Some more hats :D

 Well here are the slightly less exciting non nude images from our shoot last week in the gorgeous manor house. Its so nice shooting in such beautiful locations but when you come back home and are faced with a couple of tatty walls and not much else it really makes you appreciate all the lovely places.

 I wish I could wear this outfit all the time, I had my eye on it for months and when it went on sale I just had to have it. It said size 6 on the tag but I'm guessing that was American sizes because it fit perfectly. I did take a wired underskirt with me too but I kind of liked the way it hung off my body naturally, plus it means I can maybe use it again for a different look in the future - turn it black and white and nobody would know the difference!

 All hats are by - www.hatinthecat.co.uk

I have a new batch now - 6 hats and 3 weeks to shoot them, we have a shoot with another model next week and a local makeup artist which I'm really looking forward to. We went down to Ayr a couple of weeks ago and shot Maz (see above). I say "we", what I really should say is Rory shot Maz but I pointed to the pretty locations and held a reflector, still its teamwork in a way. We only took about 75 images and the hit rate was incredible, I guess thats what happens when you have a nice location and a fantastic model.

Here are a couple from earlier in the week, I bought a bad of sequins recently thinking it would be a great idea to stick them to my face for a shoot. So with that in mind the new batch of hats we selected all go nicely with brown colours. Was only an experiment really, I think its one I might try again but fine tune it and make the patterns of the sequins a little more adventurous. I've actually just thought of a great idea while writing this (its amazing when they pop into my head randomly).

Thats it for now, I will need to harass Rory when he gets home from football to shoot this spur of the moment idea of mine. Shouldn't take too much arm twisting or bribery!

Cxx

Old but new part 1

 Well as the title says - new but old.
I wanted to make that quite clear - I know some photographers have major issues with models using older images - which is fair enough. Some of these are older than the others - 2 from 2010, 4 from last year and 1 from only a couple of months ago. If you can guess which is which without opening up any exif data then well done.

I have been clearing out the computer of clutter, running out of space now and my useless images are always the first to go, yes we can go buy some more storage but 80% of the stuff we shoot is basically just taking up space. In Rory and I's lifetime I imagine we will get through quite a bit of computer space with images so I have ditched the misfires/blinkers and horrific shots so they never ever see the light of day. In doing that though I came across some pictures which although weren't "first choice" I felt they should all get some attention and be used in some form.

Its a strange feeling looking over old images, a nice type of strange but tinged with a little sadness.
We all get older, this is a fact and nothing can stop our bodies from getting older, I don't really mind about my body getting older but I do think "how much time have I got left" - in a model sense of course.

Modelling is my world, it has been for 5 years. I have dabbled in photography but the love I have for being in front of a camera cannot be replaced by holding one. I used to fool myself into thinking that it could but it never will. I started when I was 22, in some ways I wish I was younger but in other ways I'm glad I didn't start when I was 18 because I may have taken a different route altogether. I'm not "past it" yet, I can see myself in 5 years still modelling but I imagine the offers I will get might not excite me as the ones I have gotten in the past or the ones I'm getting now. I see small physical changes in my body.. Nothing major like my boobs hitting my ankles but little things. Fine lines which get bigger every year no matter what I put on them. I started noticing them when I was 25 though.

We all go through stages where we want to give up or life moves in another direction, I've wanted to quit a couple of times BUT something always draws me back and I rarely vocalise how I'm actually feeling with my modelling. I think if a model is to say "I'm not enjoying it this week" then people automatically assume she hates modelling and does it for the money.. Like not enjoying something makes you do it grudgingly which has never been the case. For me its a case of having an ugly week and feeling sorry for myself. I maybe care too much about how I look or perform, if I see images back which aren't very nice I blame myself. Sometimes it is partially my fault but other times its out of my control. I can't MAKE somebody better at using light if they don't want my input. I do avoid working with photographers who really don't have a clue because it does save me from feeling shitty.

Below is a shot from a quick shoot Rory and I done with Rachael Lyon - Nicola Fleming @ the cutting room and Sophie Alexis doing makeup. I felt rubbish after that little set because there was something I wasn't "feeling". I wanted a ginger afro, like desperately wanted one so I kind of got one but I just felt like a big ugly blob at the time and avoided actually looking at the pictures after the shoot because I knew I wasn't over flowing with confidence. Anyway I came across one which isn't so bad, it will never be the best shot of me but its not really that bad that it deserves bin status. Plus Rachael looks fab in it <3 p="p">

There is literally hundreds of folders with images on them, some sets which we never even edited. Rory and I don't usually shoot then process 30 similar images - If the shoot has went well then its 5 at most, if its working with somebody else then usually more but when its for just the two of us and we are not overly filled with love for the shots then its usually only 1 or 2. We always aim for 1 good shot :D 

I've decided to do this type of blog every month - until I run out of things to post but I will no doubt be making more pictures in the meantime. So if there was any shots you have seen which you liked and wished to have seen a slightly different variation on it please give me a shout -and I will work my magic.

