The first camera I used to shoot nudes was a Kodak DCS 560 that shot a blistering 1 frame per second with a three frame burst rate before it had to clear the buffer for 12-15 seconds. Despite it's speed and the 6 megapixel limitation I was hooked. The camera was a beast and felt like it weighed over 10 lbs. I loved it and my work improved because of it. Later, I ended up trading the camera for an old Ford van and to this day I miss that old beast.

What this did for my figure study and erotic work was manifold. The instant info on exposure, composition were almost insignificant when compared to the collaborative atmosphere the tiny display created between the models and myself. I would shoot and show images to the models to help coach them through the shoot, working on poses, expressions, hair and makeup adjustments which had two effects. Initially it made shoots take considerably longer but once the model was comfortable we were able to move at a faster clip. The second, was that an incredible level of trust was instantly developed between us allowing for a much greater comfort level and, as a result of that, much more interesting images.

I've adjusted my shooting style a bit more since first picking up the digital camera in 1998. Now rather than instantly showing images. I shoot for about a half hour, guiding the models into poses, allowing them to create their own and slowly working on the expression or feeling of the shot. Then we stop and "take a break" to go over the images we've just made. This is the discovery phase for new models, the time that they can actually see what I was directing them to do or what they had thought of on their own. Quickly, within 20-30 minutes, the entire shoot takes on a fresh solid feel with a definite direction and a fresh attitude from the model to make the photographs really count. In the good old days I used to shoot a "blank" roll of film to get the model warmed up but now I can take that warm up time and turn it into a short clinic for both of us.

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Digital is the way to go and I'm glad I took the leap early!