Add more elements
Mike Parker explains how adding water, paint and wax can create beautifully interesting nudes
Water & oil “This is a classic technique often used in fitness photography to get a beaded sweat look. Start by applying a thin layer of baby oil on the skin. A spray bottle is then used to apply water on top of the oil. Experiment with the amount of oil to get the look you want. Keep in mind the more oil you use, the more reflective the skin becomes and the more challenging it is to light. With large amounts of oil, at glancing angles the skin reacts like a mirror, which can also be an interesting effect. To achieve the high-contrast look of the lighting, I often used one or two softboxes placed on either or both sides and slightly behind the model. Fill light was provided by a white bounce card if needed.”
Uv paint “Expanding on the oil and water concept, I wanted to get some colour into the images. The first technique was simply to add different colours of UV dye to multiple spray bottles, again applied on top of the oil layer. The second look was achieved by using a water and corn starch mixture with the UV dyes. The oil layer was removed and the UV mixture was applied with a squeeze bottle. The lighting kit was built from parts at a hardware store, using large fluorescent black light tubes. The key light was placed on one side and slightly behind the model, highlighting the form, along with a dim fill light placed on the opposite side and slightly in front of the model. It was challenging to photograph with black lights since the fluorescent glow appears much brighter to our eyes than to the camera. Very little post-processing was needed besides adjusting exposure and saturation.”
“Special skin-safe, lowtemperature wax candles were used to ensure safety. Wax was built up slowly with the model in both standing and lying positions, which created the unique cross patterns. A combination of dim, constantlight umbrellas and candles lit the scene. Candles alone often don’t produce much light, requiring higher ISO and much more noise for some cameras.”