Cxxx

A day out with John

The first shot above is one I spotted on Johns Blog from a previous shoot and I liked it so I nicked it :D

John and I are usually not that lucky when it comes to weather, even when we shot indoors I was freezing but that was in my flat and there was no heating.

Anyhow John had a week off work so we went out for a day at the beach, I used to shoot at this beach fairly often during the summer (and winter) so it was nice to go back, its gorgeous and there is so much space just to dance around.

These are all in complete random order but some where shot on St Andrews Pier :D We got lucky with the weather, I wasn't cold once. Hurrah!

I was actually quite scared of doing this shot below, you can't see from this shot but John was actually quite some distance away from me - separated by the sea. This is an old pretty bad staircase which is at the side of the pier, I'm rubbish with heights but add in a less than safe looking handrail and worn stairs and you have the ultimate "crapping my pants" moment. 

Anyhow that is all

Cxx

The Gold Skirt - With Rory

Woah, 2 updates in one week? How is that for spoiling you lot?

I just HAD to pop these up on a blog of their own, I loved this 5 minute set so much.

I bought this outfit - or part of it a few weeks ago but was waiting for the right time to use it - that right time was today. Rory taken the day off to shoot today but somebody needed a last minute replacement model and it was fairly local so I stepped in and he let us take some shots in the location he had access too. I LOVED IT!

I done some wonderful artistic nudes with the photographer in various settings in the location, I got so carried away with time and being in such lush surroundings can't help make you feel inspired and happy.

So this is half of my outfit, we shot some with the full outfit for hat in the cat in the main part of the house then I spotted this beautiful golden light coming in through a skylight - So off came the clothes in various stages (yes there are some nudes in a similar location too but I will leave them for next time). 

Its a great feeling when things just click and go right, all these were pretty much shot one after the other, I think there was about 10 from this particular set - I would happily have posted the lot of them but some are a little similar so you are not missing too much. 

Well I do hope at least one of these hits some nice spots.

Rory edited half and I edited the other half, my edits took 5 minutes Rory's took an hour..

Sometimes pictures just don't need much than a little bit of tweaking here and there :D

I have another shoot with John Mcnairn to blog about, will save that for tomorrow :D

Anyway goodnight and stuff. Or good morning seeing as its 5am :D

Cxx

Hat in the cat!

For months I have been travelling to and from Perth, stuck at the same set of traffic lights and my eyes always wondered upon the same shop. The window displays changed often and it was always a fresh delight to my eyes.  Unique beautiful hand crafted hats and headpieces galore, recently I plucked up the courage to contact the owners - its not something I do very often, message people and say "I love your hats can I borrow them". I fear rejection and not being "good enough" and when I work with Rory its never serious, just fun which passes the time. Sometimes we shoot and it goes horribly wrong and nothing is salvaged from our mess around.

Anyway I had a meeting with the designer and she had a look at Rory and I's portfolio - we had never actually printed out our work before then - apart from a massive print of one of our favourite shots which is waiting to go on the wall. We had never needed to print out work, a large majority of it sits on a hard-drive waiting to be edited then by the time we decide to edit it its a year out of date.

I was actually nervous, not sure what of. I guess we all get nervous when its to do with something we really want. Thankfully nerves where not needed and the designer liked our work. We were sent off with 3 hats and pretty much told we could do as we please.

We shoot for ourselves usually, if we are not in the mood there is no panic to take pictures we just don't do anything but the longer you don't do anything the less likely you are to suddenly decide to shoot something. I was putting on weight for awhile, well I say putting it on I didn't realise until Rory showed me a few pictures on the back of the camera that I had put on weight. I have been working out and stretching daily again and cut out all junk foods and its going away almost as quickly as it appeared to go on.

Rory always tells me I'm beautiful, he would never say "I think you are putting on a bit of weight" but I would prefer to be told.. Just incase I don't notice, I only notice these changes in images - Poor Rory ended up having me crying and moping about for 3 days going on about how I was falling apart/how I was crap.. I know if it was somebody else I would never have stopped the shoot and started crying.. Working with a partner isn't easy - I admit with Rory I seem to act like a different model, a DIVA! maybe its because when things aren't going as well as they could I expect us both to be able to do whatever it is better. Maybe I push too hard, it might be a good thing.. might be a bad thing..

