Journals74
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In love with low key lighting!
2 min read
The first time I ever ventured into a studio a dozen or so years ago, I dabbled in some low key figure work with a very patient model. I had no idea what I was doing but with a lot of experimentation and encouragement, managed to produce a few images that I was delighted with. What really opened my eyes that day was the intense beauty and atmosphere that could be created with a single large soft box and a black background. The shape and texture of a body can be defined in a subtle yet very effective way using that set up.
Whilst I still prefer to shoot outside, in order to stop my creativity from drying up completely during the long British winter, I occasionally venture indoors to keep my hand in. So it was a couple of months back that I worked with Rachelle Summers, very accomplished model here in the UK. Surprisingly our paths had never crossed before, mainly due to geography, but we managed to find a window in our mutual schedules and spent a very enjoyable day together.
Rachelle is adept at working in different photographic genres, but her creativity really came to the fore when we shot a low ket figure set. Armed with only a wooden box as a prop, she pulled off a dazzling series of beautiful, thoughtful poses in a classical style but with her own twist and invention. So I am pleased to share a sample from this set. Enjoy!
Whilst I still prefer to shoot outside, in order to stop my creativity from drying up completely during the long British winter, I occasionally venture indoors to keep my hand in. So it was a couple of months back that I worked with Rachelle Summers, very accomplished model here in the UK. Surprisingly our paths had never crossed before, mainly due to geography, but we managed to find a window in our mutual schedules and spent a very enjoyable day together.
Rachelle is adept at working in different photographic genres, but her creativity really came to the fore when we shot a low ket figure set. Armed with only a wooden box as a prop, she pulled off a dazzling series of beautiful, thoughtful poses in a classical style but with her own twist and invention. So I am pleased to share a sample from this set. Enjoy!
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A reunion with Rosa
2 min read
My increasingly hectic work schedule, combined with a development project I was undertaking meant that I had precious little time for photography in 2015. Likewise Rosa’s career rocketed upwards at the same time, meaning our diaries didn’t coincide again until the end of the year. But we picked up where we left off with ease just before xmas.
I had long had an idea to do a shoot in an empty church hall or similar building, with a model rising from a chair within a large empty space. Finally with Rosa’s skill and appetite for anything new, I was able to realise that. I was able to ‘borrow’ an old hall that I am working on converting, (in my other life in property), so we were able to use the space undisturbed. The premises had been vacant for several years and showed the signs of decay but I like that and especially the contrast with the most perfect example of beauty, the female form.
It was amazing to see the way Rosa had improved her modelling still further. Now brimming with confidence and able to call on a reservoir of experience, she has really mastered the craft. She is quick to adapt and play a part, moving between genres and moods with ease. But all the time there is a sense of intrigue and curiosity about what she does that is ever more inspiring.
It has been my great privilege to know and work with Rosa over the past two and a half years. I have been rewarded with so many moments of extraordinary beauty. Rosa’s ever present sense of fun and sheer enthusiasm for life is irrepressible and infectious. I eagerly look forward to the continuation of our creative journey in the days and years to come.
"Long times apart can make no breach a second cannot fill" – Emily Dickinson
I had long had an idea to do a shoot in an empty church hall or similar building, with a model rising from a chair within a large empty space. Finally with Rosa’s skill and appetite for anything new, I was able to realise that. I was able to ‘borrow’ an old hall that I am working on converting, (in my other life in property), so we were able to use the space undisturbed. The premises had been vacant for several years and showed the signs of decay but I like that and especially the contrast with the most perfect example of beauty, the female form.
It was amazing to see the way Rosa had improved her modelling still further. Now brimming with confidence and able to call on a reservoir of experience, she has really mastered the craft. She is quick to adapt and play a part, moving between genres and moods with ease. But all the time there is a sense of intrigue and curiosity about what she does that is ever more inspiring.
It has been my great privilege to know and work with Rosa over the past two and a half years. I have been rewarded with so many moments of extraordinary beauty. Rosa’s ever present sense of fun and sheer enthusiasm for life is irrepressible and infectious. I eagerly look forward to the continuation of our creative journey in the days and years to come.
"Long times apart can make no breach a second cannot fill" – Emily Dickinson
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New work with an old friend
2 min read
Every so often in the world of photography and modelling inhabited by all of us who are driven to create art, you meet someone who leaves a lasting impression on you, someone who truly touches your soul. That was certainly the case when in the later summer of 2009, I first met Erin, at the very beginning of her artistic modelling journey. Right from the very first moment, she radiated positive energy; I felt I had discovered pure gold.
Over the past six years or so, we have enjoyed many wonderful shoots, (and a few scrapes), together. I have added some samples from our latest outing on a warmish autumn day last year. I took Erin to one of my favourite little coves by the sea, most of which is only visible when the tide recedes. We planned our shoot for one of the lowest tides of the year and were rewarded by a multitude of amazing rock formations, colours and secret rock pools to explore and experiment with.
To spend a day creating art with Erin remains among the most memorable, fulfilling and uplifting experiences of my life. There is so much expression and emotion in what she does now; it is truly mesmerizing to watch as she slips from one graceful pose into another, effortlessly elegant, a beautiful slow motion ballet unfolding before my eyes. I consider myself truly blessed to have been able to witness and record that. I'm proud to see what she has achieved with her modelling to date and to have her as my friend.
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The last rays of summer..,
1 min read
A couple of months ago, while there was still warmth in the air, I was delighted to be able to enjoy a day out on the wilds of Dartmoor with Chiara Elisabetta, an exceptional model who's work I had admired before but never had the chance to meet. She proved to be an inspiring and fascinating companion, with a uniquely positive outlook on life. That came through in bucket loads as she embraced my ideas with aplomb, from wading into fast flowing torrents, to braving the windswept high torrs. Every location and suggestion was met with genuine enthusiasm that made a deep impression on me. I drove home feeling uplifted by the simple moments of beauty that we had shared. 
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After the rain comes sun..,
2 min read
This summer has given me precious few opportunities to get out on photo shoots, but when my friend Artemis Fauna told me she was heading back to Somerset for a few days, I knew I had to make time in my schedule for a shoot. So we managed to grab a few hours in a woodland on the fringes of Exmoor.
Having sat in the car waiting for a summer rainstorm to pass, we ventured into the woods with the ground still wet from the rain. Having wandered around for 20 mins we found the remains of an old stone building, covered in ivy and decided that would make the best setting. As we were getting ready, the sun started to break through, creating an unusual light, diffused by the water vapour rising up from the warmed earth.
As always, Artemis has an uncanny ability to create moments of sublime beauty from the humblest of surroundings. She is the modelling equivalent of an Alchemist and never ceases to surprise and delight my creativity. I've added a small selection of images from the afternoon that capture the mood
Having sat in the car waiting for a summer rainstorm to pass, we ventured into the woods with the ground still wet from the rain. Having wandered around for 20 mins we found the remains of an old stone building, covered in ivy and decided that would make the best setting. As we were getting ready, the sun started to break through, creating an unusual light, diffused by the water vapour rising up from the warmed earth.
As always, Artemis has an uncanny ability to create moments of sublime beauty from the humblest of surroundings. She is the modelling equivalent of an Alchemist and never ceases to surprise and delight my creativity. I've added a small selection of images from the afternoon that capture the mood
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