| I got the idea for New Haven By Night after I spent an evening in the
company of an enchanting young woman, who goes by the moniker of Kashmir
Rose. You see, I am a photographer. Not by trade, but by practice, and the
portrait has always been among my favorite means of photographic expression.
I first saw Kashmir on the pages of One
Model Place, a community of models, photographers and others dedicated
to the modeling industry. I saw Kashmir's portfolio and noticed that she
was a fellow New Haven resident. I decided to reach out for her to she if
she would pose for me in return for images for her portfolio.
We exchanged a few emails, and it wasn't long before it was apparent the Kashmir was more than just a pretty face. Up until then, I was content to take pretty pictures of pretty women, but for Kashmir Rose, that wasn't enough. She wanted to go beyond the ordinary. She wanted to make images that were interesting and thought provoking, as well as beautiful. Intrigued, I tossed out the idea of a night shoot. She agreed, and we set a date. I began researching low light photography. When that Saturday night came, we met at the courtyard of the Knights of Columbus Building, and commenced shooting. Immediately, everything I thought I had learned about low light photography went right out the window. Even at films speeds of 6400, I had to struggle with Depth of Field issues, just to keep shutter speeds to an acceptable 1/8s and faster. It was a struggle, but Kashmir made it easy. A true proffessional, and one of the best models I've worked with, she kept her smile and good humor. She used her imagination to suggest poses and compositions, and her good nature to keep the night rolling along. All in all, we spent five hours exploring the Elm City, and playing with the shadows and contrasts of streetlamps, and walkway lights from The Knights of Columbus to the New Haven Library, and the heart of Yale's downtown campus. As the first installment of New Haven By Night, I am proud to present Kashmir Rose, taken between the hours of 10:00PM, 6/13/2004 and 3:00AM, 6/14/2004. |
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