Vanessa Tarachin, Art Model and photographer

Vanessa Tarachin Art Model

Vanessa Tarachin photographer

By Philip Ritchie

By Ed Freeman

Vanessa Tarachin is an underwater and professional Art nude model, a painter, a true poet (how I love that !), a dancer and a musician... To make short, she is an accomplished artist, body and soul devoted to the Arts with an endless commitment and a wonderful passion.

Congratulated by all the photographers she works with, Vanessa is renowned for her grace, the way she poses with enthusiasm, and without fears. But beyond all her physical qualities, they all talk about her inner beauty... Vanessa poses as she writes a poem. And if she could read french, she'ld discover how much our words and themes are similar.

During the preparation of her first feature, she was there, near me, helping me, choosing the pictures, full of thanks for my interest, forgetting how much I'm honoured by her confidence.

Vanessa Tarachin is a beautiful person I'm happy to welcome in our community. And I'm sure you'll share my happiness !

Welcome on board Vanessa ! From the bottom of my heart.

" Expressing oneself through Art Nude is the most liberating experience. It gives the onlooker a peek into the mind and soul of the individual.
Without realizing it, the artists and onlookers are bound together by a single image, equal thoughts of artistic satisfaction. Consciously or subconsciously inspiring the inner being ; connecting them through passion that remains with them for a lifetime."

By Ed Freeman

I am an extremely daring and fearless model.

 I'll climb trees, walk through leach infested swamps, run barefoot through the desert, swim with sharks or even lay on broken glass.

I'll play with snakes, scorpions and spiders as if they were a cuddly pet and never say no to a messy idea like sitting in a rubbish tip just to get that perfect artistic shot... so if you have an idea that a model would normally cringe at then I'm the model for you !

By Ed Freeman

" You'd have to work real hard to take a bad picture of Vanessa, and frankly, I don't think you could. She's a living artwork all by herself ; all you have to do is click the shutter..." Ed Freeman

By David Chua
















When it comes to work for me its simply ; don't work but instead "create" Art that will be viewed as a masterpiece for years to come.

This is the true reason I have so much love for what I do, to reach out and touch souls without even meeting a person.

It has never been a struggle nor a pain to wake up in the morning, until today I still get butterflies before a shoot. I never get bored or run out of ideas for poses.

This is my life in so many aspects and I hope to one day share this with you too. This is my way of reaching my own Enlightenment.

by Lanatir






By Eyedear

" It was an eye opener to work with Tarachin. From the moment the lights were dimmed. Her graceful movement really inspires ones imagination and perception to create beautiful images. Her willingness to go out of her way to contort her body for art and photography sake is amazing. Her dedication to the process of creating art is something that i have not see in a long time. Finally, it was a refreshing session with her as she is an easy person to talk to and a contributor to your vision." Eyedear

By Gregory Miles Brown

 

The liberation I receive by expressing myself can only be seen through the work that my dear photographers have helped me create, they are beautiful souls in search for the same meaning in life.

When we create we become one. My deepest love is with them and the end results of our collaboration."

" It was a real pleasure working with Tarachin. She is easy to get along with, extremely creative in all situations and nothing phases her. We worked twice : once at my studio in Battersea and then again on location in Epping Forest. Together we created, I think some excellent images. I wish her well in her modeling and every other aspect of her life." Gregory Miles Brown

By Hildo Trazo

" Vanessa is really nice to work with. She's very talented and professional yet very friendly, its like working with your closest friend. Honestly, all I have to do during our shoot is to press the shutter of my camera !" Hildo Trazo

Were we born without clothes ?... Yes !

Is it natural to be naked ?... Obvious answer I'ld say !

So why should we see the nude body as sexual ? ...

By Ed Freeman
"Dance of the Orion"

Simply because it has been conditioned in our minds from when we were children.

If you take a baby for instance ; it does not feel shy in any manner, and that is the way all of should have stayed. If we were all naked then rape, molestation, etc, would be uncommon as the majority would not bother about nakedness and sexual tension when seeing a person take their clothes off (clothes would be a waste of time)... it would be unheard of that in turn people would spend less time buying cloths and feeling insecure, and spend more time to love and take care of what is right.












By Brandon Chang


" A dedicated and serious model who also packs a sense of humour. Great attitude, never disappointing and best of all, she understands what goes on in the minds of photographers. Being on the other side of the lens certainly makes it tougher but she possesses the gifted ability to "see" the same image as the photographer and present herself accordingly. Certainly one of the top few models that I have worked with so far." Brandon Chang











Money will become less of a want and more of a need, and things would be much better. Just take a look at tribal people, the nudists and naturalists, do you see them killing and raping each other ?... No !

