Getting started
O.K. this is going to take long time. Grab a cuppa, sit down, relax and listen to our story.
Once upon a time we were a perfectly ordinary couple who ran a computer software business in a remote park of Norfolk. We were well-qualified professionals with 3 degrees between us, happily married for eons with 3 kids, and lived a perfectly normal and average existence.
Then about a year ago, the husband (Richard), decided to dust off his photography hobby after a 15 year break. He duly purchased a suitable digital camera, obsessively studied
every book he could think of, joined his local camera club and started photographing everything around him, you know, the normal boring stuff: animals, the kids, landscapes. I believe we even have some rather fetching shots of some insects: nude ones, mind you. No clothed insects here. He (Richard, not the insect) turned out to be rather good at the photography. In a short period of time he won the Wildlife Cup at the camera club for said insect, which sure pissed off a lot of people who had been going for years.
The First Art Nude
However Richard was not satisfied. He wasn’t shooting the type of image which spoke to him, moved him, reflected the type of art which he created in his mind. He set up a makeshift studio (now a fully equipped studio, but at the start you will appreciate the budget was low) and started to photograph portraits of friends and family. Initially (he’ll kill me for this) I have to say they sucked a little. But it was a vertical learning curve at that point, for both of us.
I had never modelled before in my life (well once, 20 years ago for an artist who had a contract for the company who made Sindy dolls, but let’s not go there). I had no experience, no fashion sense, no make-up. I was a mature model with a semi-paralysed face and 11 years of breastfeeding under my belt (grim, I tell you, grim). Still, in the spirit of “if he can make me look good, he can make anyone look good” I volunteered to practice posing in the studio against a hideous second-hand purple backdrop. I’d had a couple of glasses of chardonnay (for courage), the studio was swelteringly hot, and since he was my partner, I decided I was more comfy if I took my clothes off. The photos were very tasteful and seriously good for the first time. There was an epiphany. He realised that when a person took his or her clothes off, no make-up, no clothes, nothing to hide behind, he got to photograph the real person inside, not the image that they portray. That is Art.
Birth of a Muse
And things spiralled from there. Ideas flooded in for both of us. I love to make suggestions, to inspire ideas, to play. Not to tread on his toes, mind you. There’s nothing worse than a bossy model who thinks she knows best and tries to direct the shoot.
We chatted, we brainstormed, we schemed, we formulated ideas, we played, we realised that we could really do this together.
Could he do this without me ? Did he need a muse ?
Well, yes he could do this on his own, but two sources of inspiration and ideas are better than one. Without a muse, who does the photographer share his imagination with ? Who does he bounce ideas off ? It’s a lonely life doing this on your own. And it sure gives a relationship a whole new dimension, let me tell you. It really has brought us so much closer together, although initially it was certainly a challenge for me.
The Demon Jealousy
Initially I must admit that I had problems with him photographing other naked women. As he had just turned 40, I was convinced this was a mid-life crisis, and he wanted other women, or Naked chicks (“N.C.’s” as I called them).
I was partially paralysed (courtesy of a brain tumour several years back) with 3 kids and breasts that went south many years ago (grim, grim I tell you). Did he want someone else ? Was he (God forbid) a GWC (“guy with camera”, for non-photospeaking readers). No matter how much he reassured me that I was the only woman he loved and fancied, that it was all about the lighting, the art, capturing the soul in an image, I’m afraid that the demon jealousy ruled me.
This is a story that is familiar to many photographers and their partners on Model Mayhem (MM). The wife is consumed with jealousy. The photographer resorts to
a) Giving up the photography
b) Ditching the wife/girlfriend and doing it anyway on the grounds she should support and understand him
c) Doing it secretly without the wife or girlfriend’s knowledge.
B and C were out of the question (we run a company together, work together all day and have 3 kids). He offered, nay INSISTED on giving up too many times to count. I refused to let him stop. He was simply too good. He had too much potential. I believed in his vision, in his talent, in his ambition to be the best photographer he could possibly be. But still I couldn’t cope. The Fluffytek web site went up and down like a yo-yo. We argued, we raged. The kids avoided us. We talked all night for weeks on end. We drove each other mental, and frankly we didn’t get much sleep either.
The first shoot with another art-nude model was difficult for me, to say the least. She was a delightful model, talented and a real professional. But she was a the image of his ex girlfriend and I was upset for days afterwards and couldn’t look at the photos. When I eventually did, wow they were brilliant. Again, I refused to let him quit.
