Strength in the Dark

ERWhittington 5 Comments

How lovely ’twas to work with eccentric and passionate, Holland-based Brit Eric Kellerman, at his home studio in Nijmegen recently. We’d been in contact since 2009, according to our online message history (back when I was nervous about flying alone…. fast forward to now and I’m happily jetting about all over the world by myself!), and having been a long-time admirer of his beautiful and intriguing work, it was an honour to finally be involved in his vision. Eric has very kindly sent me some images after our shoot – 125 to be exact!! My inbox is happy. Eric is currently working on a number of different projects based on female figure nudes, the current accumulation of which can be seen on his website, gallery by gallery. Many of you will have heard of his infamous ‘box’ project and we did indeed work on that with some cool results (Eric is publishing a book on it later this year), but first, here are some strong, dark, moody nudes showing muscle and grit! I love these – a far cry from the softness I usually project.

Working with Eric is a liberating time as every strange ‘imperfection’ of the body is celebrated; although some shots may show bones, slenderness and strong definition in my abs, others show rolls of fat, bulges and creases which appear when the body moves, slumps and folds…. it’s all the same body on the same day (and my weight never fluctuates at all anyway) and just shows how variously a body can be portrayed, with the creation of different lighting, and to interesting visual effect.

I think my favourite is the fifth from the bottom… What do you think?

…More soon!

‘Mean Moody and Magnificent Muse in Montmartre at Midnight’ (post macaroon)

ERWhittington 11 Comments

(Blog title courtesy of photographer…:-))

Hello! I got back from my German/Dutch trip to Dusseldorf, Nijmegen and Amsterdam yesterday. It was a very productive time and I managed to sightsee a lot between appointments too! I enjoyed getting back to my german roots in Dusseldorf, and really really love Amsterdam in particular, where I spent a whole week dodging stag dos and taking roughly nine million snapshots of the unbelievably pretty canals, visiting the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum, the tulip museum – very sweet; and I was lucky to be detoured by one photographer to see the vast swathes of rainbow tulips growing happily and stripily in a field on the way to a shoot – another photographer drove us via a windmill, so my dutch experience was complete! I also went to the Anne Frank House, which I found almost unbearably moving and heart breaking; I walked around on the verge of tears and in awe of what a wonderful man Otto Frank is/was. The literary talent of Anne Frank is amazing, too, and I wish we could have seen what she could have produced if she’d lasted just a few more weeks until liberation. Other highlights included the ‘Katten Kabinet’ – a canal house turned into a museum devoted solely to the depiction in art of cats throughout history. To top off that visual pleasure, asleep on the ticket desk as you enter lay a tabby, as though trained specifically for the purpose of easing the hearts of tourists missing their own animal kinds… This wonderful visit prompted my boyfriend to link me to this utterly brilliant video, featuring the hilarious french cat ‘Henri’ (full of ennui) considering the nature of his existence…. Watch it!

Modelling adventures on this trip included modelling in a box, in a cupboard, modelling with no limbs, modelling with two taxidermied ferrets (who I named Alexander and Margaret) and other such beauteous events, making for some interesting shots ranging from the very simple to the very quirky. I will be showing some images from the 12 days soon. But first…

I was lucky enough to be whisked away to Paris by J H last month. We’ve worked together many, many times now and had been thinking about working in Paris for a while. It’s really nice to be considered for such a trip – J has been inspired by  Parisian photography and I just absolutely love the place, and having worked together so often we knew it would work well. It’s a real compliment to be chosen for a big project, and a testament to the coolness of an ongoing and successful working relationship. 🙂

J cooked up a plan for french travelogue-style shots, some hotel-room lingerie and these shots below; loosely Brassai/Helmut Newton-inspired. In practise, modelling in such a very busy part of the city was not at all easy, and took a bit of bravery (and the ability to stay wrapped up warm until the very last second, then undress in a nano-second then shoot fast for 3/4 mins between the streams of couples casually strolling up and down the stairs), but we both think these shots are worth the effort! Jeremy did 99% of the styling for the trip, which consisted mostly of very elegant, chic and sophisticated clothing in black and white. Here I’m wearing a ‘halterneck skirt’, some wonderfully dangerous high heels, and a sheer body underneath, avec gloves. We used the lamplight, a limited pool of glow.