Anyway here are some hat shots, the first one was shot against our kitchen wall.. I love the colour of it, its the colour it was when we moved here but the amount of random crap junked all over the wall really shows up in photographs so when we move onto seriously decorating the kitchen the first port of call is re-painting the red. It will take less time actually painting it now than it will to remove all the junk in photoshop but Granddad says - ONE ROOM AT A TIME!

first one edited by me ahoy!!

This second shot was on a Sunday evening in a local nature reserve type place, the light wasn't doing much and ordinarily we would have just called it a day and went home without taking pictures but we wanted to get some variety for the Hat in the cat so we shot anyway and there was actually some pretty nice shots from our little outdoor shoot so we have learned "it might look like less than ideal shooting circumstances but its worth a try anyway"

I will be using this dress again though, you can't see it overly well in these pictures but the bottom half of it is netted and I imagine a shot with the sun streaming through it or creating a shadow on the ground would look awesome.

the one below was edited by me..

This is just from a little shoot in the evening, we actually found this piece difficult to shoot with because I had nothing to match the pale pink and lime green colours. We weren't totally sure what outside location would work with it or clothing so we had to settle for the hallway. This was the day after we got the hats so we didn't feel too much pressure to do something immediately.. Although as the week wore on we still weren't sure. Now looking back I have ideas, I just wish I had them when I had the hat in my possession. 

Next up was one of my edits, which I'm real proud of. 

I also picked this hat because I thought it was pretty interesting being like a bonnet. I loved the colour of the feathers too :D Was shot using the softbox as a backdrop - in the kitchen

 This was a bit of an experiment, I quite like it but not sure if Rory does. We used some very light red fabric and shot through it. Its something we might try more of in the future because it does create a pretty cool effect - one which might be easier achieved in photoshop and not all that desirable for some but I liked it.

So we handed the 3 hats back a week after we got them along with a media stick with a few pictures of each piece. I recently got a beautiful silk gold outfit - its amazing and I can't wait to shoot in it but I'm waiting for the right location and making sure we don't shoot it until the conditions are right. We did go out on Sunday morning trying to find a sunrise and location (and failed). So on Sunday evening we went out hoping for a sunset, the outfit as well as some others where in the car and I done my hair in an interesting way..

Well there was no sunrise and none of the locations were quite perfect so we held back with the awesome outfit and made use of the locations we did find and the outfits I did have. These hats will be shot again though. I feel we can do a better job of showing their beauty than we have done.

This was shot in a little bird watching hut, I loved it in colour but the light was reflecting so strongly off the grass that the feather - which is white ended up looking green as did some other parts of the hat so its been black and whited which is a shame.

 Here is one I edited, although I'm not sure there is as much light in my eyes as I would have liked. I loved this hat. There is a shot I loved from this set too where the wind picked it up but I'm waiting on Rory to edit it properly.

And the last one we shot - against my half painted - or one coat painted doorway. The veil on this hat is amazing, it almost reaches the ground and the beautiful pin which holds it in place means I can move it around or just take the veil off. Last week I was too scared to even touch the hats incase I done something to them so they are more sturdy than I originally thought.

Its actually helping me and Rory having things to shoot, although there is never a brief or any specific plans for any of the hats it makes us think more about what we are doing.. Or makes us put a bit more effort in because we want the designer to be happy with the pictures we are creating so its not just about pleasing ourselves anymore. So its Thursday, we have 2 more hats to shoot this week and possible re-shoots of the ones we have shot... not sure how thats possible given we meet on a Saturday with the designer, maybe we can get a bit of an extension.

I'm being brave next week and getting an MUA involved, I really want this "gold" outfit to be special and for that we might need some extra pairs of hands.

Anyway that is all xxx

please visit www.hatinthecat.co.uk to find out more about their workshops or head pieces!

Back to work!

Well it has been an AGE since I last posted, I have been doing little bits and pieces model wise though so I have not been completely lazy. I'm switching screens somewhat to remind myself what I have posted and what I have still to post. Not sure if it will be easier digested in separate entries or all in the one go - like a mammoth post'athon of my favourite shots this past 6 months..

Decided a mammoth post is in order so here goes..

