We are spending the next several days sourcing and collating images from our extensive archive. After that an office upgrade and installing our new neg scanner and a new Epson Pro 3880 which will allow us to offer clients a larger image print and if this is successful then we will go up to the 24″ printer, perhaps later this year. Today’s image is another long time favourite and taken, I think, around 1987 again using the same Hasselblad and film combination.

Today’s images is another from the archives. Original shot on a Hasselblad with a 150mm lens onto TMax100 stock. A daylight shot, no reflectors or other gizmos.  One of our favourite models of all time and still a wonderful and much loved friend.

Looks like we have one place left on our lighting workshop here at Claremont on the 28th of February so don’t delay in calling or emailing. We have 2 places still available for our Boudoir workshop here at Claremont on the 21st of March and 1 place for our final Boudoir workshop at Maunsel House in North Somerset. All workshops are limited to only 4 delegates except the Maunsel House workshop which is for 5. Our first Art Nude workshop for 2010, again here at Claremont and limited to 4 delegates has still one place available.

More exciting Art Nude workshops are in the pipeline although we will be hosting them abroad. Details when we have finalised though if you wish for priority notice then please email me; trevor@yerburystudio.com

Today’s image is from our final Art Nude workshop held here last October with the beautiful Christiane.

An image today from the Victoria’s Summer Collection.

Last month I was asked to write the introduction to a one off magazine on the celebration of Fine Art Nude and Glamour photography.

The great British poet and painter William Blake said “Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed”.  But since the birth of photography a hundred and sixty years ago the nude has been the subject of intense examination, controversy, speculation and discussion.

Countless scholars and reviewers have attempted to provide definitive answers to the challenges of showcasing the nude as an art form.

Is the nude to be annotated ‘artistic’ as in classical painting and sculptures? Or, as has frequently been the case historically, dismissed as covert erotica?

This publication is a celebration of the nude and the skills and artistic abilities of all the photographers who have generously contributed their work.

I have had the great fortune and privilege to work as a professional photographer for over 40 years  - and the one constant that runs through my work is a deep passion for the art and craft of photography, combined with an overarching desire to celebrate the beauty and power of the human form.

The nude is a difficult photographic discipline to master. There is nothing to work with other than nakedness itself; the human body, stripped of all outer coverings and devoid of any decoration.

The great challenge is to present that figure, (assuming you wish to stay this side of what is generally considered pornography) in as tasteful and acceptable manner as possible –whilst always being true to yourself as the author.

However, whatever the ultimate intentions of the photographer, he or she cannot predict the visual and mental response of the viewer.

Every observer will experience a very different and completely subjective reaction to a nude image.

Artistic representation of the nude is a celebration of the human form – whether it is a Brandt or a Penn, a Newton or a Blum.

Such outstanding imagery always elicits a reaction in the viewer – and that surely is the mission of photography. It must strive consistently to stimulate the viewers’ visual awareness and trigger reaction.

The use of surrounding environment also adds to the impression of the final image.

A nude placed within the landscape can be seen as a celebration of nature, but that same nude placed within an industrial or urban setting can tell a completely different visual story. And by simply adding some clothes or latex the whole image then takes on an edgier and much more erotic feel.

Model direction is a key element too. The photographer must employ all his or her skills to create evocative imagery that has an in-built and quite deliberate erotic tension – but without the incumbent challenge of allowing the work to hover over the abyss of explicit pornography.

This collection covers glamour, artistic, fetish and erotic imagery and each photograph is an outstanding example of the author’s art.

Ultimately, however it is you, the viewer who will finally determine in which category the work truly belongs.

Trevor Yerbury

A blast from the past today, an image that won a Kodak Gold Award way back then! Our incomparable model Karen who featured heavily in a couple of our exhibitions, braved having her body ripped to shreds getting into the middle of these old pipes taken from a demolished ice making factory down in Leith Docks – Edinburgh. Before you ask shot on my gold plated Hasselblad with a 150mm lens, Kodak Portra 160. This is a scan of the original negative and no PS used at all.

I must say that it took some courage from Laura to lie down on the edge of a very cold pool for these images. The ground was not very comfortable but that is not noticeable in Laura’s expression. I love this image with all of the pools reflections echoed over the body.

This set we used on all 3 of our workshops. I just loved the chair and Laura adopted my suggested pose with ease looking as if she owned the castle. Faye has done a beautiful crop of her image and again processed with Kubota and Totally Rad actions.

Once again more images of Laura from our wonderful trip to Italy.  We thank all our  delegates who have sent such amazing messages some of which I will post tomorrow.

This image of Faye’s was taken from a slightly different angle as my previous shot and shows how important it is to walk around and see what an alternative view can offer. Taken on the D300 24-70 @ 50th f2.8

Back again to the spiral staircase which we all used over the course of the week, which took you up to the roof terrace and spa. In fact there was very limited space to work in so it was elbows in and rotating delegates. Light came from a large reflector, gold side,  which I held at an angle to the window on my left while daylight flooded down from the open door at the top of the staircase. ISO 200 on Faye’s D300 @  50th f5.6. Both images processed in PS with Kubota and Totally Rad actions.

And finally one of my images, direct, simple but classic I feel. Shot on my D700 with the 85mm @ 1/320th @ f5.6. Memories of the warm Tuscan sun and some wonderful company.

There are certain times in ones life when many things conspire and they result in a moment, an hour, a day or a week that will remain embedded in your memory forever. For Faye and I our recent trip to Italy was most certainly one of those moments when many things came together, the romance of Tuscany, a beautiful castle set high in the hills, wonderful warm, sunny days, a beautiful model and most importantly people on the workshop who we know are now our lifelong friends. We did have a wonderful time and as I mentioned previously our model for the 3 one day workshops, Laura Ann, was quite a star and worked so well and patiently for us and our delegates. We ate in the castle for a couple of evenings and then headed out into the town of Radda for 3 excellent, memorable evenings of fun, laughter, food and wine with wonderful company. You all know who you are (.com)

Today we have the first of our images and more to follow over the course of this week.

We will be in Tuscany next week as guest speakers of the Lovegroves giving 3 Art Nude workshops in the most beautiful  surroundings so I thought I would post this images from one of our own workshops a couple of weeks ago.