Publication News

I've been a lucky lady over the last few months in terms of publications... made a few appearances in the photography magazines and also some new bookcovers; really exciting :)

Genevieve Jane Nishino got to show off one of her images of me in the Readers Gallery section of the July issue of Photography Monthly. You can see more from our shoot in a previous blog entry here.

I was working at Cottage Studio a month or so ago and we took some images to be used in their Studio Showcase feature, doing my best pixie pose here, in this month's Digital Photographer magazine...
And this image with the dove by EGo photography was in Digital Photographer a couple of months ago...
I was featured in EOS Magazine in the April/June issue, with two images by Richard Spurdens...

Lara Jade had a feature in 2010's 2nd issue of Litebook which included some pictures of me...

Taken by Stephen Perry, modelling for london based designer Lady Lucie's latex fashion website...

And I only recently got copies of some H&E Naturist magazine issues I've been in... the first was last June and then I also had a short-story feature in the December issue.

Also pointed out to me was a small stock shot by Chris Rout in That's Life (it all makes me happy!) showing off my amazing acting skills...

And thanks to Jan Bickerton and Susa Bell I recently found out about 4 more bookcovers I feature on, including a 'Lighting the Nude' cover, all of which I'm really chuffed about :)

Huge thanks to everyone who helped me find these publications, or scanned ones that I'd missed, as I don't always know about them. I hugely appreciate it!

Formspring: Themes I'd Love to Shoot

Q: Is there a theme to a shoot that you're always wanted to do but so far have not done. And if you don't mind, the same question about location?

I've been thinking about this a while... I'll need more time to create a definitive 'want to shoot' list... but here are a few ideas I'd love to do...though some are a bit far-fetched :)

Backstage Showgirl - in skimpy diamonte outfit, jewellery, feather tails and huge headress, in front of hollywood make-up mirror

Sparkling - shot in the studio, covered totally in twinkling glitter and small diamontes that catch the light beautifully.

Egyptian Goddess - made up with golden body shimmer and seductive eye make-up, in a sandy egyptian tomb set with candles, treasure, hieroglyphics, shadows, mystery, strong feminity.

Animals - would love to shoot a fairytale scene in a beautiful dress with lots of furry animals, tiny deer, rabbits at my feet, mice in my tumbling knotted hair, ravens bringing me gifts, not as in 'cheesy disney' more like wild, slightly insane broken princess in her enchanted, twisted world.

Walking on Water - finding a shallow lake with perfect still reflection where you could stand still and appear like you were tiptoe on the surface of the water :)

Mermaids - have always fancied doing a mermaid shot, with a beautiful realistic looking tail, full of texture, but very distraught looking out to a stormy sea with tears in my eyes, very emotive and lonely, so that the viewer would wonder what on earth had happened.

Queen Elizabeth - so many people say I should do this, and I'd love to especially being so pale and fair-haired, with blond eyebrows and eyelashes. Love the sumptuous colours and intricate patterns - http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/0710/elizabeth_film_1010.jpg

Locations... would love to shoot more underwater stuff, work in beautiful mansions, derelict mental asylums, ivy covered ruins, autumnal forest, with huge twisted otherwordly trees, stone statues... I also really like working in bright airy natural light studios as it's soo flattering and pretty to work in that kind of light :)

Ask me anything

Next Oxford Studio & Location Day 18th July

Hey folks... the date is confirmed for another Studio & Location Event Day in the lovely city of Oxford ~ Sunday 18th July!

The delectable Madame Bink will be working on the top floor of Victorian Pub The Cape of Good Hope and I will be working in Studio Blanco, which is just across the road!! You can buy 1-to-1 timeslots with us in both places, and also duo hours with us working together!

Let me know your interest and I can sort you some time, bookings start at 10am - email me at holly@ivoryflame.co.uk. Or you can contact the studio directly - sabel@studioblanco.co.uk. More details below...

~ Location ~
The unique pub venue, The Cape of Good Hope, is set in the heart of Oxford’s Dreaming Spires and features wooden floors, elaborate mirrors, chandeliers, various chairs, ornate furniture and leather sofas, both in contemporary and old fashioned styles with a fantastic array of colours and textures.

It offers comfy surroundings and great food should you wish to grab a nice meal and a refreshing pint there too, all within walking distance of all the sites, shops, markets and number of world heritage buildings including the Radcliffe Camera, Sheldonian Theatre and other fantastic architectural backdrops so you could make the most of the day with sight-seeing too :)

~ Studio Blanco ~
The studio, with black, grey, white and red backgrounds, hi-lite backdrop, chairs, reflectors and natural daylight, is a great space for getting creative with artistic concepts - beautiful headshots, fashion, lingerie, abstract bodyscapes and artistic figure nudes. There will be refreshments and yummy nibbles to snack on, and assistance to hand if needed www.studioblanco.co.uk

