Nina’s spectacular tie on Gorgone, photographed by Jay Graham, currently has nearly 2,400 ‘Love its’ on Fetlife. This is an incredible accolade for this team’s work. The cynical might say that much is down to a great photo or beginner’s luck. There is no denying it is a stunning photo. Although, I have to say that this could well be over-shadowed by the final series as this was prised out of Jay at an early stage. I have seen his work and we have discussed his ideas, so I can safely say that, in the words of the song, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. There will be more from that series and another shoot she did this weekend shortly.
Judging by the response to her latest work, the doubters will have to eat their words. In barely 24 hours, one photo already has 1,670 ‘Love Its’ and the rest well apprecited too. This time, there was no studio set up, no fancy lighting, just a few opportunistic shots by Red Red under less than ideal conditions in my living room. Well, OK, there were his tender ministrations with Photoshop and his skilful eye, I’m not denying that.
What is particularly gratifying is that Nina’s work is refreshingly different and original. Too often, we see the same ties and poses in photos. I heave a big sigh of relief when I see something that isn’t a 3TK, futo-momo or whatever is currently the flavour of the month. Of course, one expects the less experienced riggers to show case the ties they know and not step outside their comfort zone. I wouldn’t wish to see otherwise. On the other hand, I am disappointed that some far more experienced riggers seem afraid to experiment and merely re-cycle the same ties in every photo. In fact, some rarely seem to vary their live performances, which to me seems a shame as I feel it turns what should be an act of spontaneous passion into just a slickly rehearsed act. Maybe that’s just how I feel about it? It would be a dull world if we all tried to convey the same thing from our shows. The only test is that others like it. If they do, show them. Otherwise, it’s best kept to yourself unless you can take the flak.
I am proud to see that the embryonic talent I spotted in Nina, when she first started tying a mere 12 months or so ago was not an illusion (or as the less charitable might say, ‘cock-blindness’), and that it is flourishing. No doubt 2013 will see her grow even more. Under the circumstances, I find this very apt:
“One repays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra