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Anous Anou, Femina & Muirina Fae by Dave Rudin

Hello photography lovers!


What never ceases to amaze us is the abundance of different styles and unique perspectives that our photographers bring with them to UTadventure!

We ADORE having our film photographers on tour, and we usually don't get that many who favor monocromatic black and white film over color, but when we do, it is always a special treat!

Here is an insightful interview with one of our dear participants who shoots strictly black and white filmDave Rudin!
Anous Anou, Femina & Muirina Fae by Dave Rudin
What Dave sees and what he captures is exactly what he is showing to his viewers, and his honest, unaltered images are pretty incredible!

His work has been displayed in multitude of exhibits and publications and Dave won many awards for his beautiful photography.

We are deeply honored to have had him as a participant on both our Utah and Mexico tours, and we are super excited that he just signed up for yet another UTadventure this year.

Check out this interview below where we talk about Dave's source of inspiration, reasons why he prefers film over digital format, main attributes of a great art model, and even his advice to someone who is interested in film photography but is unsure where to start!
Anoush Anou, Femina & Muirina Fae by Dave Rudin
  1. What is your main source of inspiration nowadays?

DAVE RUDIN: "I am now in my 25th year of photographing art nudes, and over the years I have sometimes asked myself how I can go on photographing the same thing year after year.  Why do I continue?  Well, the simplest answer is that I continue to enjoy doing it, but beyond that there is something greater:  the desire to create my next great image.

I believe that I have reached the point where I can make good images on any given day of photographing, and perhaps some that are very good.  However, great images are few and far between (by my standards, anyway), so I am always striving to create that elusive image where all of the elements – the model, the location, the lighting – come together in such a way that they will result in something that is outstanding.
 
Anoush Anou by Dave Rudin

      2. Name three reasons why you prefer film over digital format?

DAVE RUDIN: To me, using film is like magic!  One photographer has said that it’s like alchemy.  There’s just something special about the idea of exposing a light sensitive emulsion to light and then chemically processing it to create an actual, true image.  Digital, by comparison, is just cold, hard technically to me.

With film, one actually has that true image – a negative that was touched by the light itself.  With digital, there is no “true image” – it’s just a bunch of bits and bytes that are converted by technology into an image.  There is no original image that way that one can look at.
Kate Snig by Dave Rudin
Using film has also made me a better photographer, I believe, as it’s akin to a trapeze artist working without a net.  When you have something to fall back upon (like looking at the screen on the back of a digital camera), there is less of an incentive to get things right the first time as you know you can try it again if you don’t. 

Working without that kind of crutch forces you to be better and recognize when you’ve created something good without having to see it right away for confirmation.

I also like the human element that film brings.  When I developed my own film, there was the thrill of taking the film out of the tank to see what images were there to behold.  When I make silver prints in a darkroom, I can hold up a print and say with pride “I made this!”  I do not feel nearly the same holding as something that was printed out by a computer.
Kate Snig by Dave Rudin
      3. In your opinion, what is the main attribute of a great art model?

DAVE RUDIN: There are several factors that go into someone being a great art model.  The first is, of course, physical appearance – though this is subjective, as different artists may have different ideas of what kind of person they’d like to work with.  Still, appearance alone is not the primary factor, and the most beautiful woman (or man) may not be a good model if she is not capable of moving herself with a certain amount of artistry.  I like models who move with grace and elegance, but some photographers may prefer models who move in a more extreme manner.

Another thing that’s important in a model is the ability to know how to fit oneself into a scene.  I normally look for a location that is interesting looking in and of itself, and I will then ask the model fit herself into that scene, perhaps in a certain spot.  After that, I just like to let the model “do her thing,” as she is probably more capable of fitting herself into that scene on her own than I can (though I will do some fine tuning if need be.)
 
Sienna Hayes by Dave Rudin
    4. What would you advise to someone who is interested in film photography but is unsure where to start?

DAVE RUDIN: I would suggest starting with a basic, manual focus 35mm camera.  I believe that one can better learn about the basics of photography such as exposure and depth of field when you need to set these things for yourself rather than letting the camera do it for you.

I think it also allows the user to concentrate more on photographing rather than having to deal with potentially complicated camera settings.  (In fact, the camera that I’ve used for the past 25 years is a medium format version of such a camera.)
Dasha U by Dave Rudin
  5. How did attending UTadventure in Utah and Mexico influence your art?

DAVE RUDIN: Living as I do in New York City, I do very little art nude photography when I am not traveling as there just aren’t good locations with privacy close to where I live.  When I do travel, my time is limited, so I don’t have much time to go scouting for locations, and that – along with my general lack of local knowledge – can make photographing difficult, too.
 
Dasha U by Dave Rudin
What UTadventure does is to find very good locations in which to photograph and brings together very good models to photograph in these places.

This combination of quality and convenience has influenced my art not only in permitting me to photograph more, but by introducing me to some new worlds in Mexico and Utah, adding greater depth and variety to my portfolio of images.  An added bonus is in having made some new friends, too."
 
Femina by Dave Rudin
We hope you all enjoyed getting to know this incredible photographer a bit as well as looking through some of his work - all of which has been created on tour. Make sure to follow Dave Rudin on IG to see more of his film magic: @figuresofgrace.

If you got a little jealous and want to make your own art at these stunning Utah/Mexico locations, simply click below for more info!

Psst! We can also create your own, unique tour experience tailored to your creative needs - just ask! ;)
 
I want to learn more!

Let's make those memories together!

Stay inspired,
UTadventure team Dasha and Dmitriy

www.UTadventure.com
IG @UTadventure
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