Tag: leah hawker

“The Housewives”, Nude Private Commissions:
This is Ana

Post author By Leah
Post date August 14, 2014
No Comments on “The Housewives”, Nude Private Commissions:
This is Ana

(Note: “The Housewives” was a term I fondly coined in 2006 after I started getting shoot requests from private, individual women who became my clients. Many of the women who contacted me were married and in their mid 30’s and were doing the shoots as gifts to their husbands. The folder in my archives is still called this and so I’ve stuck to it, in part just for the irony: most of these women are not “housewives” at all, but strong independent and forward thinking women who I have had the honour of documenting.

All are private commissions and the demographic has changed substantially over the years. Some I’m still in contact with, others I’ve totally lost contact with, some have become friends, some may wish not to have their real names used, others don’t mind, some may have their faces obscured for privacy reasons, others have generously shared their experiences of being photographed.)

I met and photographed this client in March 2008 at both Llandudno beach and the Ruth Prowse photo studio while I was still still part time lecturing there.

Our studio shoot was based mostly on ideas of body symmetry, movement, dramatic lighting and form. Her body, which to this day is one of the most lean and toned ones I’ve ever worked with, definitely leant itself to this and many of the images came out very beautifully.

I remember that this was one of those shoots where I was still grappling with lighting even though I got it right, I was frustrated.

The shoot we did on the beach was fantastic: early morning light, rough gigantic granite boulders and the lithe sculptural shapes of her athletic body which were even more defined with oil.

Tags B&W nudes, cape town photographer, cape town photography, housewives, leah hawker, Leah Hawker cape town photographer, Leah Hawker photography, nude photography, nudes in nature

Women I've Shot

“The Housewives”, Nude Private Commissions:
This is Janine

Post author By Leah
Post date August 13, 2014
No Comments on “The Housewives”, Nude Private Commissions:
This is Janine

I met and photographed Janine in December 2012, I already can’t believe it was that long ago. Colleen joined me to do her hair and makeup in Noordehoek and we drove through to Witsands beach between Kommetjie and Scarborough for the shoot. I remember that she felt a bit self conscious about her body (as most women do) and expressed concerns about areas she felt uncomfortable about at that time.

She is uniquely and has beautiful dark hair and yes and I was amazed how incredibly femininely her body photographed. The beach was (almost) deserted and we trod up into the sand dune area in the wind to prepare the last details and styling before I began shooting.

We shot a series of images up against the windbreaks, the still quite early morning light was diffused by thin clouds and the reflection of the sand around her. The wind picked up substantially during the hour or two we were there and by the time we were shooting the last images it was blowing up a mini-sand-storm over the dunes and looked magical. I asked her if she would run up into it for some pics which she did. The images were beautiful, aerie and dramatic and afterwards she and I and my camera were caked in sand!

I really loved how natural these images are. There is also a strong tactile element due to the sand on her skin and the movement caused by the wind. She was thrilled with the images (as was her partner) when he received them for Christmas. I had the feeling that for both of them it was very powerful to see her body from this different perspective. They are images I still really love.

And behind the scenes on this shoot day…..

Behind the scenes on a private nude commission photo shoot on Witsands Beach in Cape Town South Africa. Photo taken by Colleen who was doing hair & makeup for me on this shoot. You can see the wind is howling!

Tags B&W nude, beach nudes, cape town photographer, cape town photography, commercial nude photography, housewives, leah hawker, Leah Hawker cape town photographer, Leah Hawker photography, nudes in nature, witsands beach, woman Ive shot

Women I've Shot

Pregnancy: This is Elloise

Post author By Leah
Post date August 11, 2014
No Comments on Pregnancy: This is Elloise

I photographed Elloise at 8.5 months pregnant which was approximately two and a half weeks before her son Daniel was born. She arrived in the studio just as Sabian Ransome, one of my Playboy Playmates and also a fitness model was changing to leave from a shoot with me. The comparison at that moment, Elloise pointed out, of their two bodies was quite something.

The shoot was very simple and natural. I shot some images of her in her clothes with the natural light that was coming into our studio and then this series (shown here) which I lit to highlight her shape. It’s a lighting style I’ve used before with pregnant women but I positioned the lights on both sides of her and not so far back as I wanted to capture more detail in her face and on her body as apposed to just a very fine line of silhouette.

Just a few weeks later and about 9 hours after her natural home birth I photographed this portrait which I find very special… Daniel, just a few hours old with his Mother on the left and Grandmother on the right. Three generations, so much love and pride… Photographing women at this changing point in their lives is repeatedly inspirational and moving.

Tags cape town maternity photography, cape town photography, cape town pregnancy photography, leah hawker, Leah Hawker cape town photographer, Leah Hawker photography, maternity, newborn, newborn photography cape town, pregnancy, Pregnancy photoshoot, pregnant portrait, sepia, studio shoot

Projects

A Self-portrature Project: Week Two

Post author By Leah
Post date August 11, 2014
No Comments on A Self-portrature Project: Week Two

So the self portrait project has continued and is evolving. Last week I again shot a pic per day and on Thursday also invited twenty friends to join in for their own portrait in the same lighting set-up.

The invitation was open ended, they could bring anything they wanted, would have some privacy, about 8 minutes in front of the camera and could chill and drink in our studio lounge and socialise during the waiting periods.

It is now Monday again and I didn’t feel like stopping so I’ve decided to continue, I’m not sure for how long. I’ll have to better co-ordinate my “button-pressers” though and make sure to have a good supply of wine in my studio for them!

Here are screen shots from my working folder of each day in order that I shot them last week:

Monday’s project was very personal, I suppose it’s a portrait of grief. On Tuesday I took all the Asian bondage rope I’ve used over the years for a number of projects and commissions and made myself into a rope sausage. The lighting is really classical and pretty. On Wednesday I’ll admit I was in a rush and had wanted to shoot a sweet candid portrait in one of my all-time-favorite dresses. The balloons were already in the studio for another shoot and I grabbed them. Thursday became my interactive shoot eve with friends and I dressed like my idea of a “female profession photographer”.

And lastly, I’d wanted to shoot a portrait covered in soap suds, the portrait idea had evolved when I remembered those shampoo hair style photos so many kids have taken of themselves when they’re sitting in the bath being laughed at (lovingly) by a parent mid way through a bath-time-hair-wash session. I lit the image to look totally 50’s advertorial, I should almost be selling butter….

Tags leah hawker, portrait as a professional, portrait crying, portrait in rope, portrait with balloons, Portrait with bubbles, self portrait, self portrait project