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Are you swept away by the poetry of a landscape or the shape of a human
body? Are you blown away by beauty all around you?

How deep into the world – how far into others – are you willing to see?

What if the keys to a perfectly beautiful world are hidden somewhere

within your own perspective?

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Inside
MODEL SOCIETY MAGAZINE

Ellis creates images that explore the personal struggle of despair versus hope. His use of recurring symbols and rich
deep colors are the foundation of these articulate, mysterious and well crafted images.

Lorenzo Gatto takes us to a night at the theater. His narrative images occur like renaissance paintings with a warm
glowing color palette and striking use of chiaroscuro. The stunning dancers who populate Lorenzo’s works seem
larger than life as if they are actors in a play.

Dave Rudin creates elegant outdoor nudes in all natural light. With instinctive timing, he captures images as each
moment ripens to perfection. With delicate poses and creative use of cropping Dave’s photography is an opportunity
to enjoy quiet moments in appreciation of beauty.

Alex Sher teleports us into a fantasy world of weightless figures in these bold underwater images. His models seem to
float and fly against surreal backgrounds featuring high contrast patterns, saturated colors, and abstract reflections.

Bob Verney offers us flavors of gothic, victorian and vintage storytelling in this series of richly textured images. His
expressive models share a wide range of emotions as they interact with unique and interesting places.

Orville Spence reveals his love affair with photography and thoughts about art. With the lush island of Jamaica as his
home, Orville’s passion for taking pictures has become a gift for seeing and sharing a positive vision of people and
the world.

Will Strong plays with the forces of gravity and tension as he seems to turn reality upside down. With creative chan-
ges in orientation and perspective, his models seem to take flight, straining against symbolic bondage that holds them
down.

Contributors F O L L O W US Submissions

EDITOR IN CHIEF INSTAGRAM We are looking for amazing images and inspi-
David Bollt @Modelsociety ring articles that that celebrate human beauty
as art.
COPY EDITOR FACEBOOK
Samantha Olson Model Society Publications send an email to
[email protected]
ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER PINTEREST
Aura Casas Model Society
f r o n t c o v e r - b ack c o v e r
BUSINESS DIRECTOR WEBSITE Ph: Lorenzo Gatto - Models Zeudi Testa,
Jonas Sider modelsociety.academy Angelo Marco Accardi/Adriana Gaglio

© Model Society 2021.

by David Bollt and Modelsociety.com

All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the
creators and any other person or company who may have copyright ownership.

All images courtesy and copyright of individual model(s), photographer(s) or Model Society.
 Table of Contents
MODEL
Daria Sells

MODEL SOCIETY

01 ELLIS
P age 8
The Spirit that Dwells Within.

02 LORENZO GATTO
P age 3 8
A Night at the Theater.

03 DAVE RUDIN P age 4 8

Figures of Grace.

04 ALEX SHER P age 8 0

A Different World and a Different Life.

05 B O B V erney P age 9 4

Adaptation and Discovery.

P age 1 1 6
06 orville spence
Art Unto Itself.

P age 1 3 2
07 WILL STRONG PHOTOGRAPHY
Amazing Vessel.
8 9
MODEL
Daria Sells

ELLIS
D ave M c E llistrum P hotography
mcellistrum . com I modelsociety . com / P hotographer / E llis

Inner Journeys
through Darkness to Light
I’m trying to portray a journey from isolation, depression,
vulnerability, and darkness to a place of strength, confi-
dence, and light. I’ve been particularly focused on repre-
senting the private struggle (often with mental health)
that everyone goes through at some point in life. I contrast
this against the public face that people wear to hide their
struggles.

In my work, the nude model often represents our conflic-

ted private aspects while the clothed model (same person)
represents how they present to the public. The stories are
purposefully vague as I want the viewer to bring their own
experience and interpretations to the images.
 MODEL
Daria Sells

14 15
17
MODEL
Yaz

Mo del So c iety 19
MOD
AERLT M O D E L
DaneDane
HaloHalo
 MODEL
Sienna Hayes

“
“I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of models that are phy-
sically beautiful. But to me the photos only come to life when
they are passionate and invested in creating great art. If they
don’t bring that passion the photos are often mediocre in spite
of their physical beauty.”
- ELLIS

22
 MODEL
Sienna Hayes

“ I’m inspired by emotion, a story and

a moment in time.
- E llis

I often use other symbols, such as the balloon, which re-

presents hope. These particular images tell a story about
daily private struggles with mental health. The model’s
relationship to the balloon may represent attempts at
self-help and healing. In a third unfinished series, I’ve in-
vited models to interpret a quote about female strength
based on what it means to them.