~ The Models ~

Madame Bink: Experienced art model with fantastic long flowing hair, mesmerizing eyes, feminine figure, tiny slim waist and beautiful poise. Working in fashion, classy lingerie and artistic nude in the elegant, colourful and textured settings at the pub, whether using the flattering natural daylight or the studio lights you are guaranteed some gorgeous images with this lovely lady! www.madamebink.blogspot.com
Ivory Flame: Creative and easy going, Miss Flame loves to interpret your ideas to help create stunning, eyecatching images. At the studio she will have beautiful lingerie, intricate jewellery, neck ruffles, feather fans, silk fabric, sheer clothing and other accessories to play around with for interesting portrait, clothed and artistic nude images www.ivoryflame.co.uk
Together: Having modelled as partners in crime on too many occasions to count, in England, Scotland, Ireland, Europe, the US and Australia, this pair are very comfortable and experienced in working as a harmoneous, elegant duo, making it easy for the photographer to achieve different and new ways of storytelling. Very versatile with conveying varying styles, feels and attitudes, Flame & Bink compliment each other beautifully in fashion, beauty and figure nudes.
See some examples of their work together here...
http://www.ivoryflame.co.uk/site/galleries/gallery/15

~ Equipment Available ~

At the Pub: 3 bowens espirit / system 500w/s with soft box, umbrella, snoot, 700mm Beauty Dish, reflector, flash exposure meter
At the Studio: 3 bowens espirit / system 500w/s with soft box, hi-lite background (works as a huge softbox for hi-key or sillouttes), umbrella, snoot, remote trigger, paper background - white, cream, red, charcoal, chromagreen and black (note: if damaged during the session, a charge of £9per meter will apply)

Prices:
'One of Each' 2 hour session: 1 hour in the pub with Madame Bink at the pub and 1 hour in the studio with Ivory Flame = £90
'Double Trouble' 1 hour session at the pub OR studio with BOTH models as a duo = £90

1 hour session in the pub with Madame Bink = £60
(or discounted to £50 when bought as an extra to either of the first two options)
1 hour session at the Studio with Ivory Flame = £50
(or discounted to £40 when bought as an extra to either of the first two options)

As both models rates are normally £40 an hour, these prices, also inclusive of location fees, studio rates, quality equipment and assistance, are definitely not to be missed!

A few more images of the studio and previous results from the pub here...
http://ivoryunderworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/oxford-studio-location-day.html

~ Getting to us ~

The Studio & Pub are situated on Cowley Road, right near Magdelen Bridge and the Botanic Gardens, a 10 minute work from the main shopping street. If you are coming by train, Oxford is an hour from London Paddington, and you can catch a bus or taxi from the station to the studio easily. Coaches to and from London also stop on the street parallel. For those driving, good news! There is free parking all day in the nearby sidestreets on Sunday :)

Thank you for reading and we hope to see you there :) If you have any questions please don't hesitate to get in touch...

holly@ivoryflame.co.uk
sabel@studioblanco.co.uk

Yerbury Bridal Boudoir

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to model for one of Trevor & Faye Yerbury's Bridal Boudoir Workshops at Maunsel House in Somerset. The venue was breath-takingly stunning and such a perfect location for elegant, creative & eyecatching photography - gorgeous window light, huge ornate mirrors, grand fireplaces and luxurious bedrooms. It was also lovely to meet the beautiful Anita de Bauch who was modelling too, and whilst Trevor gave a talk to the delegates, we perfected our make-up and prepared our finest lingerie, corsets, jewellery and accessories as Faye styled our hair.

Firstly we shot in front of the full-length windows of the ballroom, then in the elaborate dining room, using natural light, reflectors and Trevor's Fresnal spotlight for a glamourous hollywood style. After a tasty lunch (in an intriguing room with the walls packed with rifles, framed fish, old photographs and taxidermy) we went up to the bedroom suites... I was working in the King's Room - an exuberant haven of rich colours and expensive taste! The ensuite bathroom was amazing too with a beautiful copper bath and so many pretty details.
A fabulous day, and here are some fabulous results :)

www.yerburyweddings.co.uk

www.yerburystudio.com

These stunning images are by one of the attending photographers, Jon Stockham - www.applephotography.co.uk
And here are some more beautiful results, by Kate Lloyd - www.katelloydphotography.com

Transform

These are from a shoot with Edinburgh based photographer Barrie Spence - Entropic Tendencies, taken when I was up in Scotland in April. It was one of those days where you just really gel together and create a great working environment, very collaborative, lots of experimenting, reviewing, improving, free-flowing posing, and I left the shoot feeling extra happy and inspired. We did so much but these are some of my favourites.
We tried out using natural light with time exposure, which resulted in these intriguing blurred effects. I enjoyed twisting and leaping around nonsensically, and love the first one in particular, to me it looks like I'm transforming into some dark, bat-like creature, half human half bird.

Wrapping the material around my legs for a mysterious mermaid-esque shot...

Using the beautiful natural light which made my hair and skin glow so warmly...

Then switching to studio lighting, to produce my new favourite back shot, the lighting is so beautiful! Thank you Barrie!

FormSpring: Art Nude Modelling

Q: Hello Miss Flame! What drives you to do modelling and why did you choose art nude?

