'The remnants of man made structures in some of the photos reminds us that although we have adapted and evolved, Mother Nature will be here to stay, claiming her stake as the source for all.'
Since first discovering his work earlier this year, (Self-Propelled) I have been enjoyed following the work of model and artist Jacob Dillon. Jacob creates such beautifully majestic captures, incorporating both his incredible physique, and the beauty of mother nature that surrounds him. .
It is all the more impressive given that during the shooting process, Jacob is both model and photographer. Although Jacob's self portraits are mostly taken around his Missouri home, he considers himself a traveling model, and loves seeing other parts of the country to work with, and model for other photographers
I am endlessly fascinated by artists like Jacob and their process. Heading out into the forest, usually alone, (except for occasionally Jacob's dog) managing the equipment, locations, unplanned hikers, not to mention the weather, all of course while completely naked and focused on body and pose to achieve the perfect shot. Although Jacob says he usually has a general idea of the shots he wants, a lot of it is trail and error due to the unpredictability of what the woods and weather may have in store.
I love Autumn, especially the visual signs of seasonal change, and the vibrant colors that mother nature provides. It was easy then, to decide these visual signs of change were the best, and most natural way, for FH to celebrate the Thanksgiving season.
When Jacob headed out to shoot, he was hoping to hit the colors at their peak, usually around mid October in Missouri. This year, the weather has been so warm and dry that Jacob shares the colors weren't as vivid as they usually are. I still love the results, with hints of yellow and red poking through and behind the browns and greens seem that much more special.
'Photographing the nude figure in nature is like stripping down all forms of modern culture and technology (except for the camera). It is how we came into this world as Mother Nature intended. There is nothing wrong with clothing, it’s how we adapted to be more comfortable with the elements. However, there is something pure and natural in the nude figure.'
'When we photograph the rawness of nature, we tend to try to eliminate all forms of human existence. By adding the nude figure, we capture the rawness of our bodies.. At first the contrast seems stark, but the beauty of nature and the beauty of the human form compliment each other extremely well. In these self portraits, I have tried to capture just that.'
