this day. It shows what amazing class she has.
I have since only met up with her one other time when I came down to shoot with a visiting model friend (Floofie) who was staying at her place.
The evening before my shoot a bunch of us went out for a lovely dinner.
Carlotta's home has some amazing decor loaded with Hollywood film era collectibles and movie wardrobes etc. and I was wanting to see it all, and how she found it all. It just broadened my admiration of her character.
Anyways go give her some love and see her amazing work she has done and still does thru her web links, you'll thank me later.
If you see this Carlotta, HEY Girl 👋 Hope you're doing amazing.
~Art](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreiazfenf2xalgpqsk2z7426aicpcpleo7vm7ccs4cssc7yg63czwmm)
![I really need to get my expired passport in order because lately I have been thinking back to 2002 when I was in French Polynesia for a world competition in outrigger canoe racing that took place in Bora Bora.
This image was the week after the event when I was island hopping.
The final morning on my second to last island of the trip I paddled out to a secluded motu (reef) island, floated and swam with the lagoon sea life, soaking up the last full day of sun of Mo'orea sunshine [I think I was au-natural here that day getting full tan] before paddling back to the main island, jumping on my beach cruiser bike to get my first and only tattoo from a traditional Tahitian artist, [part of it is represented on my profile art]... so essentially this photo is of the last hours of my pure unmarked virgin skin. I then promised myself afterwards I would not get another tattoo unless I returned to these islands and hopefully this same artist.
As to insure waterproof imaging from paddling across the lagoon, this photo and others that morning was shot with a store bought disposable Fujifilm underwater film camera, then many years later digitally scanned for archiving.
Here I am on a smaller neighboring motu looking back at the larger one. Sadly since I was there, and some who have been there recently knows that these motus are now occupied by tour and event excursion services and no longer the tranquil reef island I remember. Still beautiful tho but now more people in the mix, so no more naked swimming with tropical fishies and feeding them pieces of baguettes. Just lucky I had the solitude experience when I did almost twenty-four years ago.
The next day I took a ferry to Papa'ete for a couple days and on the last day I surprised and reconnected with an old Tahitian friend I met back home 15 years prior when she was on vacation. We had a blast catching up at her home with that island hospitality before she gave me a ride to the airport for my midnight flight back to California.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreifbbbdwavajpiplq6kumvxme3rru37ldhu36b2u4oft6gnuajrqpm)
![I can't believe this was eight years ago, Wow.
...Went down to LA to meet up with my dear go-to friend Kira, booked a studio in the fashion district (FD Studios) and did what we always do; create some art nudes, then got a bite to eat afterwards, caught up on life stuff before I had to get back to the train station to head home.
That day I was excited to try out some new lenses I got for my Fujifilm system at the time and obviously to reconnect with Kira after three years from the last time we worked together.
I had some ideas for this shoot of experimental means with my new-ish cameras and [like most of my shoots] ended up shooting off around 450 frames, all different and no bursts... yeah I'm old school that way.
This image was captured with the Fujifilm X-T2 and the original XF56mm f1.2 R, natural window light from her right side with a minimal fill gridded soft strobe to her left to insure smooth contrast on the shadow side, triggered with the studio's on camera master unit. Hope internet compression doesn't image quality too much.
Now I remember taking the train because a few days before our scheduled time in LA, roads out of my town were closed due to a huge 24 hour super rain storm that dumped so much water that it triggered massive landslides, boulders, water and mud to rush off the local mountains to the ocean destroying property on the way, covering roads and the highway. I was afraid I would have to cancel due to having no reasonable access out of town, but luckily Amtrak was cleared through the rubble a day or two before and the shoot was on.
It's always a good and productive time when I shoot with the ever so talented and lovely Floofie... We're certainly due for a re-union shoot soon :)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreicqfatrbqwhn2pgym3ff4bxtrywtdeiunvwdyqz6c66mqgt25l5xu)
![Amanda came over to help me with something I wanted to improve on, which is studio lighting quality in terms of nude work and portraiture.
Her amazing feminine figure was what the doctor ordered and the main reason I booked her.
I was able to apply everything I learned in what I learned in figure study drawing classes over the years in reference to how light works on shapes and contours of the human form and everyday subjects using light not outlines to determine separation of elements of the figure.
