her pubis pull the eye to it like a powerful magnet, centered as is at the very center of the crossing diagonals of a frame I’m undeniably caught by, yet don’t know how to feel about it. There’s something bizarre in the way I’m seeing the picture, as if I’m looking at Sheila with those X-ray glasses once advertised in the back pages of comic books, the ones who promised you’d see right through the bathing suit…
there is a pretense of casualness and something terrifically contrived, and uncomfortable, about the way her body adapts to the hard studio surface, and maybe that is the principal incongruity. The Mohawk trim and the breast augmentation shadows may add to the discomfort but I don’t know for sure.
however, if I was able to transpod across time and space into some sort of ideal, I’d offer a counter image shot exactly and as precisely as yours Jim, I mean the same exact pov as you photographed her, only I’d inverse the x-ray glasses promise of long ago and put a bathing suit on Sheila and have her chill back on a real beach, her fine body this time cushioned by real sand… It would no longer be your picture of course, only my picture inspired by your picture.
For me it is the eyes and fingernails (for a change) that pop out of this image. The POV is quite unusual which makes the image interesting. I get the feeing of crucifixion here. It as if she is looking out at her fellow crucifixes. (Is that a word?) I hope that didn't sound too biblical.
I feel much the same as David here. I like the photograph, especially as it makes me wonder what she is thinking about. It is almost as if she was just relaxing between sets, talking with someone when you made this.
Efim: Thanks so much for commenting. I'm happy to hear "interesting" as a comment or critique any time.
Carlos: You obviously gave this photo a lot of thought. I appreciate such detailed thoughts on it. I will say that those are not breast augmentation scars or shadows on Sheila...they're just some other sort of shadow or quirk of the light. Or something.
David: Talking about the POV...Sheila is laying in the curve of a cyc wall, which is what gives the photo sort of a curved or distorted look. Thanks for looking and commenting.
Mark: The shoot was nearing its end...I almost always saved the Polaroid work for last...and Sheila was sort of relaxing. As to what she was thinking...who knows? I've never been any good at figuring out what women (models or otherwise) think about. Thanks for commenting.
