Years ago walking into a quaint little French restaurant I saw this beautiful barmaid tending the amazing wooden antique bar. The bar was massive and intricately carved dark wood with a beveled mirror extending the entire length of the bar. With the soft light streaming in the front window of the restaurant and lighting the face of this beautiful woman, I felt instantly transported to Europe.
From the way, I described the restaurant you may think this is the photo I took of the barmaid, but I did not have my camera with me at the time. This was another lesson about not being shy and carrying my camera with me everywhere. So I did the next best thing, I asked her if she would be willing to let me photograph her some time, without a pause she said yes. We exchanged numbers and I called her the next day to put a shoot on the calendar for the following week.
A side note. A long time ago I was afraid to ask a woman to photograph her in fear that she might think it was a come on. I was given some good advice if I ask her and she says no then I won’t be able to photograph her the same as if I didn’t ask her. So there was only the upside that she would say yes. I think the secret in NOT coming across as having ulterior motives is to NOT have ulterior motives. Maybe it sounds corny but be pure of heart with your intentions and the person you want to photograph will feel safe in saying yes. You should also tell your subject that they will have the final decision as to which images are kept and which are deleted. That way they have nothing to lose. This is all true, whether or not you are well known, have been published, or are just starting out. Have a good heart and treat your subjects with consideration.
We met at her apartment in Hollywood. Her apartment was on the ground floor facing north toward the street. The light was soft that day and filled her place with dim light. This photograph was taken with Kodak 400 CN B&W film. I also used my favorite lens the Canon 85mm f/1.2 L series lens, wide open at f/1.2 for this image.
There was no work in post on this photograph, no desire to remove the bruise on her forearm, no interest in bringing in detail from the shadows or from the highlights. I loved the photo as I captured it. There is a loss of detail in the scanning process, and then posting on FaceBook as well, but it is a beautiful print.
Because she is nude there is a “timeless” feel to the image that clothing might otherwise date. Her makeup was very simple and her relaxed nature make this a favorite photograph from that day. I also did not pose her for this photo, I was moved by this moment and captured it.
Remember to shoot from your heart, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable as a photographer, and share your experience through your photography.
For those of you who like the details.. besides shooting at f/1.2, I would guess the shutter speed was 1/100 sec. The ISO was the ASA of the film at 400.
