Sometimes the most simple of materials is all it really takes. Someone willing to patiently sit in front of the camera. A long cloth to hang up in the background. A window with light subdued by an overcast sky. That is really it. I used to make images with this very simple set up back in my college days all the time. Only back then it was even harder as I was more than likely making photos and portraits in a 5th wheel trailer. Oh yes indeed I was living the bohemian lifestyle for sure back then. Now days I have the decency to at least operate with this kind of set up in a full fledged apartment living room! Talk about an upgrade!
I do very much enjoy the detail one can see on the model’s skin in this image. That is largely thanks to the large-ish 6x7 negative produced with the Mamiya RZ67. Despite the overwhelming size of the RZ67 I find that it is very easy to put a person at ease when working with it. I think that is largely due to the fact that I can set the camera on a tripod down at chest level and never really stand behind it. Typically I will stand to one side of the camera or sometimes even in front of the camera. That means I am always in direct communication with the model and never covering up my own face. It’s a subtle thing really, but it does make a difference. Especially when I working with someone for the first time.
So what more can I say about this photograph really? It has some nice shapes to it and some fascinating skin textures. It’s one of those images that I find pleasing to just trace with the eye and discover new details I never noticed before. A tiny wrinkle in the skin. A mole over there. A slightly longer finger nail over here. A line in the lips or a tiny bump on the nipple. Something new with every fresh look.
One of the many joys of a photograph.