Relax

Everyone says relax

During these testing weeks for my final major project I am reflecting back on all the critique I have had over the past year. One piece of advice that has come back to me time and time again was that I needed to relax. Not only with my constant strive for perfection in my photography, which makes me very uptight about any negative feedback but also how I need to relax in my approach to taking a picture. Instead of planning every detail and pose I need to be able to let the model move in the space without controlling the shoot so much. This will help me to achieve more comfortable images that don't feel contrived. 

I feel there is an element to the majority of my shoots that are too posed. I normally disregard these images as they come out too stiff. By identifying my control issue with a shoot I have been able to step back and notice the more I pose and direct each movement the more contrived the image. I feel I need to do this to start a shoot of as I have always had feed back from my models that they like the direction. So as I am testing for my final major project I wanted to to work on techniques and different ways of shooting that would fall into any category I decide to shoot.    

Anastasia Volkova
www.anastasiavolkova.com

Volkova is a young photographer from Russia. She is a great example of capturing relaxed natural models still making the images interesting. I chose her photography to look at because it had a soft snapshot element to the images. As if they weren't planned structured or controlled but captured because she had been inspired by nature and a beautiful face. I feel this free way of shooting could teach me a lot a give me the release to relax with my approach to snapping an image.

"For the Love of Photography"

 (Anastasia Volkova website title)

Not only does Volkova have a freedom in her portraits but she has a personal version when approaching a subject. You can tell this through her website as she reveals how she see the world through personal projects and snap shots of her journeys. This shows a true passion and way of living through her images. As she captures all her experiences through a lens with a unique and personal vision of her surrounding world.

Hania Komasińska

Another example of this natural approach is a young Polish Photographer called Hania Komasińska who works beautifully with relaxed models. They explore the photographic place as if a camera isn't present as if caught in a moment of down time and reflection. I prefer the colour in Volkova's work  as these images are slightly duller but I feel they have more of a concept of story behind the images. 

(Top Left) Why is she sitting their? What is she reading? who is she waiting for?  

My spare of the moment shoot

Taking note of this Snap when and where you can method. I grabbed a model at the weekend and did not over think posing, styling or structure of the shoot but I shot what I found beautiful and snapped the moments I felt caught the natural essence the girl (Racheal Doyle) I was photographing. 

In this first set of images I was experimenting under a tall blossom tree. I was against the elements as it was raining and the wind was rapid. I also couldn't decide on a perspective I cold shoot at with how tall the tree was but while all these things were racing through my head I just started to shoot. Let the model naturally pose as I hid in the blossoms and didn't control every element of the image. 

This is my favourite image from the Blossom tree shots. As it isn't controlled, I embraced the elements and went with the movement of the shoot.  

I moved the shoot as it started to rain. The first two images of the Purple series I feel are too posed the top right especially. I really like the bottom main image. Even though the angle and body could appear distorted as it is a strange body position. but actually it is a more relaxed and natural image than the perfectly placed photos also making for a more interesting shot.