Of Flesh & Bone

Here are some more photos by the same photographer who took the 'Golden Flame' images from yesterday's blog. Nigel Johnson was fairly new to working with models but has already been steaming ahead shooting with so many great people and creating some brilliant work. We had such an awesome first shoot and have another booked soon, again at White Space Studios, in Chesham (FYI, the gorgeous Madame Bink is doing a whole studio weekend there 18th and 19th June, so I'd recommend you book some time with her whilst she's in the area at such a cool setting).

These first ones were when we started experimenting with some luscious sidelighting. The brown backdrop helps seperate the figure from the backgroud, and adds that warm, chocolatey, sensual feel.

I made a little squeel when I saw the one of my collarbone. The way the light dances over the shape of the bone and texture of the skin, is just amazing. So we carried on with this effect of the light skimming over my body, and changed to a light from above.

Now... these next pictures are really something I adore. I don't think I've had any backshots of me taken quite like these. I am totally in love with their Geiger-like, statuesque look.
I've always enjoyed images that show the human form, and specifically - the structure and the strength of it as opposed to it just looking pretty. Of course it's great to show the lovely soft and feminine curves of the female figure, complimented with warm gentle light that wraps around all the nice bits and flatters any 'imperfections'. But I also love images that show the body in others ways - strange, mysterious, creature-like, bare and raw.

It won't surprise me if a few people think these are unflattering or that I look 'too skinny'. They are entitled to their opinion, and a healthy body image is important of course, and for the record just in case you hadn't noticed I am a completely healthy weight and size, but I also know plenty of people lighter and thinner than me who are just as healthy and happy as they are. It does bother me sometimes how the appearence of bones can be so quickly and wrongly associated with illness and emaciation. I think with modern media, 'beauty', airbrushing, 'image' etc, some people forget what we are made of. We are not perfect barbie dolls, we are live animals made of bones, and muscle, and fat, and veins and tubes and blood and cells. And it's ALL frickin awesome. I love my spine and ribs in these pictures, the strength and design of it all. Our skeleton and muscles are phenomenal. The form they create and what it allows us to do is a complete thing of beauty, a magnificant and complex shell growing with, supporting and protecting us through our life.

It's so cool how a change in lighting can make such a difference. We saw what an interesting effect it had and all I had to do was keep wiggling around, letting it hit and miss me at varying angles. The stark deep shadows and selected harsh highlights make the images almost abstract, like strange and wonderful ornaments, so elegant and intriguing. I love how it shows the texture of the skin and all the lumps and bumps and dents in places I didn't even know I had them. Less so the usual 'a celebration of the beauty of the female back' - these are more just an awesome capture of the curious structure, strength and mortal organicness of the human being. Equally as beautiful and incredible to look at as a softer, more glossy style. A work of art!

Golden Flame

Sorry I haven't posted with updates sooner. Although I do this blog a lot for me, like a little memoir of my travels and shoots, of course it's fantastic that people are interested in what I'm doing. As I receive daily info of my blog statistics, I can view the ebb and flow of visitors according to my activity / website links etc. But even when I don't update as regularly there's still a load of people checking all the time, and coming from all parts of the world, which is brill! Unfortunately due to having a lot of work on recently, I haven't had loads of free time for sorting everything. I've just about caught up with going through loads of CD's and picture files, and am now excitedly waiting on some edits to be finalised. So although this post isn't a giant update, hopefully it serves as a little message of appreciation for everyone that is following. I admit I do get a bit impatient myself when some of my favourite blogs don't get any new posts for a while :-P So *thank you* for viewing mine and bear with me, you will be rewarded ;-)

These shots are by the lovely Nigel Johnson, taken at White Space Studios, I luuurrve how the fabric shimmers and almost looks alight. The perfect look with my fiery name ;-)

Beautiful Weird

This one is a great illustration by Toroto based Jack McGuire, inspired by a photograph of me by Handsworth Photo. I think it's super funky! Check out the rest of Jack's work, a collection of surreal paintings and drawings, on his Red Bubble profile, it's very cool! Reminds me of Dali... all strange, twisted and dream-like... beautiful weirdness ♥

Here Comes The Rain

These are from a while back when I was up in Hull visiting a friend and entwining some work into my travels, including a shoot with the lovely Holmax at his home studio, where he took these beautiful images through the patio window; the visuals, atmosphere and emotion of which I really love.

Storybook

So I'm just on the train home on my way down from Scotland where I spent 5 days working around Edinburgh, with my last shoot in Fife this morning. The weather was surprisingly kind to me with my outdoor shoots, despite a few showers and forecasts for storms, there was some beautiful photographic light and it wasn't too cold at all, considering some of my more painful Scottish location experiences! :-P I worked in some absolutely stunning and enthralling locations, including mansion ruins, walled gardens and bluebell forests, as well as doing some great studio work; gorgeous boudoir in natural light and lots of dramatic twisty creature-like nudes.
I am such a lucky lucky girl to have a job that gives me opportunity to work in such great places and with so many talented, lovely and fun people :-) Will show some of the results soon! Could really do with buying myself a laptop to help keep up with blogging and project work when I'm travelling, another thing to save up for along with the hope of holidays and other wants.
I also have some pictures to show soon from my working trip to Holland a few weeks ago.

Until then, here are some lovely recent bookcovers I've featured on, including the 'Delilah' cover which people keep saying they've seen in Sainburies. *I think* it's my first UK cover (the rest I've known about have either been in other parts of Europe or the US). I love the 'Arcadia Falls' embossed detail too, so pretty... I love being on bookcovers!! The Delilah cover is by Michael Trevillion and the following two are both by Clayton Bastiani!