24 25
MODEL
Sienna Hayes

Mo del So c iety 27
 MODEL
Sienna Hayes

28 29
 “ “I’ve never considered myself creative. My day job involves analytical
and math skills. Pursuing photography has been fulfilling as it is so diffe-
rent from my past experiences. I love the challenge of doing something
where I don’t feel like I have a natural or well developed talent.”

When people view my work I want them to stop scrolling and consider the image. I want viewers to feel the emo-
tions or imagine the story of the image first. Ideally, the nudity should support the rawness of the emotion or the
story and be a secondary consideration to the viewer.

I want people to realize that many have mental health challenges and other struggles that they are trying to over-
MODEL
come. I want them to know that they are not alone. I want to inspire people to know that if they persist there is a
way out of the darkness. I’m not sure if I’m accomplishing these things but I think they are worthy goals.
Ivory Flame

Mo del So c iety 31
 MODEL
Ivory Flame

ART MODEL
Holly

32 33
MODEL
Ivory Flame

MODEL
Sienna Hayes

35
 MODEL
Ali Claire

“
“I see beauty in people, particularly those with high
drive and passion to pursue their best selves in spite of
the challenges that are put in front of them. I admire
those who face their fear and go for it”.
- ELLIS

36 37
MODEL
Rylee Wolf MODEL
Bettina

39
 MODEL
Zeudi Testa

Lorenzo
gatTo
lorengatto . wixsite . com / lorenzogatto
 A Night at the Theater
A hush comes over the audience as the house lights dim and the cur-
tain is drawn.

Discovering the artistic photography of Lorenzo Gatto is like experi-

encing a night at the theater. In his images, Lorenzo sets a stage with
expressive characters who use dance to tell epic stories about love,
loss, life, and hope.

With fluid grace and expressive timing, movement is expressed as

a universal language we can feel and understand. With each new
character taking the stage, we are offered a new layer of insight and
meaning.

The images of Lorenzo Gatto are an opportunity to be transported,

to take a seat in a grand historic theater for a masterful production.
What else is there to do at the end but enthusiastically offer a stan-
ding ovation.

MODEL
Chiara Ferrara

Mo del So c iety 43
MODELs
Angelo Marco Accardi
Adriana Gaglio
MODEL
Anita Richichi

MODEL
Annalisa Bardo
 MODEL
Adriana Gaglio

MODEL
Desirèe Giovenco

Mo del So c iety 49
DAVe RUDIN
f igureso f grace . com
modelsociety . com / P hotographer / D ave - R udin

Relationship to Life
and Photography
I have long thought of photography as an egalitarian art.
With such forms of artistic expression as drawing, pain-
ting, and sculpture one must be gifted with the physical
dexterity of hand to excel. Of course, in addition to that,
one needs to have the artistic vision to match.

​ ith photography, it’s all about vision. The camera, giving

W
us what Henri Cartier-Bresson called “instant drawing,”
makes us all equally dexterous. Even people who can’t
draw a straight line have a chance. That’s a powerful tool
and how we use it is up to each individual to decide.
 MODEL
Carlotta Champagne

52
 MODEL
Carlotta Champagne

If I were to divide photographers into two types, I might choose those who depict the world as it is and
those who depict the world as they would like it to be. I definitely fall into the latter category. The world
is (and, I suspect, has always been) a place where one feels helpless to change things. With a camera, I feel
empowered – not to change the world, but to create my own world on film and paper.​

In a world that often seems chaotic, I try to give my images a sense of beauty, of elegance, and of grace –
hence the name for my website, Figures of Grace. While this may apply literally to my work with the nude
figure, my aim is to instill a sense of grace and elegance into all of my images.

54 55
 There are many photographers working today who try to change the world by showing others how it re-
ally is. Many risk their lives to do so and I salute them all. They are certainly needed. My goal, however, is
to show that there also exists a world of beauty, something to show that life is worth living – and I think
that’s a thing we all need too.

