As part of the Project Educate Artistic Nudes Segment Week I present you a interview with the witty =wynnesome!








I’m a studio owner, recording engineer, photographer, and model. My personal fashion style tends toward alternative/gothic – I have green hair, a pierced lip, and like to wear black clothes with lots of metal and straps. My wonderful partner, the late D. M. Gremlin, put a camera in my hands a little bit over two years ago, taught me to use it, and invited me to photograph models with him. I found I loved the art form and have never looked back. I’m fortunate enough to make my living through my involvement with the arts – music and photography. I’m privileged to work with many amazing models, and the studio (D. M. Gremlin Studios) now hosts an ongoing photography and modeling workshop series with Adam Chilson (*Doomsday-Dawn) and Lisa Berczel / Battledress Paint –n- Body (~Battledress). We’re planning a formal gallery show toward the end of the year, and I’ve also had my own works shown in a couple of galleries, most recently Apparatus Gallery in Las Vegas, as part of =UniqueNudes’ " Personality " show.



^Helewidis - Do you remember art being a big part of your childhood?

=wynnesome - I experimented with a few arts and crafts as a child – doodling with markers evolved to pencil and colored pencil drawing, airbrushing model horses, and always had an interest in photography, though I never actually knew how to use a camera properly until much more recently.


^Helewidis - Who was your inspiration as you played with your finger paints?

=wynnesome - Wasn’t so much into finger paints… I was all about drawing horses and birds as a kid, whether it was markers, pencils, or programming computer graphics, which I did a bit of too.


^Helewidis - Were you supported by others to create?

=wynnesome - I had and do have, a very supportive family.


^Helewidis - What is Art to you?

=wynnesome - Art is… something that gets in your head and isn’t happy until you bring it into reality. It’s making something from nothing, putting the shape of an individual person’s thoughts into material form.


^Helewidis - What are your aspirations regarding your art?

=wynnesome - To get better at it on a technical level, to explore a wide range of styles and concepts, and eventually to create freely without having to worry so much about “how” to make that happen. I would love to see my art photography in publication or make some print sales, maybe have a gallery show. But it’s a mistake to get too focused on making money from art photography, because as much as people love it, it’s not something many people will actually put out money to pay for.



^Helewidis - What is your favourite medium?

=wynnesome - Film photography – color slide film and high speed b/w film.



^Helewidis - If you could, you would?

=wynnesome - Too many possible answers to this.



^Helewidis - How did you find dA?

=wynnesome - Introduced to it by ~dmGremlin


^Helewidis - Did you use other outlets for your art?

=wynnesome - Personal web site gallery; print portfolio, portfolios on a couple of model/photographer networking sites such as Model Mayhem.


^Helewidis - Why dA?

=wynnesome - Friendly community, people who seem to enjoy appreciating art more than competitively criticizing.


^Helewidis - What is your favourite part of dA?

=wynnesome - I like adding artists to my devwatch and exchanging comments about my own and others’ works.



^Helewidis - Do you tell offline friends about dA?

=wynnesome - Not so much offline friends, but friends who are online on other sites, I’ve encouraged a good few to come to dA. It’s pretty selfish – that way I can keep up with all my artist friends in one site.


^Helewidis - If you could tell the world about dA what would you say?

=wynnesome - For the most part it’s a much more positive and encouraging vibe than a lot of sites focused on one art form where people get very cutthroat and negative.





^Helewidis - How do you choose your models? What is your criteria? Why would you turn someone down, for example? and Where do you find them?

=wynnesome - I’ve met most of my models through the model/photographer networking site Model Mayhem. I look for models who express an interest in the kinds of images I like to shoot, and whose personal styles catch my notice. Personally I like to shoot with a lot of so-called “alternative” models – dyed hair, punk and gothic looks, piercings, tattoos, etc. But that’s not a necessity for me to want to work with someone, either. I turn down requests to work with people who ask to shoot in styles or themes that I’m not personally artistically interested in, since most of my artistic shoots are collaborative with no payment changing hands.


^Helewidis - What inspired you to pursue this particular genre (Artistic Nude) in the first place?

=wynnesome - When Gremlin took up photography and showed me his work, I was enthralled at first look. I have always been interested in art that incorporates dramatic shadows and high contrasts – that’s the kind of portraits I used to draw, too. So when he taught me to use his camera and invited me to shoot with him, it’s probably not a surprise that I ended up enjoying the actual “doing” of the art in addition to appreciating it.

There is no point whatsoever in trying to “convince” or coerce someone into posing nude who doesn’t want to – maybe the power-hungry or voyeurs would enjoy that experience, but as far as artistic photography, all it results in are photographs of an unhappy, awkward, and uncomfortable looking person.

