20 in 2020
2020 a challenging year
Well, what a different and challenging year 2020 has been.
None of us have been unaffected in some way by this global pandemic. Little did we know what was coming in the early part of the year. Shoots and travel were booked and then slowly they were all cancelled as the lockdown came into being across the world.
For all creatives this has been an incredibly challenging time.
Fortunately some enterprising people saw an opportunity to use technology and the web to enable remote shooting and thus image making could take place. With me at home and the models in another part of the world, this was a way to keep producing images during the periods of lockdown.
This certainly enabled me to work with creatives in other countries which would not have been possible in normal times. A few of the images selected here were shot remotely with models/dancers as far away as Denmark. When the restrictions eased mid year, some social distance studio work did take place.
I think I have learnt a little bit about myself during this time. I am more interested in the engagement with people and creatives, then the popularity of my photographs. If people like my work then that is fine, but I am not interested in creating images to be popular.
That would compromise my creativity and my style of image making. I have certainly found a calmness in creating images that I like and not being driven to follow the trend to be popular.
As is often said “Art mirrors life” and aesthetic output reflects on us as people. The twenty images I have selected here are ones where I felt strong connections with the creatives I was working with and reflect my style and values.
Thanks to all the creatives I managed to work with this year and lets hope that 2021 brings a return to a more normal artistic environment.
Models/ Dancers: Carla Monaco, Riona Neve, Poppyseed Dancer & Jasmin, Elesha Eden, Natalia, BOou, Ariel Taylor, Amie Boulton, Zoi, Erica Mulkern.
Em – Silk hanging (NSFW)
- Aerialist: Em Theresa
- Lighting: 3 x Studio flash fitted with soft boxes
- Location: Natural Light Spaces
- Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Lens: 24-70mm.
- 1/100sec @ f /11.00. ISO100
To collaborate with Aerialists in order to capture their skills is a real challenge. Em Theresa the Aerialist featured in these images makes these poses look effortless and easy, but they are not.
It requires core strenght and concentration to hold these poses while hanging from the suspended silks several metres from the ground.
The biggest challenge for the photographer is to know when to capture the image, to show the artisty and skill that the aerialist is displaying as she holds the pose.