The Gypsy's Jewels

This was 100% a mutual collaboration; I'm swathed in silks, flowing skirts, sparkling beads, heavy pendants, heavy bangles, feathers, intricate masks and jingle jangles (I had no time to be selective and brought sackfuls of clothes/accessory joy, while Holly had laid out all her best adornery on her bed, ready for my arrival; seriously, between us we could host a pretty impressive treasure shop!!!). I stood in the piercing prickles of some beautiful sun-lit reed heads. It was blimmin' cold, that day, and I was in a massive rush and definitely clock-watching a little bit, having not fully packed for a backpacking trip I was departing for the next morning. This wasn't the first time I'd modelled for Holly (I think it was the fourth. See Winter Portraits and Gemini). Check out her portfolio on Model Mayhem: Jewelled Earth.

Herding Cats

Everything was in place, and still the camera was lowered from the photographer's eye.

Zoe: Stephanie. Ella. What are you two doing?

Me (calling down from the top of the steps): Just kinda, ya know, making shapes together...?

Zoe: No.

Stephanie and I: No?

Zoe: Uh-uh. (Shakes head.)

Stephanie and I: Oh. OK then. Normal posing (less symmetrical; less comical/excitable) is resumed. Results below. (....I loooove these pictures. How cool to get all of us models in the same place at the same time in front of a lens, to commemorate what a fun and productive week we had. Zoe Wiseman, woman extraordinaire, rolling around all over the floor, legs improbably askew as she took these, did such a fantastic job of organising things and I'm so happy to have worked with her. All the ladies in the images below are wonderful people and talented models I was excited to meet, and come from all over the world (I'm the only one from England, representin'!). You might want to click the images to enlarge them!)

Later on, I worked twice with Zoe one-to-one, wandering around the grounds of our accommodation. The heat was intense, so the photography was punctuated by dips in the pool. Each set was very quick, with a lot of moving around and finding new places as we went along. You can read what Zoe said about things here, over on her internationally-growing website, www.figuremodels.org.

In other news, I have fiiiiiinally got my brand new 2012 diary. This yearly ritual now requires the search for the perfect postcard to cellophane (yes, a verb now) onto the front, in light of the apparent lack of beautiful page-per-day diaries on the market. I found a good 'un, you'll be relieved to know, and will be scheduling in the many national/international trips I've been mulling over and scribbling down so far on loose bits of paper. 

:)

Tones and shadows

These were shot by Robert Farnham, in a swelteringly hot desert location (seriously: there was a meltdown. Half way through, the shoot was postponed and continued later. Robert wasn't the only photographer who had to do this!... Things were just about bearable for me, being unclothed, but I was definitely starting to boil and jumping in the pool was a very necessary occasion... later shoots ended up being specifically designed around watery locations, which resulted in absolute bliss all round.)

I really love his compositions here, and the rich blacks in the staircase. It's also nice to show a bit of 'bodyscape' work, which hasn't been on my blog for a while.

Thanks Robert! :)

Just a little somethin' for the weekend

A little, totally spontaneous, 100% unchoreographed motion piece Mark Bigelow shot of me wiggling around and shaking my hips... Limited by time (just two takes here and I asked him to do it just the day before... haha, thanks Mark!!) and limited by space, but it's so much fun to experiment with video and I love it! Hope you like it! 

 

'Shapes and Fantasy' - new 2012 calendar by Rayment Kirby

Click on the image below...

(Sepia-toned nude artworks featuring Rebecca Tun, Joceline Brooke-Hamilton, Ivory Flame and I.)

Lynn Creek Canyon

Hello!

This is just another quick update, probably the last before I get home to the good old UK on 16th Dec and inflict upon my readers post after post of exciting new photos I have received by email over the last couple of months! I feel so lucky to have worked with some incrediblely talented photographers recently, whose work I have truly admired for a looooong time. I definitely feel like I am achieving things I never thought possible, in terms of modelling - working with people from all corners of the world who I did not (note there is no apostrophe on this Costa Rican keyboard, so everything is sounding a bit convoluted and formal) imagine I would meet let alone get together with as equals and create some cooool stuff. I still feel like I have way more to do though and am looking forward to some shoots I have coming up which will show that I enjoy expanding my range and thrive on new challenges.

Kicking off some updates then, here are some images I received from the brilliant Christopher Ryan. These were taken in Lynn Creek Canyon Park in Vancouver a couple of months ago. Film, as seemed to be the medium of choice in that part of the world. Thank you Chris for a great day and I hope to visit again sometime!

An Update from Guatemala!

Well hello lovely blog readers! I've had a few concerned emails asking if I'm still alive, and this is to say that indeed I am! Just thought I'd take a little time in the middle of my global gallavanting to update you all with some recent images, taken by the wonderful, kind hearted and generally excellent Ron Skei a couple of months ago. I currently have a Guatemalan boy sitting directly behind me, watching my every move (or rather, watching my every keyboard stroke). I have no idea why. Apparently I am fascinating. I hope when I upload the following images he isn't scarred for life or, most importantly, doesn't call the authorities... So wish me luck...

(...Just checked, and yep, he's still here. Ha.)

OK, anyway... Here are a few shots we did together. I love them! Hope you approve and that this might tide my readers over until I return to more comfortable computing conditions in December!

I think the first shot is my favourite - I love the abstract body shape, as if I've just been washed up from the water. It was such a nice, relaxed shoot - we initially just thought we might go swimming pre-shoot, then ended up shooting at the beach too. The double exposure shots were also really fun! A perfect introduction to a very successful and enjoyable week of modelling, from which I hope to be able to show more results soon!

I will almost certainly be showing some images from my travels (my colourful snapshots!) once I'm home, on top of the modelling ones. I'm seeing some BEAUTIFUL things and having an amazing time, snorkelling with nurse sharks, seeing sea horses in the wild, liberating baby sea turtles, swimming through caves with Mayan skeletons inside, checking out ancient Mayan and Aztec ruins. If you're a friend of mine on facebook you'll also know that I recently lamented the lack of a photographer when I swam around beneath a hot waterfall a few days ago! I am so lucky. Every day is action packed! I'm also somehow learning spanish, presumably through some kind of gradual osmosis, necessitated by the complete lack of english-speaking people here (fair enough) and helped by a 12-day speed learning course I put on my kindle! I'll be back in the UK in time for Christmas and available for plenty of bookings after that, as well as taking bookings for the European trips I'm arranging too. Just bear with me while I have limited internet access - I might be a little slow at replying to messages at the moment. They say a break from the internet is a good thing though, eh?

Back soon...