When I went out with my friend Nadia a few weeks ago we had an idea about shooting some nudes with some cool tree roots.
First of all we had to find some! I had been told of a place in the woods near British Camp on the Malvern hills, but try as we might we didn’t manage to find them and got a bit lost here and there. However while we had been driving on our journey there we had spotted an awesome set of roots, but they were right on the side of the main road right at a sharp corner which meant that the traffic coming out of Malvern faced them head on as they slowed down for the corner. Considering we were wanting to shoot nudes we had passed them by.
In the end after shooting some stuff in the woods Nadia decided the opportunity to get a really cool shot or two on the fabulous roots we had seen earlier was more important than worrying if a muggle saw a boob or two. So we jumped back in the car and drove back to find them again. The lay-by on the corner was full of cars where people were parked up so they could walk up through the woods to the top of the hills, and there were people with dogs everywhere.
We hung around for quite a while hoping for a quiet moment, and in the meantime tried out a few poses with Nadia fully dressed until we thought decided we had the best angles and she knew she could pose comfortably on the roots.
Eventually it got quieter and then just for a few minutes we were all alone. The only thing we would have to deal with was the traffic that would be facing directly on to Nadia as they came around the corner. I gave her the opportunity to change her mind if she wanted to but she was having none of it. Her clothes got flung behind a tree and I had a robe to throw her if we got in too much trouble with anyone passing.
Moments like this are really funny, she tried to keep a straight face and pose elegantly as cars slowed down, then some people appeared from a direction we were not expecting. Its funny watching these people as they did that thing where they totally ignore the naked lady upside down in the tree roots right in front of them. They tend to go a bit quiet if anything. It was all a very ‘British stiff upper lip/lets talk about the weather’ sort of thing.
To be fair we had no complaints though, they are good sports the people of Malvern I have to say!
Anyway, confident we had a few cool shots in the bag I threw Nadia the robe so she could cover up quickly, then she ran back to the car to get dressed (and warm)
All in all were in and out in a few minutes, but her back was bleeding from scraping around on the roots, but this is a price that creative people are often prepared to pay for their art. She thought the images were worth it and I am glad she thought I did them justice.
t was totally worth it we think! Hope you like the images.
Thanks for reading :)
Rob
Tewkesbury & Gloucestershire Photographer
