When I started my Southern Gothic Redux series two years ago, I started with a cast of models with whom I had never worked with before. It was a role of the dice to see which ones would be the more stronger and diverse model with their personality coming across in the photos. Some models are multi-faceted helping to create a photo that tells a story while some are quite beautiful but are a "one note" and "one dimensional."
Elia Kazan said a real director is one who when he meets an actor, he watches them in their natural habitat with the people who are around them all of the time to find out who they are and what they do and how they respond naturally. He then directs the scene to work with them being their natural selves in it. I am a photographer that likes to follow my muse's lead. I find that when I over direct a model, they get caught up in listening to me, analysing it and then trying to find out what it is I am looking for. Their expressions become lost in the process and it looks like they are no longer present and are lost in the process.
While looking for selections to print and to put in my booklet for my upcoming show on August 3 at the Goirrim Brother's uptown, I found that through my series I have grown as a photographer not only in the technical part of framing, and setting the scene of my cinematic portraits, but as a director, I am more able to focus the model and capture them in their best poses..
I met Aubrey about five years ago when he was in grad school at UNO. I chose him in the first round of photographs for my series that I photographed at the Bultman mansion. We revisited the location this spring we achieved some fresh fabulous shots. I really feel the Bultman mansion is my sacred photography ground here in the city. Every room looks like a movie set. I also really enjoy working with Aubrey with her physical beauty being one of the prettiest models that I have photographed. She has great skin and her makeups camera ready. She doesn't mind rising to the occasion by acting and creating a role for each scene which challenges me to make more beautiful art.
