In the Beginning...

...there was a 17year old girl who decided to see if she could become a model...

(Today's post inspired by thinking about my new mentor service for new models).


I wish I had someone looking out for me when I thought about modelling.  I had a few early experiences that taught me lessons very quickly.  They could have put me off modelling completely to be honest.  I am ashamed by one experience/shoot in particular, and horrified at how naive I was at that age.  So with this always in mind - I endeavour to ALWAYS maintain MODEL SAFETY at the heart of the mentor service.

Let me tell you about my first ever 'shoot'.  And yes, I mean 'Shoot'.  What an idiot I was. So, seventeen years old, living in SE London and pretty much skint, reckless and ambitious. I had signed up to a photography site, I can't remember what it was, I didn't stay a member for long!  I posted up a few snapshots of myself to see what would happen - ahhh...the growing fad of internet modelling, eh? And joy of joys! Less than a week later, a photographer had kindly offered to shoot with me :)  I was amazed! He said to bring my favourite clothes, some underwear and such and we would shoot some things to get me started - varying levels and such, as much as I felt comfortable with.  Seemed to know what he was talking about, and has some really nice pictures on his profile (I did at least have the sense to check the quality of work!) and I didn't know any better...so I did just that.  We  were to be shooting at his home studio which impressed me - that he could produce quality of work from his own home ;)

Anyway, he lived in Aylsebury - somewhere in middle of England, very countryside-ish. I trekked for four hours to get there, including a two mile walk from the train station to his house, on my own, with bag and map in hand.  I did have doubts, but I figured that everyone had to start somewhere, and this would be worth the effort.  I will admit that I wasn't entirely sober either -dutch courage and all that...(wow, really starting to reconsider my suitability for the mentoring thing now!).  Onwards a couple of hours to the 'shoot' itself:

The 'home studio' was an upstairs box room, how he even got full length shots (IF he got full-length shots, assuming that he wanted more than thigh to collar bone), I don't know.  I put on some basic make-up, a short skirt and bit by bit stripped to just my knickers.  In those days (coz I'm ancient now, clearly), it was still 'okay' to do topless modelling at sixteen.  He clicked and flashed, and at one point I even let him tie my wrists together with some rope- it was loose and I could have easily escaped, but that's not the point.  Believe me - I want to *SLAP* that stupid seventeen year old.

After the 'Shoot', I signed a release (not that I had ever even heard of one!), he gave me £20 to cover my travel and sent me on my way.  Needless to say, I never heard from him again or received any photos.  And it didn't exactly kick-start an amazing career.  I do remember taking some time to think after that and then being a little more prepared for shoot number two - bringing a chaperone with me and thinking more about my own safety!  From there on end, I learnt skills that to this day, I still keep at the forefront of my mind for every shoot. Simple ways to stay as safe as possible while taking risks - in the end, I always remember, regardless:

I'm still a female with naked/evocative/erotic/sexual images of myself on the internet and the majority of work and contact I get is from some guy in his corner of the Internet with a camera...


(...and hopefully enough money to pay my rates, at least :p)