About Me

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A unique model - Asian, Alternative and Art Nude all rolled into one petite 5"2 (3/4), 8-10 bundle of joy :) I am a creative individual always on the look out for the new and interesting. I love to play with my environment, experiment and drown in art.

29 March 2012

Model Guidance Service

So almost two years ago, I posted a forum post on Net-model asking models if there would be any want or need for a service of some kind that offered newer models advice on safety, checking references etc.  There was a phenomenal response on the forum, and on my FB page with overwhelming support for the idea.  So I contacted Escape, the site owner of NM informing him of this and asking if there was any way a service such as could be implemented. I was happy to moderate/run it, and had offers of help from other reputable and well experienced models. His was a positive response, and I was promised a new forum design for it with the next site update. The next site update came and went. Again, I emailed him and asked if it was still happening, and again, I have the same promise. And again, the next site update came and went. And again I emailed him, reminding him of how much support and requirement there was, particularly where model safety was concerned. But my emails then went un-replied to...So I lost my urge to do it - why should I when the site owner of one of the post popular sites (at the time) didn't give a crap.


Through the powers of Facebook, and well known model who shall remain unnamed has been doing her bit by ensuring that models have a safe space to let others know if they have had a bad experience with a photographer.  And this has become a safe haven for a few models to ask about photographers and trust each other. Which is great, but in my mind, still not reaching out to the models that *really* need that type of advice.


Some of you may or may not know about Mr. Dave Thomas AKA Classic Creations, or C_49, or Classic49 or numerous other aliases he has gone by over the years.  Well - if you don't know about him or his reputation, safe to say, he is a VERY BAD MAN.  And when he cropped up on my FB inviting me to shoot with him as part of his 30year strong international agency (in his bedroom with his compact digital camera and on camera flash), it was an automatic response to ensure that anyone I possibly could get the message to, got the message - this guy was back, and a lot of photographers and models remembered why he was banned from every known photography site.  I spent two days and nights running posting messages to various FB groups, pages, forums, photography sites, sending out private emails, replying to emails from models I didn't know saying 'I had a shoot booked with this guy - thanks for letting me know what he was like!'.  It drove me to near sickness with the stress of it all and tears when there were people who didn't know me (in all fairness) questioning my motives and accusing me of slander.  I was grateful for the support from the photographers and models who remembered his reputation, or who had worked with me who backed me up and explained why it was such a sensitive situation and what I was simply trying to do.  There were so many people behind me right then, and the message got out so far, so quickly, that I was amazed I had coped with it and had stopped at least a few models working with him.  And hopefully saved them from a horrible experience.


So is sparked me to once again think about implementing a model safety service, if not through NM, then somewhere else, anywhere, any how.  I suppose I had my loyalties to NM once, so stuck with it.  In the end, I joined PP, and asked the owner there, who not only guaranteed the member-forum groups would be available soon, but that it was a great idea and he would allow me to run it.  So I'm now in the process of setting it up - slowly adding posts regarding basic safety, preparing for shoots, registering and managing being self-employed etc etc. It's only basic for now, and a small number of members (by invite, both new and more experienced models) and other than myself posting, is fairly inactive. *Early Days!*


BrightLights Studio have offered me a model mentoring role.  I'l produce a booklet/book/guidance pack for new and aspiring models, filled with information, advice, guidance etc etc, much like on the PP forum.  They will have a studio session with a talk through with myself, and then a shoot to kick start their portfolio. So in the meantime, I am working on putting that guidance pack together.  The BL team was were lovely with the offer and suggested I might be the right person for the job since I'm friendly, upfront and have been around long enough to have learnt the trade and learnt from my own lessons!! And that I most certainly have.  I feel OLD! And I remember sometimes back to being seventeen and somewhat naive.  And the trouble I got in and out of :p  I wish I had someone guiding me somehow, or someone to report dodgy photographers to.  I wish I hadn't have had some of the experiences I have :(


In the last couple of months I have had a few new models emailing me or being put in contact with me by other photographers, being told that they can talk to me, report any dodgy photographer behaviour, any concerns they have had etc. And it's been a honour to simply speak to these girls, have a chat, make them feel better if they have had a rough experience, or make them aware of references, or putting them in touch with experienced models for private references when required. And for them to follow up later with thankyou's and support, is amazing.  It makes me feel like I can actually do this, and that all those times I feel defeated with it, it *is* making a difference, even on a small scale to a few models, that's a few more girls that may have been deterred from what could have been dangerous situations.


