Abandoned!

 One of my favourite types of location to visit are without a doubt abandoned buildings & ruins.
Its nice moving around shooting beside trees/lochs and the like but it feels so much more productive to be set up and quickly ready to move onto the next little setting to shoot.

This building is actually an old hospital - well parts of it are. There is a section which was used as a short time as a hotel but I didn't go into that building. Decided to go back when its a little less cold to get some other spots done.

I did get very frustrated with myself though towards the end of this shoot, the shot required me to have one leg up on a chair but by then my little body was shaking and I just couldn't balance anymore. John called it a day at that point and took me out for yummy food.


I loved this tyre, it was the first set we did because I fell in love with it. I loved the texture of the walls/ground and even the tyre against the skin. Not to mention I had window light coming in from windows at either side of me which is always a bit lovely!

I was also out yesterday and we found a cool abandoned farm  - well its kind of abandoned, we did meet the farmer after we had finished and he seemed fairly nice but most of my bad "getting caught" experiences involve grumpy farmers so I don't think I will venture back to the old farm anytime soon!

Also to note - There are a few pictures which Howard Ashton Jones shot of me being shown in an online magazine, I have already posts the pictures on my blog so its nothing new really (or there might be 1 or 2 unseen ones) so have a look if A- you want to and B- The website works for you - it didn't work for me the last 3 times I tried.

Next Page Magazine


Urm... I will be back in a bit with some more :D

xxx

*achoo*

Well I'm going to treat today as a little bit of a catch up day I think, I was out all day yesterday in some super chilly locations so I'm feeling rather rubbish today. I just hope its a "just woken up rubbish" than a "I'm actually coming down with something" type of rubbish. We'll wait and see I guess!

In the meantime :D

Here are some pretty shots of Jodie Noble and I which were shot by her lovely Partner Graham, its nice having a friend who also models/ does self portraits and has a boyfriend on call to shoot her. We do all spend so much time chatting that we could have had many more little shoots done but I guess we can save them for any follow up visits!

So massive thanks to Graham & Jodie for having Rory and I, we had a wicked time and I can't till the next time :D 

Cxx

Just Messin!

I have been having a great old time this month, I've visited so many inspiring locations and spent time with some creative monsters. 

I had a day off earlier this week and decided to paint big black streaks over my face and body and stand in front of my "inspirational" wall. I really wanted to just do something a bit different, not sure if I'm loving the outcome or not but I have learned a couple of things about my mistakes along the way so they get posted as a reminder forever :D

 I came across a model I hadn't seen in years recently, this happens from time to time. Its always nice having a look through their images to see what they have been up to since their break or how they have changed their style.

One thing I'm always trying to figure out is how pre-vanishing they can be the same age as me but when they come back they are much younger than I am. It surely cannot be surgery because they look just the same as they did. Maybe I'm the person doing it all wrong, maybe everybody who claims to be my age are actually pensioners and I just haven't noticed. Do photographers presume every model is lying about their age by 5 years so actually they think I'm 32 and not 27?

Nicer pictures by Rory - Wearing Geisha Wig

Its early hours on Saturday.. more blogs to come!

Cxx

Randoms!

 Well I had a super night away on Friday after my afternoon shoot Rory and I headed up North to see my non biological sister Jodie & her other half Graeme. I had been meaning to sort out a get together for ages so I'm glad we managed to make it happen.

Here are just a few from the first set we done :-) its soo nice working with another model who is the same height at me, and also ginger!

Here is another little set but these are by the awesome David Porter who popped round to Jodies on Saturday morning for a shoot, we had been arranging another shoot as the last time we worked together was way back in Dec 2011 (it may even have been 2010).. Eitherway it was far to long ago.

I loved these natural light shots taken on one of Jodies sofas, the blue wall is just AWESOME!!!

Anyways thats it for just now... as the terminator says "I'll be back"... and I will, thats a promise!!

xxx

At the castle with Batwoman

Sometimes all the elements come together on the one day - granted at this time of year and being in Scotland it doesn't happen very often at all. I was very lucky to be out on one of those such days. The type of days where I'm usually at home wishing I was outside in a nice location having my picture taken.

I was booked as an anniversary present (yes.. I'm not kidding). I was a tad worried actually before the shoot thinking "eek I hope the recipient likes me".  Photographers are fussy when it comes to who they photograph, and rightly so.

We had a lovely time, gorgeous blue skies and the sunshine was out which is a bonus for me as the last few location shoots I had previous to this one the weather had been pretty cold - snow/hailstones/rain and horrible wind with no sunshine to take off the bitter cold.

You can view a bigger selection of Karens work on her purpleport folio page -  LINK

Also thanks again to Karen for sending me these pictures and letting me post a blog about the shoot :D

Defiantly worthy of sharing with others

I do have other pictures to post from shoots however I'm waiting for other images from the sets before going all blog crazy with them.

