Ending or Evolution?

Art nude from the metal mirrors series by  Lucas James

How do you know when a project has ended?

I have been working on the metal mirror series of art nudes for nearly two years.  The series had gotten to a point where it felt “whole” or at least coherent enough to be shown as a group of photographs.  Which left me wondering, “am I done with this?”.  That question was very much on my mind when I took the series to the New England Portfolio Review this year.  The more I talked about the work, the more I felt maybe it was done.  And yet, something in me was not satisfied with the idea that I had somehow run out of things to say.

Valuable criticism

A couple of reviewers at NEPR commented on the color spectrum of the series.  The photos mostly have a tan and brown pallet which is a function of both the model’s skin tone as well as the studio environment.  More than one reviewer suggested expanding the pallet of the background color and texture- noting how images within the series that were of other colors stood out.  It was a small push, but one that would turn out very well.

The images shot below and posted previously were done in the studio with my pal/co-conspirator Mara.  The background is a piece of translucent perspex lit from behind with a gelled flash.  The photographs below are created by reflections in aluminum while the previously posted work uses a copper mirror.  The substrate dictates the tone and texture of the final image.  We ended up with an enormous body of work from that day and these are just a couple of the stand outs.  Needless to say, I’ve definitely found a way to keep this art series evolving and growing!

Art nude from the metal mirrors series by  Lucas James

Art nude from the metal mirrors series by  Lucas James

 

Lucas James is a fine art photographer based in Manchester, NH whose work focuses on the human form.  Anisotropic Images Photography.

 

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