What is it about my new book?
Help me get my camera back and I'll give you a copy of my new publication.
My interest in model photography first started when I was about 17. I loved drawing and used to browse through photography magazines to find images that inspired me. I recall drawing one side-view photo of a model dressed in jeans, boots and blouse casually sitting on a trunk leaning forward with her weight on her arms crossed at the wrist. There was something about her hands and the way they hung between her knees and the texture of the materials that caught my eye. As I drew I recomposed the image to focus on the body position and cut the models face just above the lips. Technically, it would have been a good fashion shot and I liked the finished piece. The main comment I got from that drawing was “Why did you not draw her face?” That’s when I realized I appreciated different aspects about images than other people around me. Those drawing experiences inspired my curiosity into photography and portraits in particular. It wasn’t until I was nearly 50 that I decided to try portrait photography myself.
I had a camera and had taken good shots of people at social gatherings that they liked. I started taking more thoughtful pictures of my sons. I started reading a lot about portrait photography and art nude came up. I started to see imagery focused on physicality and like that headless image I drew, I saw form and context rather than beautiful or sexy. It wasn’t that the models weren’t beautiful or sexy, but the lighting, the composition, the context, the surroundings, and the photographers focus really made me see artistic rules and patterns that I learnt in drawing and fine art. Then I came across what I call ‘Eastern European’ style with photographers like Alexander Vinogradov, Zachar Rise, and David Dubnitskiy. Their color grading and exquisite attention to detail intrigued me. Especially Dubnitskiy. Something about the way green and blue are used and manipulated in editing to reflect Eastern Europe artistic color history which is different from most western artists I had learnt about. Add in a soft contrast and clever composition and for me, that crossing of painting and photography was something I had to learn how to do.
I needed a model. I had searched Model Mayhem (MM) but did not have a portfolio so I thought hiring a model wouldn’t be possible. Well, I thought what if I could find an erotic dancer? I did contact one who said she would do a nude shoot and she had modeled before but she wanted to use the photos. I agreed but it never happened. I decided to try to use MM. I paid a subscription fee so I could message models and wrote to a few relatively local ones. No reply at all. No wonder really.
I can’t remember now but my introduction was probably something like “I’m a new photographer without a portfolio but I would like to shoot” so yeah, it didn’t work. So, I refined my introduction explaining my intentions as a new photographer to do a boudoir shoot with nudity if sufficiently comfortable and messaged one model. She replied and agreed and we set up a date. I booked an AirBnB that had amazing light and minimally styled in the city she lived in, 150km away.
She turned up on time with a choice of outfits and we chatted about my interest in photography and her modeling experience. I had explained I had never done a pro shoot before and never photographed a nude model. However, I had example photos printed out to show about 25 poses I liked for boudoir style and maybe 10 with partial nudity. I had bought a course from an online boudoir photographer and followed his guide. This shoot was also where I first used a white cheap shower curtain as an affordable scrim. The shoot went very well and ended up being my first nude shoot with her posing in front of the white scrim for about 15 minutes. The results were beyond both our expectations.
Overall, with expenses, that shoot cost me over $1000. For my first model shoot, that was a lot. However, that cost ended but being an average cost for my traveling shoots. I thought if I could host, maybe I could reduce the cost because there were no local nude models on MM. Again I reached out on MM and booked a shoot and the model would travel and stay at my home overnight. That model, Marie Brooks introduced me to art nude in nature. She changed my view of what was possible entirely as a photographer and that I could use my past experience as a landscape and family ‘snapper’ too. As well as everything I had learnt drawing and so I found myself composing in the same way I did 30 years before.
I have since had interesting, bizarre, and amazing experiences exploring this medium and niche of fine art nude photography. But I’ll tell you this. When I was trying to figure out how to start, my searches for how to find a model often had useful info, but when I searched for how to be a photographer of fine art nude or how to book nude models, my searches gave very little useful information. I spent hours pouring over photographers’ websites, blogs, YouTube and anywhere I could get information and tips to build a knowledge base.
