A few weeks ago, I was contacted by renowned art model, Artemis Fauna. She was planning to visit Aberdeen and wondererd if I might have time to work with her. I’ve wanted to work with Artemis for such a long time, but our schedules have never quite lined up – and then… you know, COVID and stuff! This time, my answer didn’t take any thought whatseoever – Of course I would make time. We could only sync up for a couple hours though, so I am going to have to make every minute count!
I was really hoping to create some theatrical classical nudes, along the lines of Rodislav Driben‘s work, but I was going to have to collect lots of fabrics and build a pretty grand set for that, and time is against me. So I took a look this afternoon, to see what I have lying around, in the way of creative props. I want to make this shoot special – something with a greater level of polish – something that can stand shoulder to shoulder with acclaimed photographers like Klaus Kampert or Andreas Bitesnich.
What materials do I already have that I can build such sculptural pieces with?
This shoot started with a stripped-down concept: sculptural, industrial, tactile. Shapes, lines and surfaces, but with a common theme. So I started gathering materials gathered, salvaged and repurposed. A leftover roll of silver plastic wrap, which could make for some interesting reflections. A paint drop-cloth with texture and weight. Everything reflected the wider premise: practical prep with salvaged industrial materials, but with my signature “clean” look. Industrial and clean aren’t two words that normally coexist in a single shoot so I will strip down these props to their basic shapes. No cables, buttons, levers and so on. Surfaces stripped of distractions, just simple geometry.
Every prop serves dual duty: functional and compositional.
- Silver Reflective Film: Should give me some great reflections, but could also be unmanageable if the light becomes problematic.
- Old Bike Frame: Not by any means a full bike, but I have most of the parts lying around to build it into something resembling a bike shape. I’ll need to pick up a razor saddle and a pair of drop-style handlebars though.
- Welding Helmet: Scuffed, theatrical, sanctified in a prior ritual. Paired with this enormous wrench I pulled from the skip at work, it creates brutalist gravity. Not as props, but as weight. I’ll need to clean them up of course, but I could create a real industrial juxtaposition if I prepped them and painted them white!
- Plastic Drop Cloth: Speckled with dried paint. Semi-translucent. Filthy, but I can always wash it. Might make for some interesting textures.
This studio isn’t large, but even small rooms can be a creative space. I’m worried that bringing large props into the studio will make things congested, but why don’t I embrace that? Why don’t I make the shoot itself about construction – about the construction of the images themselves, so I can even include the studio workings themselves – lights, backdrop stands etc. Not as “behind the scenes” incidentals, but as real compositional elements.
Four primary looks, each grounded in comfort and clarity:
- Bike Interaction
Artemis will straddle, lean, trace the form. Shot wide to include base panels and clamps. The frame is compositional, not symbolic. A cycling helmet would be a great accessory too, but it would have to be a sculptural shaped one – like one of those aerodynamic velodrome style ones – will see if I can find / make anything. - Helmet & Wrench
Brutalist. Artemis with helmet tilted, wrench cradled or lifted. These are weight-bearing objects, theatrical but not stylized. At least there should be space for these in the frame! - Just Artemis
Clean frames without props. Light, posture, breath. These are the quiet moments—the ones that prove the build didn’t crowd out presence. Shot close, with panels softly out of focus behind her.
Each setup is modular. Each shot will be paced. No stacking of props. No over-symbolizing. The goal is to let each element breathe, in sequence.
This shoot insists on its real dimensions.
We’ll shoot for posture, for sculptural interaction. Props will be held, touched, leaned against or worn. The frame will include what’s usually cropped out: The living, breathing studio – because that’s the truth of this build. And truth, right now, feels like a better promise than polish.