For several years, I have admired the work of Steve Richard, a fine art photographer from Halifax, Nova Scotia (find his work here). He creates the type of photography that is full of dark mystery and simply pulls the viewer in. When experiencing his work, I am first struck by the beauty and sensitive elegance of it all. But then several questions come to mind; “What is happening? Is this possible? How is this done?” Just recently, I had the opportunity to learn many answers behind his images.
When browsing through Steve’s website, I noticed that he was offering workshops in fine art nude photography. Though it’s a bit of a hike for me to get to Nova Scotia, I felt compelled to join his most recent workshop. So off I went!
Upon meeting him, I immediately felt at ease. I found Steve to be down to earth, practical and with no pretensions (a rarity among some artist at that level!). Also, the models, assistant and other participants were very friendly and helpful. Overall, it was a great group of people and a sense of camaraderie grew as the weekend went on.
All of the participant’s questions were answered without hesitation. Steve was more than willing to “open his kimono” (as he liked to say) and share his knowledge without holding back. One of the most impressive things about his work is that very little to no post processing is done. He gets it right in camera and refuses to “fix” things later. Many of the seemingly impossible shots are often illusions (some complex, while others surprisingly simple), not done in Photoshop, but created by clever solutions and a vivid imagination. Alas, many “secrets” of his art were revealed!
But there was so much more to gain from this workshop than I had imagined. Steve raised many more questions and made me really think about what I am trying to accomplish in my art. I felt challenged and inspired and came away with renewed energy for my future projects. I can unequivocally say that there will be changes to my approach and how I create.
The following are some images I produced during the workshop. Feel free to offer feedback, as I think you will notice a difference from what I normally do. I’m excited and very interested to see where my work goes from here. Models are Karen and Elizabeth.