August 29, 2011

A Zen Eye Photograph : Eric McCollum




Introducing Eric McCollum from Washington DC.




















I am a photographer based in the greater Washington, DC area in the United States.  

I began taking photographs as a child and studied photography briefly in college in the ‘70s but left it behind as other pursuits took my attention.  During that time, however, I had the amazing experience of taking a course in the History of Photography from Beaumont Newhall, then teaching at the University of New Mexico.  It was a wonderful chance to touch the very roots of American photography.  

About 7 years ago, I came back to the camera as I was searching for a creative outlet.  I specifically decided to concentrate on the nude figure, there is the mystery of the nude, the performance of the shoot, and the wonderful intersection of light and skin.  I like to think my images have to do both with form and intimacy.  I collaborate with my models, they inspire me and I want some essence of who they are to linger in what we create together.  




Eric's favourite images




I was inspired years ago by an image of Wynn Bullock’s – a nude girl sitting in meditation pose on a beach with the sea foam coming in to create patterns around her.  I never forgot it.  Beth in the water is my homage to that image from my past.  I love the chaotic flow around her as she sits still.

Meditation Model: Beth Caldwell


















I have found the selective focus of the Lensbaby often fits my vision.  I like the tones and texture the Lensbaby gives to this image.




Nude with Black Flower
 Model: Katileania






















I was drawn to the mystery of the pale figure emerging from the shadows in this image.  Shot beneath the trees beside a stream just before a thunderstorm.






By the Stream
 Model: Zinn Star























Another image shot beside a stream, this time with the wonderful model Rhus.  We in the Washington DC area in the US are truly blessed to have so many fine figure models available to us.  I like the emotion in this image and how Rhus’ gaze is turned out of the frame.
























I don’t only work in natural light.  I find the studio is also a wonderful arena for my work with a feeling of intimacy that locations sometimes don’t provide.  In this image, I was playing with the tone and texture of the stark white dried blossom against the background of the figure in shadow.


Model: Katileania











There is something interesting about the masked nude figure . . . the contrast of anonymity and exposure.  Rhus’ pose brings a hint of dark energy to the image.
















Sometimes it’s fun to play a little on the glamour side of things.  Katlyn Lacoste is a terrifically versatile model and we had fun one day with  the white plastic chair.



Model: Katlyn Lacoste
















Cocoon Series #17
 Model: Rhus



My latest project is the Cocoon Series.  The prop is a nylon body cocoon that lends an air of mystery as well as a sculptural space to the body.  This image was lit from a single window in an old warehouse.  As with much of my work, the figure emerging from deep shadow draws my eye.




August 27, 2011

An announcement

Alex by David Holmes

Hello everyone
we would like to make an announcement. Chris is on sabbatical. It will be myself, Roswell, Mosa and the contributing editors who will run UdA.
Apologies to those who have already sent pictures and information about themselves and who are still waiting for a feature. We have been in a transitional phase and some of us have been away. The features will appear as promised. We actually have a full programme of features and we are always willing to take into consideration any suggestion from followers. Please keep in touch with us. We will have features about male nudes, features of photographers who do not work in the 'classic' fine art nude mode and also features of visual artists - painters and sculptors. Everything that is a celebration of the human form. 
We now have a Facebook page, please visit and like us! We are on Twitter as @Univdartistes Please follow us! and we have a new email address which you should use to send us suggestions for features etc. univdartistes at gmail.com (substitute at with @)


Have a great weekend!   Alex for the UdA team

August 23, 2011

Emma Watson by James Houston and Robert Mitra


Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson
April 15, 1990, Paris, France
1.65 m



"The less you reveal, the more people can wonder."












"The 22-year-old Emma Watson poses nude with nothing but a few flowers in her hand. The images were shot by photographer James Houston and appeared in hisbook "Natural Beauty" as well as in an exhibition.

In April 2013, during Earth Week, Houston’s latest multimedia project, Natural Beauty, was launched in New York at MILK Gallery to bring awareness to environmental issues and to raise funds for non-profit, Global Green USA.

The series features captivating portraits of some of the world’s leading models and celebrities including Emma Watson, Christy Turlington, Adrian Grenier, Anja Rubik, Arizona Muse, Elle Macpherson and many more, all of whom are advocates for environmental awareness.

The models have been photographed with a simple natural object, for example, drift wood, stone, flowers, coral or metal, or graphic images of natural objects, that depict human form with the beauty of nature."









































The Making of














Woman's Wear Daily, 2010, she was 20th



































August 13, 2011

Virginie Efira au 65ème Festival de Cannes, le 27 mai 2012


Virginie Efira
5 mai 1977, Schaerbeek (Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Belgique)








En couverture de Be mai 2010 au Maldives.
Elle avait 33 ans et ne révèle pas grand chose.







Virginie Efira n'a pas l'habitude de jouer de ses charmes et contrairement aux accroches des couvs qu'elle a faites, notamment pour Be et Match, elle n'a jamais posé nue, sexy oui, nue non, j'ai vérifié. J'apprécie la prouesse.

Ceci dit, à Cannes elle se lâche bien, comme lors de la clôture du Festival à la montée des marches du film Thérèse Desqueyroux, le 27 mai 2012, à 35 ans.

Pourquoi ? Parce que le Festival le veut, parce qu'elle voulait sortir du lot de ses concurrentes, parce qu'elle a été fortement conseillée pour sa promo, par une soudaine envie de s'exhiber... Et tout à la fois. Elle n'a donné aucune explication à cette exhibition qui ne lui ressemble pas.


Virginie Efira est dans le peloton de tête des fantasmes des français. FibreTigre, journaliste et animateur, l'explique ainsi dans son article "La météo des fantasmes de l'internet". Avec son amicale autorisation :
"Virginie Efira dispose d'une bonne exposition médiatique mais n'a pas actuellement de passages réguliers à la télévision. Cependant, beaucoup d'hommes apprécient sa joie de vivre et sa sympathie qu'ils semblent placer comme outil de séduction particulièrement prisé dans une période de morosité globale. Un visage innocent associé à un corps agréable et une chaleur humaine définissent sa proximité relationnelle."