I don't know about you, but personally, there is no other liberation better then when I am naked. I feel I can breath, my soul, mind and body breaths life. I am more comfortable without then with clothes. If only everyone had the chance to feel this amazing freedom without worrying about everyone around them... but that won't ever happen... sadly enough.

by Patrick Alt

" Vanessa Tarachin is truly a model's model. Her commitment to making great images and her boundless enthusiasm make her one of the most wonderful women I have ever had the honor of working with. From her impish smile to her acrobatic poses, she brings to each session a commitment in making herself a true partner in the creative process. And on top of that, she is also as beautiful on the inside. There is no drama, no attitude, just a love of photography and her part in it. She was as delightful to talk with between sets as she was when the shutter was finally released, capturing what can only be described as a truly extraordinary model. I can not recommend her highly enough and my only regret is that we can't work more often then we do." Patrick Alt

By Ed Freeman

" If ever you get a chance to go to a secluded island somewhere, just do it. Take off the clothes that suffocate your soul and run down the beach butt naked screaming your head off like a mad man ! It is the most amazing thing ever !"

By Ira Meyer

Welcome Dan Van Winkle

Dan Van Winkle

Formerly Dan West

Member since 2007

And at DeviantArt

"A Day with a Muse"

Dan Van Winkle lives in United States. His portfolio contains many splendid photographs. Above all, I really appreciate his passions for outdoors shootings.

Working with renowned art Models such as the wonderful Kat Love, simple and kind, Dan told me immediately yes for this article. Thank you Dan ! I appreciate your trust

"A Visit to the Egg"

"China Camp"
Art Model Kat Love




By himself :

I've been shooting for 30+ years. I bough my first SLR in High School and fell in love with the medium.

Most of my work has been landscapes for the 27 years leading up to the last three years. I've always wanted to shoot nudes and have over the last three years been exploring the medium.

Most of my work is figure studies, but I occasionally like to pull in more about the model and who they might be.

For a day job, I work in the engineering field, but my passion is my photography and if I can ever figure out how to make a living at it while still keeping it fun and enjoyable, I will.

Art Model Christie





"Dune Bend"

"Forrest Nymph"

"Perfect Light"

My old favorite water place had new "no parking" signs everewhere.  So, I found a new place!






"Root Climber"

"A Day with a Muse"







"Nymph in the Box"

The Duality of Art Model/Photographer; April-lea

April-lea  Photography

SoaMUSEd

There are few people that can claim they have experienced art nude photography from both sides of the camera.  There are fewer still as accomplished as Canadian based photographer/model April-lea.

This article explores her photographic work, understanding that each role influences the other.

Her work tends to transcend the beauty of her subject by creating images that are layered in a narrative of symbolism, emotion, and character exploration.  There seems to be a common thread that stimulates one’s sensual and often times, voyeuristic predilections.  

I feel that April-lea is able to accomplish this through a keen awareness of the human psyche.  She is able to capture what motivates the mind, soul/spirit in a tangible, physical way.

 

There is an apparent level of comfort and trust between April-lea and her subjects that allows the viewer to experience genuine moments.  Perhaps this is due to April-lea’s common bond of being a model herself, which offers a kinship of understanding with her subject. These moments are artfully captured in April-lea’s  own distinctive style.

In her words:

"I am a film photographer and art model from London, Ontario.  I started shooting film and working in the darkroom at the age of 17.  I instantly fell in love with film.  To me, nothing compares to the nostalgic feeling that goes along with film.  The grain is always gorgeous."

"My career as an art model helped me photograph art models in the ways that I always loved to be photographed.  I love to see a model’s confidence shine through in a photograph.  I adore the expression, sexuality and sensuality while photographing nudes.  Women of all shapes and sizes inspire me everyday, I feel that a woman’s body should be celebrated.  As I continue being an art model, I learn much about myself and how I want to shoot others.  It’s a win-win situation for me, I guess.  Constantly learning about oneself and also meeting wonderful artists along the way through my work and travels."

"My work can be seen in Taschen's New Erotic Photography Volume #2 and the re-edited version of Taschen's Book of Lesbians for Men (my photo is on the cover).  I am also featured in The Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography, Volume #4 as both a model and photographer"

Some self portraits by April-lea

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

The colors of Dave Levingston

Dave Levingston

Member of UdA since 2007

Dave Levingston
published in Photo

Dave Levingston is a Master and a close friend since the opening of this magazine.  I remember how impatient he was to know if Photo published him. I bought one and my "yes, you're in !" made his day. Dave is always happy and funny, simple and humble. He never said me no and always thanks me to believe in him. Dave is in my heart forever.