Both of these were shot by Glenn Richardson - grphotography- down near Reading at the end of last year :D

While on that trip Rory and I visited a mixture of Pretty places including - Wales which neither of us has ever been to before, its landscape reminded me so much of Scotland just on a slightly smaller scale. We visited Hugh over in a place I wont even begin to attempt to spell right now..

Here is one of me and Hughs Dog, sometimes its just easier to shoot what is there. Hugh also printed me off a copy of this shot so I have it here waiting to be framed :D

On our second day in Wales Hugh gave Rory and I run of the land and house, we enjoyed goiung out for walks with the dogs knowing that if I felt like getting nude I could, I wish I had my own land to use as I please. Still it was nice just for one day not to worry about passers by or the locals being offended..

Here are just a few, there was a fair load of images I could easily have posted but these were the first ones I came to in the folder..

I also visited Southampton and worked with MKwong, I have admired Manns work for .. well since I started modelling, I remember one of his shots of a model I really admired at the time and thought to myself "One day I will work with him" and I did. He had been taking a break from photography and I'm so glad he decided to come out of semi retirement for our shoot. We didn't have much in the way of plans but here is my favourite from the day :D

I also had a little shoot with my buddy Tim Pile, he is a superstar and I always love working with him.

In the morning we were joined by Dinah who is one of his shooting companions, she is lovely. In the afternoon we nipped over to RobS's studio.. I feel like I say lovely too much but nearly everybody I work with is lovely or awesome.. Rob was no exception :D 

I'm worried about leaving things out and my computer filing skills leave a lot to be desired so I'm just going through my "download" folder in order. 

Despite my last update being in February all of the above and some of the below were all shot previous to that. 

The next images are all by my friend John Mcnairn, we have worked together so many times now that I have lost count. He lets me run away with myself on shoots, sometimes when you are placed in a perfect setting its impossible to not just go wild and do what comes naturally - for me thats usually taking my clothes off :D sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but being encouraged to be myself and being free to do whatever I please makes me happy.

In February I went up North to see Olly Murrs (Guilty as charged, Love him)

So while in the area Rob - CSD images and I had a little shoot :D

It wasn't the warmest day out but it was productive and great fun, before then I had never really explored that area so it was nice to be out and about.

Next was my trip to London :D

My anxiety always made me fear the place, Like actually crap myself at the thought of going anywhere near it - not a pretty thought but its true. Rorys brother invited us down, I even managed an overnight train ride and went on the underground!! GO ME!

There was somebody local who has been very special to me for a long time, somebody who I never in a million years thought I would get to meet let alone have a little shoot with. When times have been bad he has been an angel looking out for me from afar. 

These are my favourites from our 30 minute shoot, I wish we had more time together and weren't so far away..  I have all the love and respect in the world for him. Thank you VjayJethwa for being you :)

I used to hate my freckles, with a passion - and the red hair but occasionally people book me for that reason - Like the mighty talented Stuart Hendry, we had a little shoot in my hotel room in London. I still need to meet his gorgeous girlfriend but working with him brought me a tiny bit closer to her :D

I also had another shoot with NigeNW, the sun was out which is a very occasion in Scotland.. Not that I was complaining, we did our usual - driving around for hours until settling on a few really awesome locations. 

The first one was luck and speed.. This road is one of the busiest up North, I had to stand at the side waiting until the right moment. In some of the other shots you can see cars driving away from me. I think the weather made me braver than normal that day. I would say it was worth it and nobody came back to complain!

We can call my next section "Mid-year Resolutions"

Apart from needing to update more often there are some really talented friends of mine I should work with more often. The excuse isn't distance, its maybe been laziness on my part or because my house has been distracting me but here are some people who I have worked with most often just not more than enough recently..

Monkey Twizzle - Me thinks this was our 40 odd'ith shoot. Shot on various formats, everytime I go to visit Billy he has some new but very old camera added to his collection of old cameras!

Next is Simon Pole. We used to work together practically all the time - not so much now but hey we had a nice few hours out and about and were Joined by Stuart mid-way through. 

Last but by no means least  - Dylan - sonofthesea.

I've always enjoyed working with Dylan, he is possibly the closest photographer to me (apart from Rory) but we float around saying "yes darling we will shoot soon" but rarely actually do it. Anyway we did get out and about and visited his friend Davids castle, had a wonderful time and we are in the "yes we will shoot again soon" process of arrangements right now..

Here are a few by Rory, there is more but these ones were the first I came across :D

Here are a couple by Alfin :D showing off my ginger'ness and my freckles wonderfull *if I do say so myself*

And here is one by Dave Hunt who is based over in Killin from a workshop Rory and I done with him.

xxxx