The thought process of a varied four hours in the studio

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working a half day with multi-talented photographer, Lee Brown. We had met before at a group photo session at Harwood House in October 2010, but it's always great to work with a photographer on a one-to-one basis as not only do you build up a rapport more easily, essential for creating a comfortable atmosphere for shooting, but you can confide thoughts to each other and go off on productive tangents, bouncing ideas off one another and not necessarily stick to the original first draft plans!
Well that's what we did anyway and we are both hugely pleased with the results. All these photographs were taken on the same day, in the space of four hours.

 

So we started on a look that basically meant hardly any change in what I looked like when I arrived - it's a look I think 'looks like me,' if that makes any sense at all. Quite a few people have asked what my natural look is.. well, my skin is usually very slightly olive and my hair is loose, dark and usually an organised(!) mess of curls.

I've been going through a phase of buying loads of both dark and light sheer floaty tops recently, one of which I'm wearing above. I love how the light plays on it and how you can see the shape of my figure through the fabric. Also - when a photographer hands you strings and strings of beads and you have no idea which one to wear, throw them all round your neck!

I love the colour palette in this photo, above; all those gorgeous creams and browns, soft peachy pink and a hint of navy blue. It helps add to the elegance of the pose and expression. So the hair gets pulled up into a loose bun under a hat and we do all the nude work first before any clothes are worn and leave unsightly marks on bare skin.

Of course when the hat comes off and my hair is uncoiled, it is even curlier than before, so I brush in my fringe, add a dark red lip-liner and lipstick and try a few erotic poses on the staircase in very directional light, before moving back to the studio.

 

The image below is probably my favourite from the day. I just love everything about it - my expression, the hat, (which incidentally is supposed to look like a new hairstyle - I think it looks like grass but whatever, I'm loving the abstract feel) how my elbows are not in focus to bring the focal point to my face, the character lines on my face, (you'll never catch me saying that again!) the fact that the scene is not set.. I could be anywhere, with anyone, reacting to anything. Why am I semi/naked? Am I in pain? Am I angry, exasperated, just being silly? And why have I suddenly lost my sight in that last one?

Sorry, I have no postcards..

 

Hope you enjoyed these. I just have to say I thoroughly enjoyed working with Lee and hope there will be another opportunity to do so.

That's probably it from me for today as I have to get a train to Kent later this afternoon. I have two shoots booked for tomorrow - the morning in Sittingbourne with Michael Brew, (who I'm also working with on May 7th) and the afternoon with Andy B in Rochester. Andy has the sweetest little dog, Molly but we might be getting out of his home studio if the weather holds out. Fingers crossed.

Hope all my UK readers enjoy the Royal wedding & the long weekend!