Took a break and raring to go!

So I haven't really shot since July - I normally take the summer off shooting.  And I've not even tried to arrange shoots until recently.  I have however spent a fair bit of time behind the camera instead and lots of time outdoors instead :p There's been plenty of thoughts ticking through my head with regards to modelling and photography and I've been re-thinking my plan of action and where I want to go with it all. So here - I will keep a record of my progress and lessons and experiences.  Hmmm.... where to start today?

I had a shoot with Edmund Farmer (Kameraden Visual Art) yesterday.  It's been in the planning for a few months and ideas were pretty solid.  I went out and bought a few new outfits to suit the style and the storyboards.  Unfortunately, the day before I was hit with an evil germ-parade through my every cell (ok - I had a bad cold/light chest infection) which knocked me sideways.  On the morning of the shoot - it was mighty tempting to call and postpone, but no.  I couldn't do that.  So we meet, we find out location and we shoot for an hour before Edmund kindly calls it off, satisfied with what we had gotten and agreeing to shoot again sometime.  I'm paying the price for it today, so I'm taking it easy and quiet to be properly healthy for tomorrow's shoot with Joel from Purestorm.  It should be a good update to my portfolio and something new I can send to Spirit Model Management - I desperately need to update my book!

In the mean time, I shall spend today uploading pics that I've been editing and putting out some casting calls. Lesson for today:  Modelling involves lots of time in front of the PC networking, emailing and uploading.  It's no wonder I have a large arse for a model! :p

John Duder

A very quick update mainly to store some images for now :) Will write properly about this shoot next week :p

Images shot by John Duder, slight edit by myself :)

June/July = Zen in full flow! :)

So I've spent goodness knows how many hours online in the evenings updating portfolios, putting out looking for work requests, replying to casting calls and such like - and for all the bum-expanding laptop time, it's paying off, I am pleased to see!

JUNE: So far has planned for me - two paid shoots, one TF with the fabulous Paul Ottey (Paul Ottey's NM) which should be a wonderful addition to my portfolio and a three day stint with Kainine_Photography (Kainine_Photography on NM) in Hull with a Charity Group Shoot squeezed in too. So plenty of great quality TF and a little towards the penny funds too for June :)

JULY: Currently sees four paid shoots (phew!), a TF/Profit share Calendar shoot, and a local group shoot, where I plan on staying firmly *behind* the camera and getting some studio photography practice in :)

So far, so good! Not many available days left to shoot now till the summer, so glad that things are getting booked up and I'll be kept busy :) I feel so much more like a model when my floor is riddled with an array of random outfits, shoes and train tickets :P Sod all the bright lights!

Catching up :S

Ahhh...the art of the creative - procrastination and forgetfulness... time to update!! :p

April: Saw me investing in my first SLR and trial testing it at a Group Shoot in Hull.  The day was fabulous with a lovely bunch of people and I found myself wandering around dressed as a model, with the SLR firmly around my neck. On both sides of the camera, I was happy to shoot and gained results I was pleased with:

First a selection of model images to wet your appetite.  And yes, annoyingly enough, when someone says 'are you small enough to squeeze into there?' the answer is usually 'Yes'.

And I did love getting all dressed up again, or dressed down depending on your standards :p :

I also had the pleasure of meeting and shooting with the lovely OpalineStorm, a wonderful promising new model with a figure I couldn't get enough of and a gorgeous personality to boot:

And a couple of more glamourous shots with Dale Nelson:

It was an awesome day :)  I had planned on staying at TK's - otherwise known as the abominable Kainine_Photography and shooting through a few ideas. After much caffeine and planning, we finally bit the bullet and shot his first ever Erotica set. From here on end, this post gets a little more 'open' ;)  These got monumentally slagged on NM, but gained great critiques on FL, so either way we were happy. We have plans for the next one already... :p

TK and I have a wonderful working relationship and click away with each other as much as the shutter does, it's nice to work with someone in that way, and something I have missed a lot.  

I've had a lot of editing practice recently too and am enjoying playing with effects and styles. I'm getting into this photography thing! :p

Ahhh.....

So June and July see two group shoots - one purely behind the camera for me, and another in Hull playing both sides, and likely more filth with TK.  A few booked shoots, to see me into the summer hols and a couple of shoots I've booked with new models :)  

It's nice that the effort, networking and masses of time in front of the laptop is paying off.  Next phase for me, a couple of TF's for agency submission, new sets for Zivity (get in touch if you would like to shoot for that one!), and building more of a photography portfolio. I'll add some of those here the next time I remember. 

Take it easy you weird little world of lights and cameras :)

Busy Busy!

Well, in the two weeks that I've been actively modelling again, I've managed to have four shoots and booked three more upcoming. I don't reckon that's too bad by my standards!

I thought I would post a little photo update - a couple from each photographer I've worked with recently.  James Rozie and Matt Wagg were lovely enough to book my studio day, ensuring I was rushed off my feet and kept busy all day! It was a knackering reminder of modelling, and I loved it - a mix of alternative fashion, playing with brooms, climbing inside of umbrellas and some nicey art-nudes rounded up that day for variety!

Now - Jaycee who booked me through PS wanted some erotica and fetish, so I spent the day playing nudes, nipple clamps, chains and St Andrew's cross.  I have to admit, it was one of those shoots that made me question why I do this...but I smiled, got on with it, chatted and he seemed more than happy with his results - so can't complain :)

And Mr FineArt from WB who I worked with this week and sent me into a haze of bounce, smiles and utter creative buzz all day :) It was awesome. He's lovely to work with - so easy to collaborate with, knows what he wants but allows model to create too, is happy to move on once that 'one' shot from each set is created.  He booked me for two hours, we made it through six sets in 90mins and the images so far are lovely :)

Here we go!:

Rozie:

Matt Wagg:

Mr FineArt: 

TTFW! :D

Anniversary

Well a marking of time at least.  I hit 40,000 views on NM yesterday.  Weird. Plus I had a email from one of the first photographers I shot with who wants to shoot again.

So I thought I would post a couple of images from one of my first shoots :)  18years old and fairly clueless!

Zenith

Books and Stories

Being a (failing/lazy/sporadic) writer, and an avid reader I've inevitably always written stuff, from poetry to short stories to a little erotica even. I'm currently working on a book - oh yes, a book. A story. A modern tale rags to riches, to rags to medium perhaps story.

Inevitably some of the storyline will be based on experiences, and modelling is one of the themes in the story.  Like, d'uh.  I kind of wanted to highlight some of the lines of modelling, from starting out, to making mistakes, or doing well, or changing styles along the way so to speak...

Well that's my post for today! Very little time and all that ;)