All throughout this process continued to brainstorm and we were flooded with ideas. As a team we worked brilliantly together. I was convinced in time that I would get used to other models being around.
I was right.
Now am free from jealousy…..nope, not a twang. Hurrah. For all you wives and girlfriends of photographers out there : stick with it. For all you photographers out there, include your partner in everything. The end result is worth it a hundred times over, I promise you. It makes you closer as a couple, it really cements the relationship. I am happier now than I have been in years.
We have realised that our roles in this enterprise are separate but complimentary. Him as the all important photographer and me as sometime model or prop, wardrobe assistant (I get to shop for clothes for shoots , yey ! No, not all the shoots are art-nudes you know), general assistant, administrator, running the business side of things, scouting for models, and of course, the all important muse. The Mnemosyne to Zeus, if you will.
The Shoots
Now I attend many of the shoots as assistant, but not all the time obviously, and certainly not to intrude. I get the added bonus of meeting the models, chatting with them, finding out what makes them tick. I must say, without hesitation, they are the most delightful people you could ever wish to meet. And such courage. I have such admiration for people who turn up to a relative stranger and take their clothes off. What guts ! Wow.
At the very least, on a shoot I provide coffee, reassurance and a chat (I make seriously good coffee – the real stuff).
Many models are understandably somewhat nervous and apprehensive, and it is our job to put them at ease and make the shoot as relaxed and fun as possible. The end result is a fun shoot, and hopefully some great photos that everyone is delighted with. And hopefully the end result is the all important ART.
And that concludes the story of the early months. Fast-forward to now.
Once upon a time we were a perfectly ordinary couple who ran a computer software business in a remote park of Norfolk. We were well-qualified professionals with 3 degrees between us, happily married for eons with 3 kids, and lived a perfectly normal and average existence.
Then about a year ago, the husband (Richard), decided to dust off his photography hobby after a 15 year break. He duly purchased a suitable digital camera, obsessively studied
every book he could think of, joined his local camera club and started photographing everything around him, you know, the normal boring stuff: animals, the kids, landscapes. I believe we even have some rather fetching shots of some insects: nude ones, mind you. No clothed insects here. He (Richard, not the insect) turned out to be rather good at the photography. In a short period of time he won the Wildlife Cup at the camera club for said insect, which sure pissed off a lot of people who had been going for years.The First Art Nude
However Richard was not satisfied. He wasn’t shooting the type of image which spoke to him, moved him, reflected the type of art which he created in his mind. He set up a makeshift studio (now a fully equipped studio, but at the start you will appreciate the budget was low) and started to photograph portraits of friends and family. Initially (he’ll kill me for this) I have to say they sucked a little. But it was a vertical learning curve at that point, for both of us.
I had never modelled before in my life (well once, 20 years ago for an artist who had a contract for the company who made Sindy dolls, but let’s not go there). I had no experience, no fashion sense, no make-up. I was a mature model with a semi-paralysed face and 11 years of breastfeeding under my belt (grim, I tell you, grim). Still, in the spirit of “if he can make me look good, he can make anyone look good” I volunteered to practice posing in the studio against a hideous second-hand purple backdrop. I’d had a couple of glasses of chardonnay (for courage), the studio was swelteringly hot, and since he was my partner, I decided I was more comfy if I took my clothes off. The photos were very tasteful and seriously good for the first time. There was an epiphany. He realised that when a person took his or her clothes off, no make-up, no clothes, nothing to hide behind, he got to photograph the real person inside, not the image that they portray. That is Art.
Birth of a Muse
And things spiralled from there. Ideas flooded in for both of us. I love to make suggestions, to inspire ideas, to play. Not to tread on his toes, mind you. There’s nothing worse than a bossy model who thinks she knows best and tries to direct the shoot.
We chatted, we brainstormed, we schemed, we formulated ideas, we played, we realised that we could really do this together.
Could he do this without me ? Did he need a muse ?
Well, yes he could do this on his own, but two sources of inspiration and ideas are better than one. Without a muse, who does the photographer share his imagination with ? Who does he bounce ideas off ? It’s a lonely life doing this on your own. And it sure gives a relationship a whole new dimension, let me tell you. It really has brought us so much closer together, although initially it was certainly a challenge for me.
