Figure Study

I have been wanting to try a figure study for some time. With the arrival of the new softbox and boom stand, I was able to take my first stab at it. As is my tendency, I shoot myself first until I get past the ignoramus stage and on to beginner stage. Then I feel comfortable bringing in a model and working through a set without wasting the model's time.



There are more, so follow the link to see the rest:

Not much need for commentary on my part. I was simply using the single softbox on my strobe to light me from directly above. The camera is about four feet away looking down at perhaps a 60 degree angle. Originally shot in color, I desaturated to B&W, mostly to minimize the effect of tanning.









I learned a bit about lighting directly from above. It is something I have never done. I did not do much in the way of editing for these images; some cropping, a bit of brightness on a couple, and removing moles and scars that detracted the viewers eye from the form and the light. As usual, it is a bit of a chore to shoot myself, and so I generally quit before I feel like I did everything I wanted to try. Well, I will set about getting a model in place to try some more. Stay tuned!