In working with the figure there is a visual conversation that takes place: as the photographer, I may have an idea that is interpreted and expanded on by the model, usually going beyond my expectations. It may be inspired by a shadow or particular line, then I may suggest a slight movement. and the whole cycle keeps going, as in a conversation, only with images. I love the mutual collaboration in these sessions.

I am less interested in identifying the person in the photo than I am in how the body’s forms connect us all to the universal bond of humanity.  The human form has been one of the most common themes throughout art history, because everyone has a body, can relate to how a body moves and what it feels like. This bypasses intellect, going directly into our subconscious, where we relate to our own personal experiences via how it feels like to be in a human body. We cannot avoid being affected by the shapes of the figure: I think it’s embedded in our DNA.

 

I do most of my work in the studio so I can concentrate on the purity of the form. Being able to respond to the figure by arranging lights, changing backgrounds, finding unique perspectives is a big part of how I develop the articulation of the visual dialog. Also, people come into the creative atmosphere of the studio as models, out of their regular lives. This separation gives them the opportunity to express themselves in a way that they may not do in their everyday lives.

Nudes in the Environment

I always find working outside the studio in an environment to be challenging.  Just because you have a nude in a great setting doesn’t mean it will capture your attention as a photo. You can easily wind up with just a picture of someone without their clothes on in the woods!

So the questions I ask myself here are: Does the environment add or subtract from the body? Does the body detract from the environment?  Is the body a metaphor of the place?  Is there more to the image than juxtaposition?  What seems to speak to me is working with the details of the environment while letting there be a dialog between the person and the place.

Copyright © 2008 Richard Cummings

all images Copyright © 2008 Richard Cummings