56
60 Mo del So c iety 61
MODEL
Femina

Nude Fine Art

When I began working with the nude figure, I had no realization that
it would become a long term theme. I’d attended a weekend work-
shop in upstate New York in 1995 and it might have ended there had
another photographer not invited me to participate in some private
photo sessions with models during the ensuing months. Through
these events and with the encouragement of others, I found that I
enjoyed photographing the nude. It is, admittedly, a pleasing subject
– but I also found that I had some talent in doing so. As a Classics
major in college, I had studied classical art and I began to also view
nudity as living sculpture.

It was also something very different from what I had been doing.
While my travel and nude photos are similar in that they share a
common vision, the two are very different in one manner: my tra-
vel photography is reactive, while my nude work is proactive. In my
travels, I search for scenes that interest me visually, which I then try
to frame in a strong and interesting manner. I have little power to
change the basic elements in that scene. For a nude photo to be suc-
cessful, it is equally important to find and frame a visually interesting
background, but I also have the ability to alter a key element by pla-
cing the model where I choose.

63
 MODELs
Femina, Anoush Anou,
Muirina Fae

My work with the nude figure also receives the credit for turning me MODEL
into a primarily black and white photographer. I decided from the start
Femina
to photograph this in black and white as the masters of the genre had
primarily done. This led to me doing my own developing and printing
and coming up with my own vision for black and white. Now, when
someone asks me why I don’t photograph in color, I simply answer,
“Why should I?”
MODEL
Sienna Hayes

64 65
 MODELs
Femina,
Meghan Claire

MODEL
Muirina Fae

MODEL
Aubrey

66 67
Anoush Anou

69
MODELs
Erica Jay,
BlueriverDream,
Johannsdottir

MODEL
Anoush Anou

MODEL
St. Merrique

71
 MODEL
Meghan Claire

Equipment
Nearly all of these images have been made with
medium format photo equipment. A few excepti-
ons employ Kodak’s 35mm and infrared film. My
primary camera is a Pentax 67 SLR, supplemented
by a Fuji 6×7 rangefinder, a Rolleicord TLR, and,
most recently, a Holga. Even though it is bigger and
heavier to carry around than 35mm gear, the in-
crease in image quality makes the medium format
equipment worthwhile.

72
 MODEL
Aubrey

MODEL
Aubrey

MODELs
Aubrey, Brooke Lynne, Bjorg, Hallgerdur

74
MODEL
Aubrey

MODELs
Aubrey, Brooke Lynne, Bjorg, Hallgerdur

MODELs
Nadine Stevens, Rebecca Tun

77
 MODELs
Meghan Claire,
Femina

“ Beauty is that which elicits

a positive and uplifting
emotional response
when experienced.”

- DAVE RUDIN

78
 MODELs
Aubrey, Brooke Lynne, Bjorg, Hallgerdur

MODEL
MODEL
Anoush Anou Aubrey

81
Alex sher
ALEXSHERPHOTO.COM

A Different World
and a Different Life
Once upon a time, when wheels were made of stone and
phones were hung on walls, I lived with my grandmother.
I loved her and I loved her stories. She once told me a story
about a photographer. She did not tell me his name, but she
described him as someone who could make any woman
look beautiful with his camera. I envied him. I wanted to
be the man in the story and I wanted my grandma to say
that about me someday.

Many years have since passed. I’ve traveled the world,

changed many jobs and cameras. I’ve taken pictures of un-
believable people and places. But through all of life’s jour-
ney, I am always in pursuit of beauty.
I have become like a hunter of beauty and when I capture it, the images are my trophies. No matter where
you go to take photos, beauty will surprise you. It may be sitting right there on the side of the road. You
never know what it will be, so one needs to keep his eyes open and his camera ready.

Mo del So c iety 85
 “I want to hear people say someday, that I can make
anyone look beautiful with my camera.”
– A lex sher

86 87
“Real beauty is when you look at a photo
of a nude woman and forget she is naked.”
- ALEX SHER
90 91
 “I work underwater. It is a different world
and a different life, but the perception of beauty
remains the same.
- A lex sher
 About the photographer

Alex Sher is a prolific American fine art photo- 2015, Sher’s images were exhibited in The Louvre
grapher whose images of feminine sensuality (Paris) then in museums in London, New York,
have earned him global acclaim. His underwater Los Angeles, and Moscow. His first personal ex-
photographs have been exhibited in some of the hibition was in Beverly Hills in 2015. Alex’s first
world’s most prominent museums and galleries. photo book Mermaids was published in 2018.

