I am fortunate to be able to use an art room at the university as a studio. It is perfect in that it has a wide west facing window, is large, warm and within a few yards of a cafe. I like my comforts but more importantly so do models.

Anyway, I began a shoot with my friend and model in bright daylight and made a series of images, a number of which have appeared on the Facebook page. However, the light faded and we decided to try some low powered very underwhelming fixed lights before finishing. She simply sat on a painted wooden box, folded up into this pose and with some modification to detail, I took a number of photographs. It was immediately obvious that the scuptural quality of her shape in the light was beautiful and really required little further thought to make this image. 

It is called “Nude No.2 ” because, at the time I was concentrating on a different image which will maybe appear here but is less suitable for Facebook. 

The depiction of the nude in photography goes back since photography was invented and done well is amazing and done badly is appalling. I leave the reader with their own opinion but you might be interested in some of the broader issues in making images like these.

Firstly, it is absolutely dependent on the model, not just what she looks like but how she feels and responds to the creative process. There must be absolute trust and respect between photographer and model and cooperation to make images, some of which work well and others that don’t. It is just not like making landscapes or still life in that although the same technical competence is needed there are also requirements to be focused not just on the physical form but also the mood and feelings of the model. It is not like street photography, which I never do by the way, in that the subject is not taken by surprise and without consultation but with detailed and specific agreement. 

People ask me how long it takes to make an image like this and the narrow confines of making the exposure is about 15 minutes, but the reality is that it takes a lifetime of experience. That is being truthful in that my younger self would have found this much more difficult.

What do you think are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!

The pose is simple, relaxed, discrete but not self concious. The abstract of black and white and light contrast works for me.

If you would be able to make this photo once again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?

I can’t answer this question because the conditions, the mood, the model and indeed me are never going to be the same again. To try to mechanically recreate this image would negate the whole concept of spontenaity and the magic of photography.

David Kyle shared his photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.

Photographer

David Kyle, Aberystwyth, Wales

Equipment and Settings

It doesn’t matter, but for those interested – I use a Fujifilm X-T1 camera.