A Muse Visits! Folk I love to work with in my studio!

[Asher Kelman]

It's busy, I really have no idea what I am going to do that day. It happens spontaneously: what clothes are available, did we get a makeup artist, is Kirstie my assistant available or off shooting in Texas or Montreal etc!


I plan to share a few from a studio shoot earlier this: one of two lovely new friends from France.

Asher Kelman: French Model #1

March 2018 Los Angeles

jpg out of the camera, not edited​

Asher

 

[Peter Dexter]

She is almost wearing those wheat fronds in her hair. The cloth table covering is curious. In some areas the outer ring dots have lost their color. Do the French snack on tomatoes?

 

[Asher Kelman]

She is almost wearing those wheat fronds in her hair. The cloth table covering is curious. In some areas the outer ring dots have lost their color. Do the French snack on tomatoes?

Thanks for commenting, Peter!

Yes, she’s into the fronds. The cloth does have two materials. Could be that my lights have caused the effect you see. It,s white light and perhaps I need to correctvthis with a luminous mask.

The french do actually love tomatoes! However she’s eating persimmon!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

The “dots” are round openings, empty spaces. So on the left, one sees either “camel hair color” the hue of the cloth, or where there is space, black.

Near the lights, the cloth underneath is reflecting as white.

I could even those out during processing from raw.

Thanks for pointing out the disparity. I will look out for that next time!


BTW, there are no “tomatoes”. Those are all delicious persimmons and they get eaten fast!

Asher

 

[Peter Dexter]

That explains it. I should have noticed.

 

[James Lemon]

A wonderful composition Asher... I like it! The glass vase would bounce the light around a fair bit too might want to consider a bit more decoration. Some type of material around the vase.

Best, Regards
James

 

[Asher Kelman]

A wonderful composition Asher... I like it! The glass vase would bounce the light around a fair bit too might want to consider a bit more decoration. Some type of material around the vase.

Best, Regards
James

Thanks James for the visit and the feedback. I always welcome your ideas.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Asher Kelman: French Model #2

March 2018 Los Angeles

jpg out of the camera, not edited​

 

[James Lemon]

Asher Kelman: French Model #2

March 2018 Los Angeles

jpg out of the camera, not edited​

Asher

Nice colours and I am left with the thought of what is underneath? Too much whites in the eyes for me. I think it is best to have the models eyes follow their nose.

Best, regards
James

 

[Asher Kelman]

Whites in the eyes? That’s a trompe de l’oeil for you! It only appears that way as the bg is black. There image is out of the camera and uncorrected!

But when I process it from RAW I will look out for that “effect”.

Asher

 

[James Lemon]

Whites in the eyes? That’s a trompe de l’oeil for you! It only appears that way as the bg is black. There image is out of the camera and uncorrected!

But when I process it from RAW I will look out for that “effect”.

Asher

Asher

It has nothing to do with processing. It is simply a matter of directing the model to have her eyes follow her nose, regardless of which direction the model turns their head. In this case here eyes are looking directly at the camera and her nose is in a different direction and thus too much of the whites in her eyes showing for my tastes.

Best, regards
James

 

[Asher Kelman]

Asher

It has nothing to do with processing. It is simply a matter of directing the model to have her eyes follow her nose, regardless of which direction the model turns their head. In this case here eyes are looking directly at the camera and her nose is in a different direction and thus too much of the whites in her eyes showing for my tastes.

Best, regards
James

Ahah, James,

I understand your concept now! But I wanted her to decidedly look away from her nose, and at us! I will think about your own preference for eye-nose alignment in portraits to prevent “too much white sclera” showing.

I had never myself worried about that, but it’s certainly a relevant consideration in posing.

Thanks for your input!

Asher

 

[Jean Henderson]

Lovely. My preference is the first one. I find the second one is missing some lights despite the conversation about the whites of the eye. There is a missing brilliance to my way of seeing that seem to be being absorbed by the material of the blanket. Perhaps a lighter background would change things for me.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Thanks, Jean,

These are out of the camera. I will consider your ideas!

Asher

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

It's funny how everyone has a different opinion. I love the second one where she is wrapped in a blanket and like her gaze peeking out at us through the thick tussle of hair. The dark background and the color blanket work so wonderfully with her skin tone and hair color and I find it fabulous.
But if we all loved the same things, life would be boring, wouldn't it?
Maggie

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

Asher Kelman: French Model #2

March 2018 Los Angeles

jpg out of the camera, not edited​

I was thinking about this one again today. I kept thinking, would we remember The Girl with the Pearl Earring if she wasn't looking straight at us?

 

[Asher Kelman]

I was thinking about this one again today. I kept thinking, would we remember The Girl with the Pearl Earring if she wasn't looking straight at us?

Yes, Maggie, you may be spot on!

The earring appears to be the illusion from light behind her he’d appearing between her hair and the back of her neck!

Without that stare, nothing would be positioned so precisely and we would not conjure up that perfect pearl, which is not there!

I need to add a spot of light in my photograph, to the same effect!

Hilarious!

Asher

 

[Dr Klaus Schmitt]

nice portraits Asher! Cute girl!

 

[Asher Kelman]

I love working with women, one could also think I am obsessed. But the truth is I that it’s a two way street.

Young women, are of course naturally lovely to behold. But I also am able to act as a sounding board for their own ideas and ambitions and that is appreciated by them.

But for me, the greatest benefit I have is being constantly fueled with one simple strong motif, not the sexy body parts, but the edges that define them.

It’s the curves of the hips which are so opposite to our modern almost exclusively rectilinear world that transfix me. Their “hour-glass” curves come from continuously changing radii, delivering sinuous shapes that are very transferable to malleable steel tubes and plates I work with.

Each model brings new poses and so my mind is trained to imagine so many rich variations of shapes.

Anyway, that’s my excuse and I am sticking with it!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Boost for my love of the French model. I repaired the first link and will find thr second and repair that too!

This problem with links might be related tThe change of software platform for thr forum, years back!

Asher