I could teach a whole course on why lighting is so important to figure work and how every contour and shape directs and re-directs light to form a composition, everything from direct lit areas to shadowing and everything in between and how reflective light works and is the unspoken hero of an image. As in sketch and painting media, the same applies to photography, and not just in nude or portrait studies but in everything we shoot and how to expose for that dynamic range of what lighting we are using or given. I think this is why I preferred b&w photography over color when it comes to nude and portrait work.
Spend a couple of minutes studying this image and see what I'm talking about. It's not my best example but quite up there in the purpose of the study.
Again a huge thank you to Amanda [where ever she is these days] for our wonderful session. Looking through the files of that day it sure looks like we had such a fun time together getting these images.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreibxsuhhxpgialdlc6i334nmjjbk3ij3nqugs6yc6lqixveojzu7zu)
![Rose early out of my tent, took 20 steps to the lakeshore to take advantage of the stillness of the scene and get the orange sunrise light on the mountain reflecting off the glassy water.
The setup with the Fujifilm X-H1 and the stunning XF16mm f/1.4 R WR that is a full frame equivalent of a 24mm. Manual setting on the X-H1 at ISO200 f5.6 @ 1/60th sec. 0 EV ... [this] setup shot on my iPhone SE](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreigb67vczwt7rztj6utmaxqdumcxaj6tb6ls5kpjucko3usag772vy)
![Zinn Star is one of those dream models I had the chance to work with two or three times and I need to feature her more often because looking back at each of our photo sessions I have tons of what we call as "keepers".
Shooting with Zinn was a treat and inspiration and I cherished our time together in the studio or on location.
This shot was from our first session at my home surprisingly fifteen years ago. Using window light and perhaps a foam core board reflector as to save some detail on her shadow side, I had her be fiercely expressive, frustrated, angry, lashing out and roar. She sold the action by grabbing her breasts as one would rip their shirt in anger... I just Love this detail for the shot.
Now intentionally or by happy mistake, I honestly don't recall really, but my shutter speed was clocked at 1/5th of a second. It think it was set to equal the Hasselblad 6x6 I was also shooting and I forgot to reset my Nikon, whatever, It captured her slight movement, some might say it's a bad photo but to me the motion blur adds to the emotion and intention of her pose.
Of the hundreds of great images we created, this blurry yet intense photo of Zinn is one of my favorite we have produced, maybe because it is different and out of the normal thing we would traditionally do... crazy how that happens right?!
Idk, but art to me is the creation of the moment and feeling of the creative process. Yes we can do precisely choreographed set up posed shots, and I love doing those to but sometimes flying by the seat of your pants [as they say] is fun too, just like musicians do just jamming out grooving to a feeling.
Either way it's always a learning process, even for those of us who have been doing this for many decades, and that's what always keeps it fresh and inspiring.
Forever grateful to Zinn Star 🤍](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreibvdzncsfy72wro3rsy5ar4nva533oacsgtej7atgl37azdcddnci)
![About a decade or so ago I had the most memorable Valentines weekend ever... here playing with a setting sun's shadow play on A.D's figure. Being creative with light and shadows is a thing I have.
The story of this shoot:
Our mutual admirations of each others online nude work [her modeling anonymously, me photographing], she has never shot in front of anyone's camera except her partner's.
She proposed that she was coming to town for valentines day and that we should finally meet and maybe shoot if I had time... long story short I instantly said Yes Yes Yes and we ended up shooting for three days straight.
With studio gear in tow we started with corporate environmental half body and head shots she needs for her business use. A good warm up, something useful and productive, plus I needed the practice.
Next was cos-play, bikini and lingerie, then to topless, and by the end of the 2nd day we were all in on art nude mode.
Day 3, Inhibitions fully gone and 1 on 1 trust well established since day one the only thing left to do is be as creative as we can be.
Honestly I was just so honored to be her one and only choice [outside her partner's] to photograph her au-naturel.
I have worked with many many nude models for different art mediums over the years but the fact she chose me to break her proper nude modeling cherry is something I can never take for granted.
I have been the "first" for a few aspiring art models and it's always a real honor of respect when I get asked... so I say yes and do my very best to make their experience pleasant and fun on top of delivering the best artistic representation of them I can, and then seeing the joy in their face of how beautifully their natural form can be portrayed is priceless... That there is all I need to continue creating and do what I love.
Model remains anonymous as she is no longer online and being respectful for her privacy.
Either way, a huge thank you and hug for my lovely friend for a great valentines day/weekend💘](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j2bf33ojshiozinacbf2uyky/bafkreibnpzorm4ra5fbzmueckpnrovgqv5272lt5fdw2w2io4tlpfacgfa)
