"At this point in my life I am lucky to now only shoot the subjects that interest me such as fine art nudes, dance and bodies in motion." Steve Richard
"Lamp light"
When I discovered the work of Steve Richard, he sent me a very very kind mail, I just said WOW! Nothing else... Maybe "here is a great one" ? We talked together about the delay I needed to publish him, but I can't resist to feature him right now.
Like IMSir Real, K Leo or Red Mahan, Steve loves to capture dancers and art models in motion. And if you watch his work on his beautiful site you'll be surprised by his prodigious imagination and his perfect knowledge of what a photograph must be. As proof, his mantra : “It is easy to create an image of a beautiful thing, what is difficult is to create a beautiful image”. Right. And he succeeds.
As the saying goes : welcome Steve in your new home ! And thanks for your trust.
"I have been involved with photography for most of my life, well at least 37 of the 50 years. For the last 10 years I have been living on the East coast of Canada in Halifax Nova Scotia and spend most of my time in my studio downtown.
Though I was initially more interested in music, I have always been intrigued by the concept of capturing an image.
I still remember the first time I was in a dark room watching my print come alive in the developer, it was one of my greatest thrills.
Without question the entire photographic process had me hooked very early on and luckily I always seemed to have mentors around willing to share their knowledge in both disciplines.
"Film noir part 1"
Art Model
MsSkye
"Nude dancers on chest"
Art Model
Karen Murdock
I did not attend any school of photography/art and received any formal training by attending workshops and working as an assistant to a number of photographers.
Over the past 37 years I have had the opportunity to work within almost every category of photography you can imagine (landscape, portraiture, commercial, wedding, product, etc).
In addition to my obsession with photography, over the past 7 years I have also become very passionate with cinematography. I think this has also broadened my perspective on the still image side of things.
"Ballerina Part 1"
Art Model
Karen Murdock
"The corner chair"
Art Model
MsSkye
"Ballerina 4a"
Art Model Vanessa
When I first started shooting I was interested in musicians, bands, live music performances, etc., probably because that was also a big part of my life at the time. I think I was around 18 when I began working full time for a portrait studio and fell in love with the studio environment.
I love the lines and form of landscape and architecture but I could never find the subtle stories there like I could when photographing people, especially dancers, gymnasts, or anyone involved in motion.
"Cloudbusting 1c"
"Ballerina 3b"
Art Model
Karen Murdock
It was probably this experience with portraits, combined with my interest in form and line that inspired me to eventually move into fine art nude photography.
I do some location shooting but 90% of everything I shoot is in the studio where I can control everything. I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to lighting and spend a great deal of time getting the light to be exact. I think this is why I do not shoot very much location work, as it tends to drive me crazy that I don’t have 100% control.
"Outside 1"
Art Model
Karen Murdock
"The dresser part"
Art Model Karen Murdock
As with all photographers of my generation I started out working with film and over the past decade moved into the digital world.
Although I shoot digital I still take the same approach I did when I was shooting film and try to get everything absolutely perfect in camera. I know this is going to sound strange and it is a bit ironic since this site is Photoshop centric site, but I spend most of my time doing every thing I can to make sure the image does not require much postproduction work. Not that I disagree with images that have heavy processing, I just feel more satisfied when I create an image that was mostly done in camera.
I also tend to work on images that will eventually be part of a larger series of work.
For example
“Table and Chair” was a concept to try and create a group of strong images with noting more than a body and a table and/or chair, no other elements were allowed.
From "Table and Chair" Series
With
“Scratching The Surface” I wanted to explore the body in motion on a water surface.
From "Scratching The Surface" Series
"The Runner"
Art Model
Tom
I am working on a long term project called
“Red” which is a portrait series with the self imposed constraint of a person and a piece of red cloth all shot with the same background and lighting (a little bit like Torses Nus by Jeanloup Sieff).
From "Red" Series
"Red Renaissance"
Art Model
Erin
I like the challenge of creating a strong image with a minimal environment.
My latest project is called
"Cloud Busting" and is now available as a book that was printed in Italy this September by Zanardi.
This was one of my favorite series to date and involved working with some very talented dancers and models, once again in a minimal environment but using powder to wrap and frame the body.
I loved that the images are captured while the powder is in a form that only exists for a very short time (a fraction of a second). This for me is a wonderful metaphor for beauty and even life itself. The dust represents a fleeting moment, something you must admire and drink in while it lasts.
From "Cloud Busting" Series
"Cloudbusting 3a"
Art Model
Rachel
I am also extremely lucky to work with very talented makeup artist, models, and assistants that all contribute to the development of an image. I love to work people who are as interested as I am in creating a strong final image and I enjoy a team effort in the studio.
I have this saying that has become my mantra : “it is easy to create an image of a beautiful thing (car, girl, tree, etc.), what is difficult is to create a beautiful image”.
Unfortunately most people do not know or recognize the difference. Photographers like
Jan Saudek definitely inspire me most along this line of thinking. I also love the work of
Howard Schatz who creates amazingly beautiful images in the studio environment. Unfortunately some of my other heroes are no longer alive.
Jeanloup Sieff,
Bob Carlos Clarke, and
Helmut Newton are three that have inspired me throughout my career."
"Ballet 11A"
Art Model
Erin
Cloud Busting
Available here.
I am very happy to announce that the Cloud Busting book is now available. 128 pages with 73 duotone images. The book is 13" X 11" (33 cm X 28 cm) and this edition is only available in hard cover. I am extremely pleased with the reproduction quality from this press (thanks very much to Zanardi's Luca Menegon, and the wonderful design and production support from Fresco Fine Art Publications). The book is now available for sale on my site. The book will go into normal North American book store distribution early 2011.
Excerpt from the introduction by Chris Pauley :
"The angels you see in this volume may have their eyes cast downward like some Victorian image of a guardian angel, or heavenward as if in adoration, but the context is, in fact, that of the beaten, the dissolute and the depraved, in tableaux that constantly subvert our expectations of what “angelic” really means. Steve plays with this notion time and again, moving from single tight shots of angels in typical Pre-Raphaelite expressions of piety, repose or solace, to broader images in which these heavenly creatures are engaged in all manner of unsavoury human pursuits. These beings may reside amongst the stars, but their eyes are fixed on the gutter."
