Hywel Jones:
Consistent Simplicity

PHOTOGRAPHY | HYWEL JONES       WORDS | ANDREW KAISER

The human body is best described in simple terms. Lines connect to form the curves. The parts are symmetrical. Everything is aesthetic yet functional.

Hywel Jones understands this and compliments the nude form by creating a simple yet undeniably expressive mood. His subjects inhabit a neutral space, the light subdued. Nothing is shown except the barest essentials.

Yet there remains something ambiguous about Hywel Jones' photography. A woman extends her leg into the frame in profile, a stiletto heel clearly visible. The borders of the shot and the way the model holds her ankle moulds her body into a position that mimics her only item of clothing, the sensuous shoe at the end of her sensuous leg.

In this way, Jones poses the question: does design slavishly follow the contours of the body or are we merely slaves to that which we desire? The role of the artist is to ask questions; you must seek your own answers.

In another image, a female twisting towards the camera is portrayed in colours that make us imagine an angel; universal, elegant, beautiful. But when we look again more closely, we see that the model has been artificially stretched, though very slightly, to create contradictions that draw the eye to linger a little longer.

Creating an image for the simple purpose of making something beautiful is of course a respectable undertaking. Achieving that goal and taking it one step further is something truly spectacular. Hywel Jones accomplishes just that in his imagery.

As a photographer, what is it about the nude in terms of subject that interests you?
I spend most of my life throwing things away, trying to get to the basics of everything in my life. So then when it comes to taking nudes, it is quite calming to take away locations, styling and make up and simply focus on the model. My work is rather simple that way, and I feel it makes for a more effective composition. There is no need to get bogged down and make things overly complicated.

There is a certain level of trust that must exist between models and photographers. What sort of steps do you usually take to ensure that trust and put a woman at ease to pose nude for you?
I tend to only use professional models, so that this never
becomes an issue, as they are totally confident in this situation. A professional model is used to being in front of people and doesn't mind being photographed. I'm at a stage in my work where I expect nothing less.

When did you first take up photography and what attracted you to it in the first place?
At the age of 18, in Cardiff, Wales� I would love to have been the sort of photographer who had picked up a Hasselblad at the age of three! But honestly I just sort of stumbled into it. I'll say though that I consider myself lucky that I did.

How does your approach to photography differ when you are doing advertising or editorial work vs. working for your own portfolio?
Because most of my time is taken up shooting for my own stock library, I get to shoot when I want and what I want just about all of the time! So when it comes to any jobs, I tend to only take on the ones in which the art director lets me get on with my ‘own thing’ and it’s only with this freedom that shoots are allowed to grow organically into something that excites me. I'm really lucky to have this flexibility in my career as I know a lot of photographers don't get the same luxuries.

Can you describe to us a typical photo session with you? Do you normally have an idea in your head when you walk into the studio or do you work more spontaneously?
I've learned not to preconceive ideas before entering into a shoot from doing portraits for ten years and arriving at bad locations with bad people to photograph! So I now tend to go into a days shoot with a blank mind and work with the model to achieve an image as opposed to pushing her into something that maybe isn't working but felt like a good idea the night before. Being flexible is one of the main qualities of being a great photographer and is just part of the game.

What feelings do you hope to express with your work? Is it more a question of technical excellence or is the overall mood of a photograph more important?
Although there is a massive amount of technical stuff going on with the images, I really don't focus on that and put all the energy into making sure that the mood of the final image is right. You can have a photograph that is technically brilliant but still very boring. It's what you say that is more important and how you say it almost becomes an afterthought.

When you decide to make an image that involves a nude, what sort of qualities do you think it adds to the photograph? Is it all about just being sexy or is it something more than that?
It's so much more than just being sexy, but to be honest I have no idea what it is! I guess it's all about going with your feelings and following your gut instinct. Musicians, I'm sure, often feel the same way.