Land of Amazing Locations

At last I am updating to the rest of my Scottish trip, with a few more pictures from some of the fab photographers I worked with up there - another great time packed with loads of interesting things to see and experience.

So another week in Scotland began, after catching a very early taxi to the airport, grabbing some refreshing green tea and buying new books to read on my travels, I was feeling more awake by the time I landed in the crisp morning air of Inverness! I had a great start, enjoying a very fun shoot with the lovely Paul Hirst at a beautiful boutique hotel with pretty chandeliers and gorgeous furnishings - I love the rainbow velvet chairs - lush!

This place had great natural light to pose with by the windows for classic portraits and vampirey ball gown shots... we loved that scarlet-red patterned carpet matching my dress.

We then headed to lusciously mossy 'Randolph's Leap' for gypsy / pre-raphaelite fashions by the flowing river... beautiful location!

And then more fabric swirling the following day at Elgin Studio... Wow look at that gold!!

And one by Paul's lovely wife Sue...

After my Studio Day in Elgin, I headed on the train to visit my friend Alex Ingram, and we ended up having a lovely sightseeing day out to the Isle of Skye. The weather wasn't quite suitable for model pictures (super blustery!) but he took some great pictures of me around the island and on the Quirrang... thank you Alex!

(Had to hold onto my hat!!)

Lots of rainbows! :-)

Next up I have some pictures from my shoot with John McCairn who picked me up from my b&b in Dundee and took us to an old rail station location, where we could shoot inside the vintage carriages - so cool! They even had the segregated little train booths with sliding doors. So fun, and beautiful light captured by John.

These ones below are from my shoot with Sarah Takahashi & Mike Fraser up near Aberdeen. As if I hadn't been spoilt enough already working in such amazing locations, we snuck into an old derelict mansion (through a hole in the fence that was totally there already of course) full of broken staircases and textured walls. Then continued urban exploring (more naughty sneaking and climbing of walls) into an abandoned mill factory - so atmospheric and exciting! Broken glass windows letting in evening light, graffitti walls, burnt out floors, plants growing through the roof and threatening, open lift shafts looming with darkness. I can't believe some people go round these places for kicks at nighttime in the pitch black - they are creepy enough in the day!

(sneaky Flame)

And some pictures from a last minute organised shoot with Bob Falconer at the Bon Accord Photography Studio, before I got my flight home... some paintily, art inspired styles for moody portraits and nudes, and fresh flowers for pretty headshots. Hope you like! :-)

Firey Flame

I adore these hot hot hot shots taken by Helen Matthews, joint owner at Elgin Studios in Scotland, from my Studio Day there in September. It's a fantastic studio I look forward to going back to next year! Thanks to both Helen & Geoff for organising the day with loads of great photographers. Lots of fun, and gorgeous results!! More from Scotland to come! :-)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

And ferries, and parachutes!!!... I've had a really busy time of travelling this last month, doing working trips to Ireland, Scotland, Devon & Wales, and jetting off to Turkey for a well needed holiday! I've really not had much time at home, let alone chance to sit down and blog, but this past week I've been catching up with my emails and sorting newly received pictures so I can do some serious updating to my little part of the interweb! :-)

So let's start with a month ago, I managed to cram everything I needed into my little cabin bag with all my working trip essentials, and caught my flight for a week in wonderful, gorgeous Ireland!!
Skirts, floaty clothes, lingerie, corset, jewellery, flower garland, my own fave teas, snack bars, book to read, beauty miniatures, hair tongs, mini hairdryer, pjs, sleep mask and lots of warm socks, it's all in there!! >>>

After a few fun-filled days in Dublin I got the train over to Galway for a quick shoot before embarking by ferry with Eamonn Farrell for a 2 day excursion on Inis Mór; of the mystical ARAN ISLANDS. It is such an strange and amazing place, very baron and isolated, only 3km wide, with the main transport in the form of bicycles and horse drawn carts, absolutely covered in intricately built stone walls, archaeological ruins teatering over the edge of dramatic cliffs and Gaelic being the everyday language of most of the inhabitants, some of them having never left the island...

The forecast for the days wasn't looking that great, and considering what a bone-chilling endurance my last 2 day nude location shoot with Eamonn was, I was a little apprehensive about modelling on this minimal landscape!! But thankfully the weather was mild albeit a little windy at times :-) We also very luckily managed to borrow an old banger of a car since somebody can't ride a bike (*blush*), so that helped us get around the island and was especially appreciated on the early morning shoots! We met lots of animals - horses, ponies, goats, fat furry caterpillars and a huge, mean-looking cow! This is an out-take from a set with me wearing one of the traditional Aran sweaters. That donkey was posing nicely nearby and then suddenly he had his head right in my lap! Talk about hogging the camera! :-D

After making the return ferry trip back to Connemara, we drove back to Eamonn's home in Kildare, with me then spending the following day in Dublin again before flying home late that evening. That day I worked with 4 great photographers, including the lovely Deirdre Marie Photography who organised make-up by Ciara Red; adorning me with unique, pearly make-up.

And also a very productive time with Andrew Shahoff at his studio on Grafton Street and got a beautiful varied range of imagery from our 2 hour shoot, draping and swirling around with various shimmering and translucent materials.

I still have some pictures to add here including some results from Aran, so will update again soon! Thank you again to everyone from my trip to Ireland, as always such a fun & heart-warming time. I loved every shoot and appreciate the bookings so much, as well as the generous help with accomodation and transport. I will be back in Spring 2012 for sure!

Next post... Elegant mansions, derelict ruins, rivers and rolling hills of Scotland!! Until then, here's some snaps from my holiday in Turkey, where I went paragliding! Beautiful views floating so high over the moutains and sapphire ocean :-)