I usually like to work the environment into a picture, but it can be interesting to work with just the positive and negative spaces that the body creates on a black background. It's especially interesting if you have the right model.

Another photo from a dreary London afternoon. Soft window light can be a challenge to work with, but I think it helps to create the mood of this photo.

This is the same model as in the last post. Just about without exception, first time models loosen up after a short period of time.

This is one of the first photos in a session with a first time model. Some models want to dive right into the shoot and other want to take it slowly. It helps to have robes and towels available for models who want to take it by easy stages.

Here is a shot with a little different style for me. I experimented with studio lights, leaving the soft boxes off and just shooting with bare bulbs and a snoot on the light. It creates a higher contrast, more graphic style.

A profile portrait of adult film actress Amy Ried. This shot was taken in the last of the afternoon light coming through the window of an apartment in Santa Monica

I've done a few shoots with Dominatrixes. I can't say that I completely understand or appreciate the fetish, but I do like the imagery and the high contrast of the clothing and accessories. I like the short depth of field of this shot.

When posing a model, rather than just saying "hold up your hands and look to the left" it can work better to give a model a starting point and follow her lead. This model was a fan of 1930s icon Josephine Baker, so I said, be Josephine Baker. And she did.

I'm often accused of not doing enough shots from behind, so here's one.

A simple prop like a mirror on the floor can lead to potentially interesting compositions.

I always prefer to use natural light coming through the window. That is not always possible, so I try to fake it using cross lighting a reflectors.

The high contrast lighting seemed to work well with this model's darker complexion. Strobe light allow you move and breathe while posing and this model was posing nude for the first time, so she needed to breathe.

Another shoot with a first time model. This photo was done with studio lighting.

I'm not always a big fan of in your face spread legs photos. On the other hand, I think it can be interesting to use a pose or subject matter more associated with porn and try to get an interesting photo in spite of it.

This is a photo taken in backstreets of Tallinn Estonia with a Holga camera. Holgas are plastic cameras that were originally meant as toy cameras. The single element plastic lens has a characteristic vignetting and distortion. The effect can be used to the photographer's advantage and the Holga has a cult following.

This model does a lot of retro-pin up style modeling. For this shoot, I asked her to do her hair and make-up 50s style. This shot was done with 3200 iso film to reinforce the vintage photo look.

Another image with high contrast studio lighting. This model had an interesting tattoo on her back that added to the texture of the image.

Another moody, end of the session, photo in the late afternoon.

I have a weakness for grainy, shadowy images that look like they came out of the 50s. It isn't the only thing I do, but with every shoot I try to get a least one roll of grainy old film into the mix.

Here is a nice portrait of Amy Ried. This is one of my best selling prints on Ebay. I like making big prints and I printed this image as large as 20 x 20 inches. I didn't know who Amy was when we did the shoot. I've since discovered that she has a large fan base around the world.

I love the short focus from the 1.4 lens and the grainy, 3200 speed film. I didn't know that this woman was a dominatrix until she dumped her bag of props out on the floor. She was very inventive and we had a great shoot.

Shooting with two models gives you some opportunities to create narratives and scenarios.

Some lighting experiments with a first time model. After about five minutes though, she was an experienced model.

I like to use a coffee cup as a prop. I know it makes no sense from a practical standpoint to place a cup of coffee on your chest when you are laying down, but I thought it made an interesting photo.

A lot of women who do private shoots ask to photographed nude, but "not nude". Here is a modest portrait of Stephanie in London in the window light of a typical cloudy London afternoon.