Not All Models Are Created Equal
- Kari Crawford
- Feb 1, 2017
- 3 min read
When you hear the word model, what comes to mind? I'm sure most of us imagine a long legged, hour glass figure with beautiful long, flowing hair and a look on her face that could stop traffic. Or maybe some see a tall, handsome, muscular, though not overly muscular, man with perfectly woven hair on his perfect complexion head. Given that's what we see on TV, magazines, videos, movies, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, it makes perfect sense why we think that way.
In doing photography, I personally have had no desire to incorporate humans into my image. However, that does not stop me from having my own "models" to shake it up a bit. As the Merriam-Webster dictionary puts it, the meaning of the word model can be "a person or thing that serves as a pattern for an artist." Yes, a thing. So what are the "things" that I and you can use to stir up a picture if you don't have a human around?
Meet Garcia, my skeleton model that travels with me all months of the year, not just in October. Using something like a skeleton adds a bit of a twist when I combine him with more earthy pictures which inspires me to make a fun day out of trying to find locations to pose him. It doesn't only entertain me, but on looking strangers as well, given you don't often see people posing skeletons around town in July, let's say; not in Northeast Ohio anyhow. Here are just a few of photos created from him...
Did you happen to notice a VW bus in one of the photos with Garcia? Well, that happens to be another abnormal model of mine, Webster Belou! Although the winter months are not his time of year, given he is kind of like the opposite of Frosty The Snowman, in the spring through fall months it is on! Webster is either driving me around to get photos or part of the photos himself. Something with so much vibrant color and character can spice up a photo if feeling mundane in the normal ways of doing things.
The pleasure of taking a photo itself doesn't stop there. Now that we have things like Photoshop at our finger tips, we can create photos with those models that can make people scratch their heads in wonder. Don't think a VW bus can kayak? Think again! ;)
Have pets, or like they are to me, 4 legged children? They can make great models as well! My horse, Commander, is another one I love to snap photos of, whether he likes it or not. (Though by this pic, I'd say he enjoys the attention, especially if I have treats in hand).
You certainly don't have to drive a VW bus hooked up to a horse trailer with a skeleton passenger to make your pictures stand out in a new way. The beauty is that "models" are things, which can be just about anything! Just try to use objects that may be off your beaten path to be a part your muse, your inspiration, to make a different stance on your image. You may find that you prefer to throw a twist in every once in a while to keep viewers on their toes!
What are some of the "models" you use???
Comments