My trouble? It needs to be bigger, it needs to reach more girls.  It needs to be something that new models are directed towards, by studios, photographers, recommended to join or something. I need to be able to provide a solid, referable service, with it's own life, it's own standing, that links to the major photography sites at least, that can advise models, that can give them a feeling of 'this is a person who runs it', not just another faceless service they may not fully trust.  And then I panic, because I know that there is so much to do to get to that point, and there will be pitfalls, and people questioning me (and rightly so, I'm just another face on the internet)... But then the thought of not doing it, and knowing that there are models taken advantage of by dodgy photographers makes me want  cry.  Particularly when it's a name or reputation I know of, I can't stomach the thought of sitting back and letting young girls fall into untrustworthy hands. No, can't do it.


So where do I go from here? Well, there's the mentoring/model workshop thing with BL.
Web-wise - it's difficult where slander/libel is concerned, and I need to do my research with the legalities or risk it all going to waste.  I also run the risk of fake model accounts infiltrating groups that are intended to be model only, I risk missing information or misinforming models away or towards particular photographers. It's daunting.


So - for now - I guess, I keep plodding with the PP forum, I might try to implement it through MCM and PS too, and well, I may have given up on NM unfortunately.  I will set up a FB page for new models on a similar line to the PP forum, and hopefully my reputation will precede me, I can link to the main photography websites, maybe local agencies/studios?  Who knows.  For now, I'm starting small, to keep it in control, and hopefully it'll grow into a solid foundation. Eventually. With a lot of help and patience!

7 March 2012

Spring Plans!

I'm off touring!! I have tours being planned for Cambridge in April and the South Coast in June :)  This means a stay in April with the lovely Emma Cadman-Willis in which I also get to turn my camera to her and get some practice in behind the camera with a stunning model who knows what she's doing - always a bonus!! Been missing being behind the camera - been finding that itch again to shoot, and have consequentially signed up a Purple Port account as a photographer Here and have been adding to my Ephotozine account Here!.  It's getting there slowly and I have to admit it was nice being able to pick and choose the best pics from the few shoots I have done to add together as a portfolio. Anyway, I digress! 

Tour to Cambridge - so far I have one booking. But a month to go!! It would be awesome to kick-start the spring with a few location shoots around there, and making use of Emma's as a free location to shoot at too.  I don't know if it's me, or the area, but it seems to be almost impossible to find any paid work - either through trawling through castings or by advertising myself. On the other hand... the tour planning to the South Coast, I have four photographers confirmed already (assuming none are flakes and cancel on me!) which I am looking forward to. Being on the cost in the summertime with a baby bump and plenty of pretty locations to choose from? Pure BLISS! xx I plan on making the most of that one! 

I would also like to hit Hull/York/Leeds at some point, but not sure when.  Should probably start thinking about that one :S  In the meantime, March shoots in my local area are going slowly...only have two bookings so far :( I'm a crap model these days! Must be! Oh well :( Lucky I'm getting better on the other side ;) 

The Model Guidance forum on PP is going smoothly so far - and I'm adding to it all the time.  And simultaneously, adding to the workbook I'm producing for the New Faces workshops. Hope to get this off the ground around May. 

I held a studio day a couple of weeks ago at the WhiteRooms Studio in Birmingham - it's a lovely place to shoot at - HUGE white infinity curve, loads of space for potential sets and a very swish make-up/changing room :) Shooting with Ian Robert M and Ian James was lovely and fun. Very different sets - floaty dresses and swirls and shadows with the first Ian and fetish gas masks and swords with the second :) 








I forgot last time to post some of my latest pics!! So here's a few from my first pregnancy (14 weeks) shoot with John Duder at Brightlights Studio :) 






Anyways, that's that for now :) I'm off to round up some more interest in the Cambridge tour :) Any tips would be great!! 

*Hugs* to you!