What I do know is that when you know a little, you think you know a lot and the more you learn, you more you realize you don’t know. It’s called the Dunning-Kruger effect. So I actively seek information, stories, behind-the-scenes and experiences. Hosting was amazing for finding out about a models’ perspective and having more context in how best to frame their uniqueness and in building that connection I sought in my work. A knowledge base gives me confidence and an understanding how to achieve a look or concept.
As I started to merge my education in Psychology with photography, my images took on a new level for me and provided another knowledge base which expanded my conceptual ideas base dramatically. I had become bored of boudoir photography and the endless Instagram same-same feed. I wanted depth and I wanted to push my boundaries with what I thought I could do artistically. I still want that so I am always asking myself why a certain shot is so good. Why is it appealing to me?
A side-effect of bringing experience in mental health into my photography work is that I notice body language and expressions. There are patterns to an individuals choice of poses that reflect a lot about that person. I hear the language used and see the nervous trembling hands. I know when a subject and myself are in that zone where I feel I am capturing something more. It’s like the images start to speak for themselves. Sometimes I see something so compelling in an image I’ve taken that I know I’m very lucky and I just caught something bigger than the image itself. Maybe a feeling or maybe a desire or something beyond words. Honestly, for me, it’s like songwriting, the best ones are often the simplest, fastest to write and seem to come from somewhere else. I believe a person can embody a concept or image so perfectly that it looks natural that they are in it, that nobody else could fit that photo so well. My job is to fit the context with the person and allow them to ‘be’.
People will tell you who they are if you really listen. People also love talking about themselves. Psychology teaches hearing what is not being said, noticing patterns and inconsistencies and how to actively listen because the interpretation of what you hear them say and what you think they meant is a dangerous place full of pop-psych crap. As I said earlier “when I know a little, I think I know a lot.” Accuracy is dependent upon your knowledge base but imagination is not.
So, I had this idea on the back burner for some time and so I decided to write a Guide for new or experienced photographers and creators to build their knowledge base when it comes to working with independent models. Trial and error is how I had to do it, and paying $150 for a boudoir photographers’ online course and $100 for a Ukranian portrait photographers’ course. I’m not knocking it and I’m glad I did it, however, I got a lot of convoluted advice from a lot of different sources in my journey and always thought there could be a more succinct website or book. Well, now there is. It’s called:
What makes this guide different is that it’s written from the photographers’ perspective. Which is majoritively male in this smaller niche of nude photography so the Guide is split into two parts.
Firstly; simple concise explanations with tips for contacting non-agency models, concepts, fees, working with nudity, the reality of the freelance model industry, safe behavior, contracts, directing, editing and releasing your work and more. (See the back cover for the contents).
Secondly; a realistic look at the working relationship between a photographer or creator and a model or creative. This is explored through some Psychological research presented easily and in a way meant to foster understanding. I think people learn better when they are taught to understand rather than just being told what to do. I think that the more a person has insight into proven behavioral patterns the harder it becomes to exploit that behavior because understanding can breed compassion. Finally, the second part includes how to notice patterns in model behavior that could be a challenge or could be manipulative. Photographers can be exploited too and usually financially. The information is clearly laid out and it’s probably going to ruffle a few feathers.
For $25, I think it’s good value for a downloadable PDF format. It’s over 50 pages of written content, it’s not padded with photos and it’s currently being finally edited and sent for final input and review by select photographers, models and safety group administrators. Like a test reading as it were. If I have provided offensive and/or untrue information, I want to be corrected. I really hope the Guide fills an information gap in the niche world of working with independent models whilst also helping provide a safer way to operate keeping both the photographer and the model safe. That is the primary reason for writing the guide. (“Well, the money mainly but then the primary reason after that would be safety” - Ricky Gervais ‘looks at camera’ moment.)
I am hoping that if you read my blog and have enjoyed it and maybe you are in the industry or even want to get into this type of photography, then you can support me in getting my camera home by buying the Guide which will be released on July 1st 2023. My camera is still in Pawn hence my lack of new work being released. If I lose it, I couldn’t afford another one. I owe about $500. That’s about 22 of you minus hosting site fees. Want to help a guy when he’s down? Want more photos from me?
I will have a post about it confirming closer to the first. Thanks so much for reading my rabble and for supporting my journey.
Email me for more info please: robinburchphotographic@gmail.com or message me here.
Cheers!!