Robert Coombs was in the top 25 of ArtPrize with his work, Disabilities and Sexuality. I got the chance to talk with him and see his work on Saturday. His photos are striking and thought provoking, and well worth a look. If you’re going to be around ArtPrize, be sure to check out Roberts work at Fountain Street Church.
How would you describe your work?
I love photographing people, that is my thing, and then I also love shooting in the studio, I love controlling light and manipulating light, that’s probably one of my favorite things. That and for me, personally, shooting in the studio is a lot easier because I have so much equipment and it’s all technology based. Going on location is a little bit harder.
Yeah, that would be a challenge. Has a lot of your work focused on disabilities and sexuality?
I just started it last fall, so I haven’t done too much in it right now. I volunteer at Mary Free Bed. When newly injured patients come in, then that’s when I go there for peer support. That’s been really fun and I love doing that.
That seems like it would be really beneficial for somebody who’s newly injured to have someone who can say like –
I’m back at school you know, my senior year, and now top 25 of ArtPrize.
Yeah, that’s fantastic.
I know, it’s gone by so quick. It just started last Wednesday, top 25 was announced Monday. Just like, holy crap.
Yeah. That would be really cool. What do you hope that people learn from your work?
That people’s sex life is always pushed under the rug to begin with and that you see people with disabilities and a lot of people wonder if I can, you know, have sex, they’re quite curious about it. I’m totally open and willing to explain it the best way I can, so that’s what I want people to get out of my work is that despite our disabilities, we are still human and are sexual beings. We like to be intimate.
Do you think the fact that it’s here, in Fountain St. Church, where they’re doing all sorts of social issues type stuff, do you think that adds to it?
I think so, yeah. There’s a lot of good work here and I think having that theme of social stigmas. It really lets the public know what’s really going on. A lot of people might not think about this stuff every day.
Do you think you’re going to continue doing works in this series?
Yes, definitely That’s why I’m hoping this ArtPrize exhibit will bring me more models, because it’s been kinda hard. I’ve met these people personally before I started this work, so they were a little more willing than trying to find people over the internet, trying to come across as a serious photographer, because there are a lot of creepy people out there. I want to show them that I’m legit and that I’m not going to exploit them or anything like that.
What has some of your other work been about, before you started focusing on this?
More fashion, you know I work with makeup artists and buying certain outfits and stuff like that. It’s been mostly about that, and I still have some fashion influences. The posing and the lighting and studio work.
The lighting does come off as the way you might light a model for fashion.
A little more dramatic than normal.
When you’re doing a portrait, how much do you tell the models to do things and how much is just them?
Most people, they want to put their chin up when they photograph, so it’s always like “No, keep your chin down.” and then I’ll tell them where to look, just so their eyes are in the right spot, their face is at the right angle. Other than that, I’ll just kinda start shooting, try and get a little more of their candid. I don’t necessarily tell them when I’m going to click the shutter. They’ll just hold it and I’ll keep firing.
Do you shoot in digital or film?
I’m completely digital right now. I used to love shooting 4×5 sheet film, large format, but it’s a little hard for me to get close to the ground and you know, focus. So right now, the way I work is I have a medium format digital SLR, it’s a Mamiya. What I do is I tether my camera to my computer and then I use Capture One software, which allows me to adjust the shutter speed, aperture and I can actually fire it from my computer. Then the image pops up on screen, so I can tell my assistants to change different things, and my lighting equipment, I can actually control the output from my computer also.
I didn’t realize any of that was possible.
I know, I know. More commercial artists use that, so I really operate no different than any higher end commercial artist. I did a lot of research.
It sounds like it.
It’s awesome, I love it.
Who are some artists that you admire or look up to?
My all time favorite photographer is Erwin Olaf. His color palates, his lighting, and just his portraits are so beautiful and captivating. I just love his work so much…
That seems like it would be really beneficial for somebody who’s newly injured to have someone who can say like –
I’m back at school you know, my senior year, and now top 25 of ArtPrize.
Yeah, that’s fantastic.
I know, it’s gone by so quick. It just started last Wednesday, top 25 was announced Monday. Just like, holy crap.
Yeah. That would be really cool. What do you hope that people learn from your work?
That people’s sex life is always pushed under the rug to begin with and that you see people with disabilities and a lot of people wonder if I can, you know, have sex, they’re quite curious about it. I’m totally open and willing to explain it the best way I can, so that’s what I want people to get out of my work is that despite our disabilities, we are still human and are sexual beings. We like to be intimate.
Do you think the fact that it’s here, in Fountain St. Church, where they’re doing all sorts of social issues type stuff, do you think that adds to it?
I think so, yeah. There’s a lot of good work here and I think having that theme of social stigmas. It really lets the public know what’s really going on. A lot of people might not think about this stuff every day.
Do you think you’re going to continue doing works in this series?
Yes, definitely That’s why I’m hoping this ArtPrize exhibit will bring me more models, because it’s been kinda hard. I’ve met these people personally before I started this work, so they were a little more willing than trying to find people over the internet, trying to come across as a serious photographer, because there are a lot of creepy people out there. I want to show them that I’m legit and that I’m not going to exploit them or anything like that.
What has some of your other work been about, before you started focusing on this?
More fashion, you know I work with makeup artists and buying certain outfits and stuff like that. It’s been mostly about that, and I still have some fashion influences. The posing and the lighting and studio work.
The lighting does come off as the way you might light a model for fashion.
A little more dramatic than normal.
When you’re doing a portrait, how much do you tell the models to do things and how much is just them?
Most people, they want to put their chin up when they photograph, so it’s always like “No, keep your chin down.” and then I’ll tell them where to look, just so their eyes are in the right spot, their face is at the right angle. Other than that, I’ll just kinda start shooting, try and get a little more of their candid. I don’t necessarily tell them when I’m going to click the shutter. They’ll just hold it and I’ll keep firing.
Do you shoot in digital or film?
I’m completely digital right now. I used to love shooting 4×5 sheet film, large format, but it’s a little hard for me to get close to the ground and you know, focus. So right now, the way I work is I have a medium format digital SLR, it’s a Mamiya. What I do is I tether my camera to my computer and then I use Capture One software, which allows me to adjust the shutter speed, aperture and I can actually fire it from my computer. Then the image pops up on screen, so I can tell my assistants to change different things, and my lighting equipment, I can actually control the output from my computer also.
I didn’t realize any of that was possible.
I know, I know. More commercial artists use that, so I really operate no different than any higher end commercial artist. I did a lot of research.
It sounds like it.
It’s awesome, I love it.
Who are some artists that you admire or look up to?
My all time favorite photographer is Erwin Olaf. His color palates, his lighting, and just his portraits are so beautiful and captivating. I just love his work so much…
Also, as Robert mentioned when I spoke with him, he’s looking for models. If you have a disabillity and would like to be a part of his work, contact him on his facebook page.