The mythical photographic art of Ward Shipman feels like a portal into a timeless era where goddesses are guiding every nuance, and sensual beauty is the everyday language.
I first connected with Ward about 5 years ago when I modeled for his work. At the time he was working strictly with black and white film and developing everything himself in the darkroom. We did this photoshoot for his Angle series.
Laura Hollick photographed by Ward Shipman
It is easy to take for granted the seamless blending of the figure into the architecture background. We are so accustomed to photoshoped images these days that we almost expect things to be blended and collaged together in a believable way. But, this was created entirely in the darkroom, there was no photoshop involved in creating this image!
Ward intuitively melds images together in such a magical way, he creates environmental stories through his images.
Mr. Shipman is also a school teacher. Photography is part of the curriculum that he teaches. A few years ago he realized he needed to learn digital photography and photoshop in order to stay on top of the latest knowledge regarding the development of photography.
We connected again to do another photoshoot. This time it was shot digitally in my studio against a plain background. He had full intention of transforming the image in photoshop in post production.
The resulting image is a water nympth. I feel like I was transformed into a goddess who lives and breathes in the water.
No matter what medium or tools Ward employs the essence of his work remains the same. He explores a mythical time of beauty, sensuality and interconnectedness with nature. With his new digital tools Ward has evolved his visual narratives into full on epics.
To listen to an interview with Ward Shipman click here
To learn more about Ward Shipman visit his website at www.guyinaboat.com