Hello! Okay, for some reason this question just got me thinking so much and my answer expanded quite a bit, sorry! It's great reflection for me though too so thank you. This is just my experience at this moment and I'm still working it all out :)

To be honest it was never in my head to be a model but thinking about it, when I was young I was always in a bit of a fantasy world, I wrote a lot of stories and poems, drew beautiful mermaids and princesses, and pretended I was different characters in my own imaginary movies. I went on to study art at college and university and have always pulled out pictures from fashion magazines to stick into books as I just adored the aesthetics - not just the clothes but the people, textures, shapes, colour, architecture, nature. I feel magnetised to everything eyecatching and beautiful and want to keep it for myself. Photograghy, painting, writing - all art forms capturing a story and moment in time, it is something that just feels so urgent to me and gives me so much enjoyment, so to be part of that, to be able to act out stories and emotions, dream ideas and follow inspirations, is really fulfilling.

I didn't really choose art nude but I was drawn to it at first because I wanted to be photographed beautifully and loved the idea of being immortalised in images inspired by my favourite artworks. I think now I've come to see how it can also be such a pure, reflective experience... our phenominally intricate minds, deep emotions and fascinating bodies are just incredible. As an art nude model, it is like when you sometimes stop to look in a mirror at your naked body, and take a moment to really see - your shoulder blades moving across your muscles, your ribcage protecting your organs, the beat of your heart under your skin pumping blood around your body, it's skin knitting back together over grazes, how it fights to deal with stress and illness - it is a miracle. It reminds me how mortal I am, that life is now and I won't be around for that long. These were ideas I explored a lot in my own art projects; our place in the whole history of time, the feeling of being suspended in our own worlds, how easy it is to get so caught up in mundance stresses of life, the way modern media puts pressure to achieve the 'perfect' lifestyle, we can get so self obsessed and lose sight of the whole picture. So I suppose a lot of it has been an extension of my personal 'research' - we're all searching for our meaning and it is great to be able to collaborate with such talented, inspiring people to do that, and hopefully it recycles. As the model I can experience and convey it, the artist captures and passes it on for the viewer to embrace and hopefully it uplifts/challenges/questions them to live with more zeal/peace/free-thinking or whatever effect it brings to them.

Of course not every art nude shoot has to be so deeply involving as all this, sometimes it is just about capturing simple beauty, playing with light, experimenting, we need to have that balance and variation. And sometimes as a job, I find modelling, even just the art nude side of it, can get very vain, you can worry what people think and compare yourself to others, like I said before; we as humans can get so self absorbed, but then there are moments that can be so powerful and memorable, and it's the experience and lessons of those that drive me. Standing on the top of a hill surrounded by forest with open sky above as the wind blows against your bare skin and the sun shines down on your face, really brings you back to your roots, literally; we are part of the earth and we need to respect ourselves, others and nature for the time we are here and just enjoy life. That is why I love art modelling; as it strips you down so you face the world and your self, positively and honestly.

Ask me anything

FormSpring: Staying Toned

Q: How do you stay so toned and slim?

I try and exercise 3 times a week. If I want to really tone up I go to gym classes, I find it easier and more enjoyable to exercise in a group rather than pounding the cross trainer on my own. Wednesday night is the killer at my gym, Ab Attack (basically half an hour solid of different types of crunches, ow!) then Circuit Training, which is mega sweaty but loads of fun, there's people of all ages and the instructor is so good! We bounce around to 80's Flashdance style tunes, I love it! :) Non-stop fast paced exhausting repeats for an hour, but it keeps you trim. Then I also use exercises with swiss balls and weights for toning, and to strengthen my back muscles to help me with poses for more demanding figure shoots.
At the moment I go swimming 3 times a week, it's so cool and relaxing as well as good for your whole body. I have to keep mixing up my regime as I find it hard to stick to a routine, like a while ago I fancied myself as a runner, and promised I'd go out every other morning but that phase didn't last long. Same with 'diets' and eating well, sometimes I try and eat super healthy but it's hard when you're travelling lots and get home at different times. I find it helps if I remind myself how much opportunity we have in this part of the world to get a heathy, nutritional diet, compared to other countries where they cannot choose what they eat, so we should be grateful and embrace how well we can look after our bodies. It's so easy to slack but at the end of the day our bodies are amazing creations and we're stupid to shovel in so much crap. So I don't eat junk food, I drink lots of water instead of tea/coffee, rarely drink alcohol, try and eat lots of fruit & veg, but my downfall is chocolate. Sometimes I wish they never invented it! But it's good for the soul. You need a happy spirit to achieve a healthy body :)

Ask me anything

Perfect Light

These shots were taken by new photographer Rory Quinn, at Chrissie Red's apartment in Perth on my last Scottish trip. The sun was setting and the warm evening rays were reflecting off the pale stone of the building opposite and flooding into their window, creating a gorgeous glowing orb to work in. Every woman deserves to be shot nude in this sort of light, you couldn't feel anything but gorgeous! :)