The Demon Jealousy
Initially I must admit that I had problems with him photographing other naked women. As he had just turned 40, I was convinced this was a mid-life crisis, and he wanted other women, or Naked chicks (“N.C.’s” as I called them).
I was partially paralysed (courtesy of a brain tumour several years back) with 3 kids and breasts that went south many years ago (grim, grim I tell you). Did he want someone else ? Was he (God forbid) a GWC (“guy with camera”, for non-photospeaking readers). No matter how much he reassured me that I was the only woman he loved and fancied, that it was all about the lighting, the art, capturing the soul in an image, I’m afraid that the demon jealousy ruled me.
This is a story that is familiar to many photographers and their partners on Model Mayhem (MM). The wife is consumed with jealousy. The photographer resorts to
a) Giving up the photography
b) Ditching the wife/girlfriend and doing it anyway on the grounds she should support and understand him
c) Doing it secretly without the wife or girlfriend’s knowledge.
B and C were out of the question (we run a company together, work together all day and have 3 kids). He offered, nay INSISTED on giving up too many times to count. I refused to let him stop. He was simply too good. He had too much potential. I believed in his vision, in his talent, in his ambition to be the best photographer he could possibly be. But still I couldn’t cope. The Fluffytek web site went up and down like a yo-yo. We argued, we raged. The kids avoided us. We talked all night for weeks on end. We drove each other mental, and frankly we didn’t get much sleep either.
The first shoot with another art-nude model was difficult for me, to say the least. She was a delightful model, talented and a real professional. But she was a the image of his ex girlfriend and I was upset for days afterwards and couldn’t look at the photos. When I eventually did, wow they were brilliant. Again, I refused to let him quit.
All throughout this process continued to brainstorm and we were flooded with ideas. As a team we worked brilliantly together. I was convinced in time that I would get used to other models being around.
I was right.
Now am free from jealousy…..nope, not a twang. Hurrah. For all you wives and girlfriends of photographers out there : stick with it. For all you photographers out there, include your partner in everything. The end result is worth it a hundred times over, I promise you. It makes you closer as a couple, it really cements the relationship. I am happier now than I have been in years.
We have realised that our roles in this enterprise are separate but complimentary. Him as the all important photographer and me as sometime model or prop, wardrobe assistant (I get to shop for clothes for shoots , yey ! No, not all the shoots are art-nudes you know), general assistant, administrator, running the business side of things, scouting for models, and of course, the all important muse. The Mnemosyne to Zeus, if you will.
The Shoots
Now I attend many of the shoots as assistant, but not all the time obviously, and certainly not to intrude. I get the added bonus of meeting the models, chatting with them, finding out what makes them tick. I must say, without hesitation, they are the most delightful people you could ever wish to meet. And such courage. I have such admiration for people who turn up to a relative stranger and take their clothes off. What guts ! Wow.
At the very least, on a shoot I provide coffee, reassurance and a chat (I make seriously good coffee – the real stuff).
Many models are understandably somewhat nervous and apprehensive, and it is our job to put them at ease and make the shoot as relaxed and fun as possible. The end result is a fun shoot, and hopefully some great photos that everyone is delighted with. And hopefully the end result is the all important ART.
And that concludes the story of the early months. Fast-forward to now.
posted by Lin at 2:30 PM
1 Comments:
I have only come upon your blog relatively recently, Mr. and Mrs. Fluffie, so I thought I'd go back to the beginning. I can see now that right from the start you had that English wit about you, Lin.
It was also very brave of you to write about your true feelings of initial jealousy, etc. I am very glad that things eventually worked themselves out - and that you began your blog.
Of course, jealousy isn't limited to just photographers and photographs. A few years ago I saw an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York that displayed French daguerrotypes from the 1830's and 1840's. These were some the earliest photographs ever made - and the photographers back then sure knew what they were doing.
Among them was a section on erotica. (Hey, these are the French, after all.) The most interesting of these images was a photograph of a painting - that of a nude woman. The photo was found many years later hidden away in a desk belonging to the great painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.
This painting of the nude woman by Ingres is no longer known to exist. Apparently, it depicted Ingres' first wife. When she died, he married again - and his new wife insisted that he destroy or get rid of that painting of his first wife. This he did, but before doing so, he had a photograph made of the painting and kept it hidden in his desk drawer where the new missus wouldn't find it.
Oh, I like Richard photo of the little buggie, too!
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