From California to Maine in the most outstanding natural landscapes, with a perfect master of light and colors and always working with wonderful and creative art models, Dave Levingston photographies the female body with a great kindness and an awarded talent. By the way he shoots also splendid indoors photographies as you'll see it.

I love his endless inspiration, his colors and his pleasing words that you may read in his active blog Exposed for the Shadows.

Dave, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your wamful frienship and your confidence 😃

"Another Fuzzy Farm Photo"
Art Model Angeliqua Oryx

"The wave"

A photographer for more than 40 years, I have concentrated on photographing the female figure, often outdoors in natural settings, since 2002.  I believe that artists discover, rather than choose, their subject matter.  For me, women, and specifically the female figure, are the subjects that have repeatedly drawn my attention throughout my years as a photographer.

I photograph the female figure for many reasons.  I believe the female body is the original aesthetic object, the source of all our ideas of what is beautiful.  Therefore, the female figure provides the perfect subject matter, just as it has been an important subject since the beginnings of art.

"Eden in a slot canyon"



















I choose to work in color rather than black and white because color is more challenging.  I’m interested in the abstraction of objective reality…finding the truth of abstraction in the things we see (but don’t see) every day.  Black and white is too abstract by its nature to be truly useful in this work.  And, besides, the world I see is in color.

While I don’t focus on the erotic in my work, I also do not shun it.  The idea that a photograph of a nude woman could be without any erotic content seems absurd to me.  In some of my photographs I like to allow the model to express her own unique personality.  My best photo shoots are with creative models who contribute their own ideas to the work, leading to a creation that goes beyond what any one artist could produce.  I’ve been privileged to work with many wonderful models who often work much harder to create these images than I do.

"Lani"

 "Brooke in the hay"

Art Model Bella Brooke

 "Sappho Eve"

"Nemesis and the Moon"

Art Model Nemi

In recent years I’ve worked a great deal outside the studio, exploring the relationship of the figure to the natural environment.  The nude figure seems to me to inherently belong in scenes of natural beauty.  In my photos I seek to integrate and show the interaction of light and shadow, form and patterns and color.

My work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe.  Collectors there and in South America own my prints.  I am regularly published in Europe, including in French PHOTO magazine.  My work is in the permanent collection of the Kinsey Institute, was included in the Erotic Signature books and international traveling exhibit in 2008 and 2009 and has been shown in a several venues in Dayton, Ohio and in the Detroit area over the past several years.  Most recently my work was included in the book f-eleven published in December 2009 and f-eleven volume 2 published in April 2010.

I am one of the 15 named plaintiffs in “Free Speech Coalition et al v. Holder” which has been filed in federal court in Philadelphia. This lawsuit is aimed at having the law known commonly as “2257” and “2257A” declared unconstitutional.

In recognition of my active participation in that lawsuit to defend the right of free expression for photographers, Carrie Leigh’s NUDE magazine awarded me their first annual “Arts for Humanity” award for 2009.

"2257 lawsuit"

"Candace in the studio"
Art Model Candace Nirvana

I’m interested in light and shadow, the essence of photography. I am interested in the tension between light and dark, both in photos and in people.

Both light and shadow are needed to define the form of the body and the person. Without the shadows that are within all of us, the light is meaningless. In my work I try to examine the dialectic of light and dark ; the necessity of each to the other ; the dance of relationship that counters value judgments and makes us examine the concepts of good and evil.

I choose to work in color rather than the traditional black and white because color is more challenging. I’m interested in the abstraction of objective reality…finding the truth of abstraction in the things we see (but don’t see) every day. Black and white is too abstract by its nature to be truly useful in this work. And, besides, the world I see is in color.

"RGB"

Art Model Sarah Ellis

"Green Hawaii"

Art Model Leona Anne

Art Models Hope Hoffman and Rachel

I’ve become known for my photos of nude models outdoors. This is one of the photos that originally started creating that reputation.

I’ve been a photographer, and I’ve photographed nudes, for far longer than I like to think about…much longer than many of my current models have been alive. But it was this shoot in Maine when everything from all those years finally came together and at long last my personal style was defined.

Art Model Theda

For me, the real joy of this shoot was the experience of working with nature.

You can never predict what weather, sun, plants, insects…nature…will present when you go out for a shoot. The fun is to take what nature gives you and work with it to make the photos that are there to be made.

That’s what I love about working outdoors. It’s a Zen thing to me. I think of it like surfing. You can’t succeed if you fight the waves. But if you understand the waves and connect with the power of them, you can have a blast and go somewhere.

"Ferns"

Art Model Charlye Raine

The indoors of Dave Levingston

"Warehouse"

"Serene Kat"

Art Model Kat

"Mystical Doorway"

Art Model Charlye Raine