Alex was born in Ukraine and moved to the US Alex now lives and works in Los Angeles. In ad-
with his parents in 1995. He first began exploring dition to his figurative fine art photography, Alex
underwater photography in 2010 and was pu- is working on a new project devoted to kelp forest
blished for the first time just three years later. In preservation.

94
95
 Adaptation and Discovery
What is beauty? I can only say that you know it when you
see it in your own unique way. For me, models who are of-
ten described by the industry as beautiful, can occur to me
as bland or lacking in individuality. I am much more drawn
to models who have an interesting look and character.

BOB Verney
lane ’ s photography
modelsociety . com / P hotographer / L anes - P hotography
“I am particularly interested in images that tell a
story and I actively aim to imply a strong narra-
tive in any work. I also love Gothic and Victorian
style shoots and especially love location work.”

- B O B V erney
ART MODEL
Unknown
 “I am dyslexic, I only dis-
covered this in recent years.
This discovery explained the
many struggles I have had
throughout my life. Learning
new skills is extremely hard
for me and I have discovered
ways to adapt.”
103
104 105
I want viewers to experience what I experience.
I want them to see something different than the
glossy magazine styles that are often the norm.
- B O B V erney
Mo del So c iety 109
 “
As a teenager discovering the opposite sex, I would sit and stare at images, ha-
ving no idea that years later I would be creating my own works of art.
- B O B V erney

I never thought of myself as artistic. I can’t draw, paint, or play music. When I discovered photography, I discovered
my artistic outlet. My love of the female form, art-nude, and boudoir photography found an outlet and allowed me
to discover and express my creativity. I have realized over time that I actually do have an artistic streak.

110 111
 I have a passion for working on location. No matter how much
I try, I simply cannot come to grips with speedlights or continuous
lighting. It is like a foreign language to me. As a result, I have
developed my use of natural light to my advantage.

112 Mo del So c iety 113

114 115
 I use high ISO with slow shutter speeds and wide apertures
resulting in a style that suits me. I often take shots as slow
as 1/25th of a second so I’ve gotten good at remaining per-
fectly still while hand-holding the camera. A tripod would
restrict me too much because I am constantly on the move.

ART MODEL
Unknown

Mo del So c iety 117

 MODEL
Kadii

orville spence
1 0 0 6 photography . com
modelsociety . com / P hotographer / O rville - S pence

Art Unto Itself

The idea of shooting something artistic has al- a journey to find those missing parts that may
ways been an essential part of what I endeavor to otherwise be unseen.
do. Playing more with shadows than light but still,
light is an essential part of photography. Through making art I’ve learned no two people
see things in the same way. While there are simi-
I want my work to provoke in people a feeling of larities, no two people ever have the same exact
wanting. It’s not about having them want some- view or opinion on any subject, not just art and
thing from my images but rather wanting to see images. As I see it, the human body is a work of
more, know more, and imagine more of what’s art unto itself, but it’s not always perceived that
missing for them in life. My hope is that they will way. So many of us take it for granted.
view my images and let their imaginations take
“I am for the island of Jamaica, the home of Sprint king
Usain Bolt and the Legendary Bob Marley. Kingston is
where I reside but I traverse the island as work allows.
Photography is full-time work but as with everything,
perseverance is what keeps me going. Jamaica is my
home but through the lens of my camera, the world is
my composition.”
- ORVILLE SPENCE

ART MODEL
Ms Lawrence
 MODEL
Ms Lawrence

MODEL
Amoy Halstead

Mo del So c iety 123

MODEL
Cleopatra W
 MODEL
Amoy Halstead

126
 MODEL
Malika Stewart

128
 “
I love photography of all kinds.
Action, abstract, landscape, and even
amateur subjects. I love the beauty of
life. I appreciate how death and decay
bring forth new life.”
- ORVILLE SPENCE

It’s not easy being an artist. One of the biggest challenges

is freeing oneself from the expectations of others. It seems
like people want to define you, put you in a box and keep
you there. The hard part can be escaping those definitions
and following your own path. Sometimes the challenge is
getting out of the box you put yourself in. Many people end
up following a trend instead of exploring their own ideas.