^Helewidis - What is the biggest challenge you've had to face as a nude photographer?

=wynnesome - Can’t think of any in particular. I’ve had a lot of advantages in the way I got my start in the genre, so I was fortunate enough to skip some of the issues with finding models, finding studio space, having access to equipment, and “mainstream” culture’s often negative associations with artistic nude work. I know those are all issues others starting out have had to deal with though. I think my biggest challenge is always just increasing my technical skills to do justice to the fantastic models I have the pleasure of shooting with.





^Helewidis - What is your favorite lighting setup? Why? or, if you only do outdoors: how do you find the places? Ever had any troubles with the law/other people, etc? how did you overcome them?

=wynnesome - You really want to hear about lighting???? Well, it was simpler when I first started shooting with Gremlin. We mostly used one side light to give dramatic shadows across the figure, sometimes a white board on the opposite side, to bounce back just enough light to define the line of the other side of the body. Sometimes a very low power fill light more to the front. But often just one light.

The last few months I have had the immense privilege of working closely with *Doomsday-Dawn - Adam Chilson. He is an absolute master of photographic lighting, and I wouldn’t claim to be able to define the principles of his techniques – that’s why he is the master artist and instructor! However, my interpretation of what I’ve learned from him is based upon each light, or often each complementary pair of lights, performing a single, defined and controlled function within the image. The fall of each light is manipulated through placement and modifiers to light exactly what is desired, and keep light away from what needs to be unlit. Lighting should be considered for the set/environment, and for the model, and often are manipulated separately. Lighting in this manner often utilizes “lots” of lights – I average about 6 strobes in most shoots these days. It’s a style very much based upon principles of behavior of light and having a strong conception of what you want the light to show – rather than a “default” lighting configuration. This said though, one of my favorite styles to incorporate is “rim lighting,” where there is a very fine outline of highlight around part or of the entire figure. You can see quite a bit of this in recent works in my portfolio.

I do much more studio photography than outdoor photography, so I won’t really try to address more than that. In the outdoor shoots I have done though, I’ve worked in secluded locations known by other models and photographers, and never personally had any issues with the law or other people present. I know some other photographers who have though, especially a couple who have gotten slapped with huge fines for shooting on National Park land.

^Helewidis - What do you answer to those intolerant people complaining about your art being only pornography? What would you tell them to open their eyes?

=wynnesome - Mostly I don’t try to argue with this point of view. If someone can’t tell the difference, my view isn’t going to convince them. If ignoring them doesn’t work, I block them from communicating with me. However if they attack my friends, they usually hear my wrath for that. I don’t care if they don’t like or appreciate nudes, but attacking someone who does is not acceptable to me.


^Helewidis - What do you do to make a model feel comfortable being nude in front of the camera? Do you ever have music playing to get the mood right? Could you share some ways to relax when behind the camera or giving directions to a model?

=wynnesome - I shoot primarily with models who are already experienced and comfortable with nudity. I have shot with a couple of models who asked me to shoot them nude for the first time, which I obviously took as a compliment that they made the request. One of the ideas I’ve come to think of recently, is that the respect or disrespect a person gives to a nude model is often no different from the respect the same person shows to any other person they come into contact with on a daily basis. So in a sense, “be yourself” is my guiding principle that I encourage from a model, and act upon myself. There is no point whatsoever in trying to “convince” or coerce someone into posing nude who doesn’t want to – maybe the power-hungry or voyeurs would enjoy that experience, but as far as artistic photography, all it results in are photographs of an unhappy, awkward, and uncomfortable looking person.

As far as shoot demeanour, basic courtesies – even if you’re new to it and it’s still really extraordinary to have a beautiful nude person in front of you – don’t stare. Don’t make comments about how “hot” or “sexy” the model is. Types of poses that a model is comfortable with should be discussed before a shoot so you don’t ask the model to do something he or she is specifically uncomfortable with. And if something wasn’t discussed beforehand that comes up during a shoot – a pose or idea – mention it, ask the model about it, and accept their answer without question if they prefer not to try that idea. Or just don’t ask at all, and save it for discussion before the next shoot. If you establish a good artistic partnership, it’s great to be able to work with the same models on a continuing basis.

Music is often really nice during a shoot – and depends on the model’s preferences and the concept of the shoot. From ambient, to aggressive. I tend to tune out anything beyond the model and the lights and camera while shooting, so even if the model likes music I don’t, I would rather have the model feeling the mood.

