Large Format Photography Australia

Twisted Nude
Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle photographic paper, image size 21.5cm X 16.3cm, from a 4x5 Kodak Tri-X negative exposed in Tachihara 45GF field view camera fitted with a Nikkor-W 135mm f 5.6 lens.

Maris,
How refreshing to see a real nude, in real light, in real real relatable setting. You can add to that real bodily forces, at work at work in everyday common the garden movement. Bravo!

One of the things that keeps me away from putting much work across all genres on the Internet — particularly on photo discussion sites — is the compulsion for monkey see monkey do. Nowhere is that more prevalent than in photos of nudes.

I have a Finnish mate who runs regular Life Drawing classes in pubs around Sydney and, although there will be similarities in choice of media and technique, and given that there are a number people sketching the same model at the same time, from different vantage points in the same lighting each of the results is quite individual.

Despite models and the nude having been my only subject for about half my working life I post very very few due to concerns about intellectual property and an absolute refusal to acquiesce to Internet requirements of censorship.

As I say, quite refreshing. Thanks.

Thank you Walter for your insights and experiences.

I reckon a celebration of the nude that will never run dry is a celebration of real beauty for its own sake. I think of "What a piece of work is man... Hamlet, Act 2, scene II" and assert that if we cannot admire our common humanity at its best then we fully deserve the miseries of body-denying asceticism.

Beyond the cliches of fashion and celebrity beauty is everywhere and everywhere fading. The photographer's tout accosting women in the street with "C'mon luv have yer pitcher done. You'll never look more beautiful than today" spoke more truth than he knew. The ancient tombstone inscription "As you are now so once was I. As I am now you soon shall be" is grimly true as well.

It is absolutely legitimate to use the photographic time machine to capture beauty in the here and now, a face , a nude, a sentiment carnal or chaste, and defend it against an uncaring past and an uncertain future.