130 131
 MODEL
Tanice Hall

MODEL
Shanice Morrison

132 Mo del So c iety 133

 Will strong
photography
( Y B 2 normal ) I modelsociety . com / P hotographer / Y B 2 N ormal

Amazing Vessel
I started with figurative photography because I sion of those pursuits; a quest to take the simplest,
loved the mechanics and process of making an most common object, our very bodies, and apply
image. In the film days, there was a fair amount what I’ve learned to portray the human body as a
of technical effort required to even see the images beautiful piece of art.
you had just captured. While much of that effort I want people to know that we have all been bles-
has been eliminated as a result of digital media, I sed with this amazing vessel called the human
have continued to find ways to challenge myself body and that we should, at all times, celebrate it,
technically, in pursuit of making my images. My take care of it, and share it unapologetically and
path to fine art photography was simply an exten- with a heart full of joy.
MODEL
Liz
 MODEL
Ahna Green

I have learned that in virtually all of us, there is a spirit that wants to be MODELs
seen and acknowledged; to be known in some small way, for the crea- Liv and Beth
tive energy, the uniqueness, that we have to contribute to the universe.

The main challenge I’ve had to overcome is this stigma, perpetuated

by a puritanical culture, that celebrating the nude human form is so-
mehow wrong or unseemly. I have worked with a large number of
amazing models and body artists who have helped me shed those mis-
conceptions and truly embrace the human form for the piece of art
that it really is.

136
MODEL
MODEL
Beth
Olivia
MODELs
Sasha and Gilbert

I am proud of my ability to create a safe space for my mo-

dels and body artists to shed the limitations and expec-
tations of a society that tries to tell us what is, or is not,
appropriate and acceptable. By and large, these are people
who are already pretty comfortable in their bodies, and I
am humbled by the fact that they have selected me to help
them celebrate their bodies in such a beautiful and coura-
geous way.

Mo del So c iety 141

 Beauty is anything that causes you to pause, even for a brief moment, and admire it. This will be different
with everyone, and my long-term goal is to become aware of my own bias on what “beauty” is; to stretch
the boundaries of that bias and continue creating work that gets people to pause, even for the briefest of
moments.
MODEL
Ahna Green

Mo del So c iety 143

 MODEL
Tara Elrich

Much of my work centers around this idea that I picked up from the MODELs
delightful photographer Jasper Johal. His “Body As Temple” work has Ahna and Ari
truly inspired me. I have chosen to follow a similar path with my own
Body As Temple work, which seeks to celebrate the nude human form
in poses of grace, flexibility, and athleticism.

The thing I most want to share with people is that you are unique. You
are singularly qualified to live the life you have been given, so go do it,
unapologetically, with a heart full of joy.

144 145
MODELs
Beth and Liv

MODEL
Ari Groobman

Mo del So c iety 147

 MODEL
Ahna Green

MODEL
Ari Groobman

148
 150
MODEL MODEL
Elizabeth Lee Ahna Green

150 151
 PHOTOGRAPHER
Alex Sher

THANK YOU
for believing in human beauty!
 modelsociety.academy

More than 30 Video Lessons

Learn how to work with nude models to create stunning art.
Joel Belmont and Craig Blacklock reveal the technical, creative
and communication skills required to begin and master this
exquisite art form.

JOEL BELMONT CRAIG BLACKLOCK

JOEL BELMONT
Model Society Magazine
Featuring DML Magazine Print Editions
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Restore human beauty to its rightful place

as a work of art, and support a refreshing
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 JAIME IBARRA
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modelsociety.academy
 DANCERS
Expressive Beyond Words
This is a book of beautiful bodies that is meant to elevate our experience of
humanity. With images that are both nude and clothed, this book puts the bodies
of both men and women ballet dancers on a pedestal as something we can
celebrate, and simply enjoy without any trace of shame.

modelsociety.academy
A VOICE WITHIN The Photography of
WAYNE LOREN WILSON
By Craig & Honey Blacklock

Signed gallery editions with 156 pages of exquisite

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