Cindy 1974

 

This year was a productive year for studio work especially considering the pandemic. I feared it would wash out the entire year and there were lot of models who would normally work with me who decided to take a pass on this year. In the end I worked with 19 people at the Tyson studio. Some of the larger group shoots that I had wanted to do, like the "muses" shoot or the Three Graces just were not practical to do in an era of social isolation.

I've taken to going back to look at older works in film mad scan some of it, this from my undergraduate days at URI. Cindy was someone who very kindly modeled for a very green young photographer. Taken with my old Nikon F2 and a 20mm lens. The film was scanned on my Epson V700 scanner.

Last studio shoot of 2020

 

I had really given up any notion that I was going to be doing anymore work in the studio this year. My dear friend Susan visited STL on her way to Louisiana and offered to pose for me again. We had done a much more extensive shoot in June together and his session was limited to the "winter studio" as the main studio was just too cold, even with the heaters running. Susan is a great model, poised and self confident and has a great camera presence. I always manage to make interesting work of her and first photographed her in 2005, 15 years ago!

These are all shot with my D850 Nikon in the one bay winter studio at Tyson.

Last shoot in the main studio for 2020

 I really thought I was done for the year photographing people but out of the blue Kelli contacted me about a shoot that we were able to put together quickly. It's really starting to cool off at Tyson at night and its keeping the studio a bit chilly.

Kelli is a reasonably new model this is only the second year we've worked together but she's very comfortable in her skin and open to the possibilities.

Pool shoot with Carol

 For the past couple of years Deb Dolgin has been very generous to allow me to photograph in her CWE pool, its a very unique pool, painted black inside and surrounded by greenery its more like a one than a pool.

I shot that day with a film Nikonos V and an Olympus TG-6. Both have advantages and drawbacks.

Pool shoot with Merry, contact sheet from the Nikonos

 I've had a Nikon Nikonos V underwater camera for years now and a real assortment of glass for it. Most recently a 20mm. This is a rough scan from a pool shoot I did with Merry.

I'm getting the film processed at Schillers and they seem to do a good job with the 35mm C-41 processing and then scanning them in on an Epson V700 scanner.

Black Point

 I've had a few discussions with Rosemary about the inclusion of people into my shoreline landscapes. She thinks they distract from the image while I love the scale reference they offer.

Black Point

 The summer is so great for the freedom to go out and photograph everyday. Black Point is one of those places that is on my list and I often think of it as my "studio".

Beavertail Point post storm front

 

A pretty large storm front passed thru the lower bay and I took the opportunity to make it out to Beavertail Point to photograph it just at dusk.

Beach Yoga, Beavertail Point State park

 

You never know what you'll find along the shoreline, in this case it was a young man doing yoga on the rocks.

Swimmer, Camp Cronin

 Another location that part of my regular visits is the Camp Cronin fishing access area. Although not an official state beach, many people like it as its an unregulated beach area.

Black Point

 

This year I'm spending more and more time at Black Point, its becoming my go to location for the work I've been doing along the R.I. coastline.

Studio shoot with Merry

 

Merry is perhaps one of the younger models I've photographed this year, the majority of the people I've been working with are more middle aged. This is the first year we've worked together and it was a very productive shoot.

Studio shoot with Becky

 One of my dearest friends Becky passed thru STL on her summer road trip and I got the chance to photograph her in the studio. I've known her for years, since she was an undergrad at UWGB, but its only been since 2015 that she's modeled for me. 

I'm pretty sure that she does not pose for other artist and confident she does not in the nude either so its really a great gift to me that she has trusted me to use her in my work. I have more than a few friends that do that as well and I think part of it is the trust you build up over the years and the belief people have in your work.

Photo shoot at the Tyson studio with Naomi

 

First shoot in the main studio for 2020

 

It finally warmed up enough in the main studio to start booking shoots. This year it just worked out at Vanessa was the first person to do that. This was Vanessa's second year to work with me.

Fat Tuesday Evening in the French Quarter

Flambeaux of the Orpheus parade

Mid-City parade, Mardi Gras 2020

Marching Bands of Mardi Gras-Bacchus parade 2020

Warren Easton H.S. my favorite NOLA High School band!

Pre-Iris parade; Mardi Gras 2020

Looking for a different point of view this year, I went to the line up of the Iris parade.

Muses parade

This year Muses got a tough deal, Thursday night was considered too windy to parade in so the parade was moved and they had to parade with only three of their marching unites. It was odd to see this parade running so early in the evening while the sun was still out.

My friend Aimee with the Rolling Elvi

Flambeaux in the sunshine

Hermes parade, Mardi Gras 2020

With plenty of time on my hands and lots of paper in the inventory, here are some selections from the Hermes parade this year.

Maurepas WSA

This is becoming one of my regular go to places when visiting New Orleans. It's a short nature trail that leads right into the swamp landscape and the trail is pretty dry but sometimes a little soggy. These were all taken with my Fuji Xpro2 and the ACROS mode for black and white conversions.

Algiers point

the Wednesday after Mardi Gras, Aimee and I took a relaxing trip over to the West Bank and Algiers Point, a place we've both put off photographing for a while.

As indicated in the photos, the river was very high.

First shoot in the main studio for 2020

 I like to start any shooting season out at the studio with a session with my "senior muse" Carol. We've worked together since 1984 and have made lots of work together. 

We did sense however this year with COVID that it was going to be different.