Directing models is really tough, especially just starting out. I used to feel like I was ordering someone around, even if I asked nicely for a movement or hold of a pose. So I try to emphasize calling the model by their name, and saying please, to always keep the feeling that I’m asking another person to do something for me. A model is not an object, or as I heard described once and strongly objected to, a “tool.” Personally I usually feel that if I’m failing to attain a movement, pose, etc that I’m asking a model for, that I’m probably explaining it badly. If nothing else, even if the failing really is with the model, it will at least keep the model more comfortable if I refrain from exhibiting impatience, even if I am human and of course feel it sometimes. It’s an ongoing skill, to learn to direct clearly.






^Helewidis - When did you start modelling?

=wynnesome - I started modeling in early 2006, only for Gremlin at first. Really, it was a pretty big advantage, to learn almost simultaneously from someone with solid technique and experience, what goes into a successful photo shoot from both perspectives – photography and modeling. They’re intertwined more than most people give credit for. It’s a very unique kind of collaboration that happens with a model and photographer when “the zone” hits during a shoot, and both sides have to be open to that to get the best possible images, I believe.

I started modeling for other photographers around September of 2007, so I’ve really been modeling all told a little bit longer than I’ve been shooting, but the largest part of my experience modeling has been within the last 10 months or so.


^Helewidis - What were your fears before modelling nude and what were your thoughts about it after the very first session?

=wynnesome - I didn’t fear it going into it because I was so comfortable with the person I was posing for. I found it a very interesting experience and much to my liking, creating and refining poses that the camera would see so differently from how I see and feel my own body.


^Helewidis - Do you have any fountain of inspiration for your poses (and if so, can you please share it with us?) or instead you have the photographers to think about them for you?

=wynnesome - I’ve spent a long time, as many of us go through, becoming familiar and comfortable with the peculiarities of my own body. As a photographer, I like to see how a person moves – from angular to flowing, every person’s style is different, and bringing out the best in a model is working with that, not against it. As a model, I try to relate to my own body that way too. I know I’m a very angular person, I don’t have the inherent grace of a dancer, but I have my own strengths that come through my own style of movement. I do draw a lot from my martial arts experience, which isn’t vast, but has influenced me heavily. Hands, arms, stances. There are a few “classic” poses I’ve adopted my own variations of, from seeing them in photographs and seeing them with other models. It’s really important for a model to have some awareness of what poses are flattering and unflattering to their own body, too. A photographer should look for those things with a model, but not all do, and two people taking it into account are better than one.

I love it when photographers have ideas for poses – I’ll try almost anything, other than explicit sexual poses, which just aren’t my style. The best shoots are the ones where the ideas flow from one person to the other back and forth – an idea starts, I give my take on the pose, photographer gives direction to refine it, I take a step, move my head, to make a balance feel natural… and it works or we take it to the furthest for that idea or we say “that’s not quite working, let’s try something else.” Again, ideally, it’s a collaboration. I do quite a few paid shoots, and sometimes the photographer has a particular idea he’s paying for me to embody, and of course I do my best to express the pose he’s looking for. Or sometimes part of what gives the photographer his money’s worth is that he doesn’t know what he wants and I can, from my experience, give poses that make him happy with what he’s photographing.

I have felt upon a few occasions that some of my business clients – photographers who rent the studio – don’t seem to take me quite as seriously once they find out that I also model. They’ve found out very quickly that I don’t back down a bit from my business terms, but I’ve found the feeling irritating on a couple of occasions.

^Helewidis - Still on the poses, how long do you generally stay in one pose for a photograph? And also: have you ever posed for drawings? If so, how did you cope with the longer time of posing (any tricks!?)?

=wynnesome - As long as needed…. When Adam and I shot “Metamorphosis,” I had a crick in my neck the next morning from looking back over my shoulder for quite some time during the various sets for that shoot! That was minor, and there were breaks between, but it was very small movements for… I’m not sure how many minutes at a time, over a period of hours. Holding a pose without having it get stale or start to look stiff or unnatural is definitely a skill for a model to work on. And keeping muscle memory to resume a pose as closely as possible is essential for poses where you simply can not stay in it indefinitely – deep stretches, extensions, or strength positions for example.

I’ve never posed for drawings – I would, but haven’t happened to get to participate in that activity as of yet.





^Helewidis - How do you choose your photographers? What is your criteria? Why would you turn someone down, for example? and Where do you find them?

=wynnesome - Mostly, photographers contact me asking for a shoot. Most of them are hiring me for paid shoots, and I’ll usually take the job as long as we are in agreement about the scheduling, location, type of material, rate of pay, and so forth. I always get payment in advance from people I haven’t worked with before – too many cancellations where I lose the chance to make any income from that time when someone flakes out, so I just don’t leave myself open to that anymore. I take my work seriously, and expect that from the photographer’s side too. I turn down a photographer looking to shoot if they want a TF shoot (no pay) and their work isn’t exceptional and in a style I really love, or if they’re looking for explicit sexual material, which again I just don’t personally choose to shoot.


