'I am always looking to find that one model that seems to come along once every couple of years that the camera just loves. The one that when you turn on the modeling lights he's suddenly "on" and you start popping those strobes and the session becomes a dance of creativity as the model instinctively knows what you want and where the first shot you take is incredible and everyone after that is even better!'
They say one of the tricks to a successful career, and a rewarding life, is to always consider yourself a learner. We have all encountered people in our lives, maybe especially at our jobs, who think they know everything they need to know about their vocation. The truth is that things are always changing, growing and progressing, and if you don't position yourself as a student to the changes, you inevitably get left back.
Arizona photographer Dan Nelson shares that he is never satisfied. I used to think that satisfaction was a worthy goal, but the older I get, the more I see that creativity suffers when an artist is satisfied. The consequence of Dan's dissatisfaction is a desire to keep working, keep learning and keep shooting until he gets it right. Given, these shots of Tyler were taken along that journey, I am hoping it is awhile before Dan reaches his goal.
Dan's journey also includes continually searching for that one in a million model to have in front of his lens. It is the nature of photography to have many subjects, often shooting them beautifully. It is rare however, to have a subject that truly inspires, pulling everything together for creative and rhythmic flow.
Visually, Tyler is one of many models in Dan's portfolio that Dan seems to have connected with creatively. I think the skill of a great photographer however, is making the viewer think that every subject is that one in a million. Tyler is incredibly beautiful, with a classic and strong face and a stunning physique. I love how Dan incorporated furniture within the shoot, something he also did in the first piece I did featuring his work last year with Teak. (A Piece of Art) Tyler form and presence would have been strong on their own, but there is an added level of sensuality by putting bare skin on leather.
