Modern Model January 2014 | Page 8

Laurel
 McIntosh–

Gefng
 off
 the

Ground

By
 Brian
 Thornton

Defying
 Gravity
 –

How
 Photographer
 Ray
 Akey
 and

 Model
 Laurel
 McIntosh
 are
 reaching

new
 heights

By
 Brian
 Thornton/Photos
 ©
 Ray
 Akey
 Photography

Model:
 Janelle
 Calvo,
 Saginaw,
 MI

Photo
 ©
 Stephen
 D.
 Miller

A

  cross
  the
  border
  of

Canada
  in
  Windsor,
  Ontario,

model
  Laurel
  McIntosh
  caught

our
 eye
 when
 we
 stumbled
 upon

her
  modeling
  poruolio
  online.

The
 collabora.on
 between
 Laurel

and
  Photographer
  Ray
  Akey
  of

R a y
  A k e y
  P h o t o g r a p h y
  o f

Windsor,
  Ontario,
  literally
  helped

Laurel’s
  modeling
  career
  take

flight.

  “The
  image
  of
  Laurel

floa.ng
  on
  top
  of
  a
  foot
  bridge

was
  a
  simple
  one
  to
  create
  and

required
  two
  image
  captures

composited
  in
  Photoshop,”
  Ray

explained,
  adding
  that
  the
  most

difficult
  part
  of
  the
  concept
  was
  a

10-­‐minute
  trek
  to
  get
  to
  the

bridge.
  “We
  captured
  the
  images

in
  my
  home
  city
  Windsor,

Ontario,
  at
  a
  conserva.on
  area

called
 Ojibway
 Nature
 Reserve.”

  One
  image
  was
  taken
  of

the
  scene
  without
  the
  model,
  Ray

explained.

  “For
  the
  second
  image,
  Laurel

posed
  on
  two
  stools
  with
  her

head
  .lted
  far
  back,”
  he
  added.

“ T h e s e
  t w o
  i m a g e s
  w e r e

combined
  in
  Photoshop
  with
  the

stools
 removed,
 crea.ng
 the
 final

image.

  Working
  with
  Laurel
  since
  2011

amer
  consul.ng
  with
  her
  and
  her

m o t h e r
  a b o u t
  c r e a . n g
  a

professional
  modeling
  poruolio,

Ray
 said
 Laurel
 has
 been
 a
 natural

model
 right
 from
 the
 beginning.

  “I
  started
  modeling
  in
  2011

when
  I
  was
  17
  by
  doing
  shoots

locally,
  Laurel

  explained,
  adding

that
 she
 has
 also
 been
 featured
 in

Surreal
  Beauty
  Magazine.
  “My

modeling
  career
  goals
  are
  to

bring
  light
  to
  the
  beauty
  that
  is

anything
 but
 ordinary
 –
 the
 short

girls,
  the
  plump
  girls,
  the

alterna.ve
 girls,
 the
 skinny
 girls
 –

the
  girls
  who
  don’t
  fit
  the
  model

Modern Model

Page 8

stereotype.”

  Standing
  shorter
  than
  the

modeling
  industry’s
  standard

runway
  height
  of
  5’8”,
  Laurel

wants
  to
  stress
  that
  factors
  such

as
  height
  should
  not
  limit
  a

model’s
 true
 poten.al.

 “I
 am
 not
 a
 typical
 model,
 “she

said.
  “I
  am
  5’0
  and
  lose
  many

opportuni.es
  because
  of
  my

height,”
 she
 said,
 adding
 that
 it
 is

.me

 for
 the
 modeling
 industry
 to

review
 outdated
 standards.

  “Everyone
  is
  different
  and

individual,
  and
  it’s
  about
  .me
  the

media
 recognizes
 that.”

  Among
  her
  modeling
  role

mo dels,
  Laurel
  holds
  Singer

Beyonce,
 who
 would
 typically
 not

fi t
  t h e
  c u r r e n t
  m o d e l i n g

i n d u s t r y ’ s
  s t r i c t
  r u n w a y

standards,
 as
 an
 icon
 of
 beauty.

 “One
 of
 my
 greatest
 inspira.ons

is
  Beyonce,”
  Laurel
  explained.

“She
  makes
  beauty
  look
  so
  easy