^Helewidis - What inspired you to pursue this particular genre (Artistic Nude) in the first place?

=wynnesome - Gremlin asking me if I wanted to pose for him, and then enjoying the experience and enjoying the feeling of personally being part of the art form.


^Helewidis - What is the biggest challenge you've had to face as a nude model?

=wynnesome - I have felt upon a few occasions that some of my business clients – photographers who rent the studio – don’t seem to take me quite as seriously once they find out that I also model. They’ve found out very quickly that I don’t back down a bit from my business terms, but I’ve found the feeling irritating on a couple of occasions.

I don’t really link my modeling and my photography portfolios publicly, but it would be foolish to try and keep my modeling a “secret,” and I wouldn’t want to anyway. I think that’s one tip I do have for prospective models – if it’s direly important to you that “someone,” whether that means family, employers, or anyone else – don’t see your modeling – DON’T model (whether that is nude or not).

At any rate, I usually just maintain a bit of professional separation between my photography and my modeling, and people meet me in whatever context we happen to be working together at first. Once people get to know me, they usually know I do both, and if someone can’t respect that, then I will be quickly ushering them out the door and away from me! Again I am really fortunate to make my living in the arts and to have a supportive family, where some people do have to give a lot more consideration to potential consequences of reputation from nude modeling. I did have one insurance company turn down my business for liability coverage due to the nude images in the photography portfolios on the web site. That might seem ridiculous, but that company truly would not accept me as a client because of it, so it does go to show that not everyone is accepting of nudity as art.





^Helewidis - What would be the 5 things (tips-wise) you'd say to a new model that is just starting to pose nude?

=wynnesome - Give serious thought to whether you’re actually going to be comfortable taking your clothing off and being nude in front of a photographer – whether or not it is someone you know. If the photographer is not someone you know personally already (which is a great way to start by the way), check references of models who have worked with that photographer. Have shoot terms discussed and agreed upon in advance. If the photographer tries to break those terms during the shoot (asks you to pose in a way you said you wouldn’t for example), LEAVE. There’s lots of debate on the subject of bringing an escort to a shoot. If someone is really going to try to harm you on a shoot, you may or may not be any safer for a friend being present. At very least, let someone know where you are going to be for the shoot, for how long, and at what time they should expect to hear that you are finished with the shoot.
Reasonable safety precautions, in other words. It can often be nice if you can meet with a photographer before a shoot to get to know them a little bit and make sure you get a comfortable feeling from them. There are no guarantees – the nice neighbor can turn out to be a mass murderer – but you can also get hit by a bus when you step out your front door, even if you looked both ways first. Life is risky, but take the precautions to at least minimize the risks inherent in an activity, no different with modeling. Also this goes for clothed or nude modeling. Worst case, if someone were actually going to try to physically harm you on a shoot – would starting out with your clothing on make a difference?

We’re going to be offering a seminar probably in September, at the studio, for prospective new models. Safety, etiquette, and shoot decorum along the lines of the above, are definitely going to be topics we cover, along with realistic expectations in modeling, portfolio critiques, and other topics.


^Helewidis - How is it to work with your usual photographers? – Any different from the occasional ones?

=wynnesome - Dinner with a good friend, or conversation with the person next to you in the cafeteria line… the former you know you will have rapport, companionship, and an enjoyable evening. The latter – could lead to another fine friendship, could be amicable and go no further, and could end up having nothing to say to each other.


^Helewidis - When you model with another person do you usually take some time prior to the shoot to talk with her/him and get to know better or is it just shoot, shoot, shoot? Can you please give us any insight about how your sessions usually go?

=wynnesome - I haven’t modelled with strangers – just with a couple of people who were already friends. So no special discussion was necessary. I personally wouldn’t be comfortable modelling nude with someone I didn’t know well, which is just my preference, not because there is anything wrong with models meeting and working together in that professional situation.




^Helewidis Thank you very much for everything



~

You are officially invited!

Summer is here and so is the Project Educate Week for Artistic Nudes (July 14 to July 18 - you can read updates in ^projecteducate and other week's info).

As of right now, besides other interviews and the ABC's (that you can check out by searching my news), we have launched a mini-contest: [link] and the schedule is up at [link]


Tomorrow there'll be a Surprise Trivia with prizes, at #artnudes - so keep your eyes peeled for more!...


During the week there will be more thematic articles and journals, from the community itself. You can get track of it by following this journal: [link]

Last but not least, there will be random giveaways during the week in #artnudes and some other dA places!

Join us and please, spread the news and/or use the stamp so everyone knows about this event!!!






Have fun!!!