Photographed by Michael Cordiez
When shooting outdoors in public places, selecting the right
location, an early enough time, having a robe that goes on and off quickly, and
a fair bit of luck comes into play. Usually the circumstances in which I have
faced problems with being seen, have been the shoots where we behaved as though
we were actually working in a private environment, simply because the area
appeared to be clear of any potential onlookers. The correct way to shoot in public places is
to be cautious and respect that what you are doing may be illegal, therefore is
best done in a way not to be caught.
Some photographers who wish to photograph outdoors with a
nude model feel they receive less “work” from a model because getting to a good
location may take some hiking, waiting for the right moment to shoot, and quick
shooting. What is forgotten is that any good model is actively involved in all
of this and that time in an environment is absolutely part of the shooting process.
A model listens and watches the place to be sure there is no one around, which
from a safety standpoint is important as there is always a bit of risk on a
public location, a risk which they are often willing to take for an amazing and
artistically inspiring “set” to work. But more central to your art is the fact
that a great model will be figuring out how to fit into the environment, even
while still covered up in their clothes. This thinking will allow a model to
move quickly and pose expertly in a short amount of time, minimizing the time
visibly nude and maximizing the camera time. Many photographers understand they
will likely have less shooting time per hour for many locations, but feel this
a fair tradeoff for the great photos they can take.
I have heard stories of
photographers with stopwatches, clicking on and off with disrobing and robing.
The idea of this is abhorrent for art shooting – the entire time someone is on
a location or arriving to the location with someone, they are working. Their
mind is in the project at hand, they are absorbing the location and ideas are
beginning to simmer. I have little office job experience, but am realistic
about the amount of time spent actively doing an exact job, rather than the
necessary lost time in the process, that is life of many of the people I know
in mainstream career paths. A model is working the entire time they are with you, and your goals are the same - great photos together wherever you are shooting. Walking around a location to find the best rocks to
shoot on, to find that building with the best abandoned equipment, or hiking a
bit further to be farther from the road is all part of a shoot and time well spent.
One morning in NYC, Daniel B met Inna B-G and I at a
nearby subway station, handed me steaming caffeine in a cup, and we headed over
to the Red Hook part of Brooklyn to shoot in the park behind Ikea. The location
was deserted and the rising sun just barely above the horizon. He had scouted
this secluded place before deciding that we make this our shoot place – always
a wise plan for time efficiency, because in the event of too many people and detection,
a shoot would suddenly be ended without a suitable back-up plan. For each of
several sets, Inna and I quickly disrobed, threw our clothes out of the way and
we worked for a handful of minutes before dressing again. The only people
around were two dog owners and their dogs, who did not seem as though they
would mind our nudity if they stumbled upon it. I had a huge laugh when getting
into a pose and one of the dogs came over and started to climb on me.
Plus One
Inna B-G and Myself
Photographed by Daniel Brustein
Inna B-G and Myself
Photographed by Daniel Brustein
Photographed by Daniel Brustein
We timed
our shooting to do the most visible locations first, while we were certain no
one was around, and as the sun rose, we primarily shot on the large chairs
behind bushes. At the end, I braved complete visibility on pier structures
(every model has their own comfort level and the height and visibility did not
appeal to my counterpart), knowing few people were out, and hoping I was
adequately far away from the main park that if someone did see me, I could hop
down, put on my dress and deny complete nudity. (For NYC, I have a flesh
colored thong when I remember this, and am prepared to say I was wearing just
that).
***
Photographed by Staunton Photo
Recently I did have a truly pulse raising experience. The site where the photographer and I worked together was just past a No Trespassing sign near the edge of the shore of a park in Virginia. No one was on the beach, and we paid little attention to the fact that a ranger could have driven by and spotted us, and at one point a ranger came nearby, flashed their truck lights, and we walked a few yards out of the off-limits location. I had a flimsy white dress to use in the water, and we continued, dressed, for a while before going up to leave. That was when a police truck came, and followed us, until pulling us over. We were given a warning much to my relief, but had to find another place to shoot and were incredibly shaken. The officer did not have to let us off on a warning - we had truly been lucky. The photos we did at a nearby ship dock were beautiful, and a completely different style – not part of our plan, but for outdoors shooting a bit of flexibility is required.
Photographed by Staunton Photo
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