Peace out

xCx

New camera pictures!

Well Rory and I finally found some time to play with the camera at the weekend. 

To tell you the truth I'm getting a bit bored of shooting in the house, one wall and limited to 3 quarter length  shots - so If you are sitting thinking "I'm bored of these" then you aren't alone, although I admit I do quite like this last lot of shots.

I do have some positive news about the issues I never went into much detail over. Things appear to be on the up *fingers crossed* (touching wood). 

Its never nice when you are mentally focused on something else but trying hard to maintain a normal lifestyle..

I had a very lovely few days last week actually, I may even end up sharing images here if the photographer lets me. I got to work with a model who I have admired for MANY years. When the photographer asked if I was interested I have to admit I was quite nervous, its not that easy working with other models but when its somebody you respect as an artist its even more scary.

Thankfully Ulorin Vex (who was the other model) turned out to be super lovely, its amazing hearing about her life and some of the projects she is involved in. You know when you meet people and you just think "you are so f$%king cool"? - that phrase fits perfectly with how my feel about her! One of the coolest chicks ever and I would love to work with her again when she ventures back over to this side of the pond. Star struck? hell yes!

 I almost had a shoot yesterday with John, but unfortunately he got called off to work.. We did however quickly find a location for future shoots (see below). I can already picture myself standing in the water and its not very far away from where I live so thats handy!

Seeing as I had my makeup on anyway I decided to try something under my hallway skylight window - which didn't really work and wasn't helped by my trigger batteries deciding to die so all done with the self timer meaning the minute I got into the "zone" I was back out of it again and faffing about with the camera. However I do kind of like this one, I just wish there was more focus on me than the horrible textured wall behind me.

 I was planning to also plug the studio day I have coming up, but there is no need now as its all filled up. I haven't done many studio days in the past, I know models are supposed to be full of confidence however I always think the worst and I struggle to put myself out there. I know that might make me less pro active in getting work than others but I always liked the less direct approach. If somebody spots my blog or work and wants to work with me then my inbox is open. 

Anyway I needn't have worried, I had 5 out of the 7 slots booked within an hour of advertising. To say I was delighted was an understatement. I was thrilled, like I said I don't do studio days very often. I think I have only actually done 1 in the past by myself. Its such a great idea though, being in the one place with everything I need and having the base for the day. I honestly can't wait to work with all these new people and see what they come up with :-)

I even had a few messages from others who contacted me to late/wanted more than an hour or weren't available on that date so it means there is a possibility of another one in the near future. Plus the studio is literally 2 minutes walk from my old house so I will get to go back to where I spent my late teens and early 20's which will be nice. Govan watch out <3 p="">

I have lots of other things going on, including a couple of pictures of me being shown in a gallery exhibition in Glasgow - 

It features the work of two artists, one being my dear friend Billy - Monkey Twizzle. So would be well worth checking out should you be in the area. I've also sorted myself out with a little fun camera time with him as its been ages since I was last down for a visit and I do love going back and seeing what we can get up to!

Facebook event page

Anyway I will no doubt be back soon, I have a fair bit coming up in the near future and throughout March so keep those eyes peeled :D 

Cxx

Shoot with Howard Ashton-Jones

I was lucky enough to have the afternoon out with Howard recently, this was our first shoot together. We have been chatting for a few years now and I really love working with local photographers. Its actually rare for me to work with fellow Scots - No idea how that works but hey ho.

The weather was awful over in my area, even on the route to the location the snow was piled up at the side of the road. I really expected the worst weather so was ready with hot waterbottle and all sorts of warm up aids but during the first half of the shoot I didn't actually need them.

I really loved the location and the history behind it, its called Elie Tower -


"To the east of Elie, lies Ruby Bay so called after the garnet or red gemstones which still wash up here. From here, you'll be able to see Elie Lighthouse and the Lady's Tower, built as a summer house for Lady Janet Anstruther in the 18th century. To preserve her modesty, she used to send a bell-ringer around Elie to warn locals to keep away from the beach before she took a dip. Bad as this sounds, in 1771, Lady Anstruther actually had the entire hamlet of Balclevie removed because it obstructed her view from Elie House! Unsurprising, she and her hen-pecked husband were rather unpopular. An Elie fortune-teller got her revenge by putting a curse on her, claiming that no more than six generations of the Anstruthers would live in Elie House. Believe it or not, her prediction came true"

(taken from tourist information)

Its great finding out the history of places - especially buildings. When I go into an abandoned place I wonder what it looked like when it was first built, I try and picture it years gone by with people living there or working there. Thats the great thing about photography being accessible to most people, and the internet. It means in 100 years from now people can google and it will be so much easier to see images of buildings from "back in the day".


xxx