Lou O’ Bedlam’s Friday Feature: Celisse Müller

By Lou Noble on February 26th, 2010

• Link to StumbleUpon
• 1 Comment

I spend a good deal of time going back through my older photos, seeing what I did right, examining what I did wrong. I look at every day a bit like a personal art school, so much of my time is spent looking at photos–mine, others on various websites–reading interviews with photographers, books on photography, always thinking, man. I don’t attempt to get better in huge movements, but I am constantly making tiny adjustments, trying different things out, looking for better ways to do what I do.

And it’s not like it’s a rough slog, looking back at my work from years past. Sure, I look at early shoots I did in 2006, 2007, lament that I would use six or seven packs of Polaroid film at a time, unaware of the fact that three years later I’d be hesitant to take a single picture, knowing how little Polaroid film was left in the world.

Gotta say, there are lots of mistakes that make me shake my head, simple things that today I instinctively avoid, but back then was completely oblivious about.

I was a very different photographer when I took these photos of Celisse. It was two years ago, and I’d driven up to San Francisco to shoot with her and my friend, Julia. I was only a few months out of a three year relationship, just starting to live with the idea that taking photos was The Thing I Wanted To Do Most.

Nowadays I plan shoots every week, sometimes two or three in a day. But back then it was still an odd thing to photograph a stranger, to call someone a Model and have them pose for me.

It’s weird to look back, think about things I do now that are so a part of my photographic process, things that were just guesswork, back then. Good shots were as much luck as anything else.

2008 was the last time I went to San Francisco, as well. Up until then, I’d go up at least once a year. Not much of a traveler, me, but I’ve always had folks I love visiting up there, good enough friends that I’d slog through the 5-6 hour drive.

Drives that long means a nap. Because 1) I love naps and 2) driving makes me sleepy. That trip to Las Vegas a few weeks ago, that was a two nap trip right there.

Can’t really say that’s why I don’t go back. Can’t really say there’s a reason, actually. Just haven’t felt the pull. Maybe after that weekend, where we shot in the most amazing places, took pictures of the most incredible model, then had ourselves a fantastic barbecue, maybe I finally used SF all up.

Or maybe it’s time to buy a plane ticket.