My favourites from this set – a brief part of the trip:

J’s decided he’d like to develop this particular theme (streets at night) with me in a couple of months when we will be re-visiting Paris (and checking out the current Helmut Newton exhibition) in part deux.

…And I’ll blog some shots we took during the day times very soon.

Let’s Dance!

ERWhittington 3 Comments

Hello from Dusseldorf!!! (Sorry, no umlauts on this laptop!)

Just wanted to show some recently-appeared-in-the-inbox movement nudes from my last shoot in Paris last month. This was one of the most tiring shoots I’ve ever done, simply because there was one rule – do not stop moving. (Actually that’s not true – the other rule was ‘have fun’!) It was such a work out, and for photogapher Jeremie Nassif too, as he was literally following me around, up, down, left right, swooping around, ducking and lifting and jumping… pretty good exercise, I’ll say that! I absolutely love these results; I’ve always loved movement in images, and these are so cool in my opinion! So without further ado:

 P.S. I sincerely hope everyone has watched the film ‘Eagle vs. Shark’, which I am reminded of everytime I hear the song ‘Let’s Dance’. Basically, all the lead actor has to do (whose name I’ve gone blank on, and don’t have time to google at this present moment… Jemaine Clement!!!!) is curl his lip in that ‘I’m so cool… I’m so complex’ kinda way, and I’m in hysterics. He floats my boat in Flight of the Conchords too. I actually adore him. Off topic… Hope you like the pics above. 🙂

Technicoloured Earth

ERWhittington 4 Comments

I’ve been battling over the last few days with a strong desire to dye the tips/ends of my hair a pale, pastel ‘baby’ pink. I had the idea that it would suit my look in a sweet, ‘fairy’ kind of way rather than looking ‘punky’. Obviously my natural curls do soften any colour put into it, so the overall look would be quite gentle… Well, I indulged myself yesterday and went ahead and did it in my bathroom. The pack said to leave it in for 15-30 mins, so I conscientiously erred on the side of caution, wanting it not to come up too bright for photoshoots, and left it in for around 20mins (was aiming for 15 but then got distracted…). The result is barely noticeable; it blends so well that it doesn’t particularly appear to have made much difference. The lengths of my hair are quite light anyway, and now it looks to me like there is just a bit of a rosy, fiery haze around the ends. I love it! (But I don’t expect anyone else to notice much difference; will test it on my dinner companion this evening…). Maybe sometime after my 12-day trip to Holland and Germany this week I will try again for the full 30 mins and see how it looks!

Anyway, I know I’ve slightly flooded the area recently with images from Billy Sheahan and our fun foray into Mexican beach life, but he’s just sent me a whole new batch of colour edits which i think are eye-poppingly gorgeous. Billy originally imagined the shots in black and white, but we both think these are so vibrant. I love the mossy feathery green hues of the last four shots too; so warm and inviting.

Righty-ho, I’m off to make a ‘zuccini bake’, which involves whipping out my old ‘microwave cooking for kids’ book from my childhood. Remember when microwave cooking (‘put in, cover, leave for 3 mins, uncover, cook for 2.5 more mins…’) was all the rage? Haha.

The Spirit

ERWhittington 9 Comments

Desiderata — written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s —

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul. 
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

More from Billy Sheahan:

Busy Bees and Alien Zebras

ERWhittington

I’ve had a mad little day so far today, writing all morning then busy organising everything in the entire world ever (aka up and coming modelling trips to Germany, Holland, Scotland and now Dublin, since my postponed trip seems to have resurrected itself!). Flippin’ ‘eck, I feel like I spend most of my life on skyscanner.net. (In related news I am now the proud owner of a 4-wheel-drive suitcase, which means I will swivel marvellously through airports, in theory, and not get grumpy.) Off to zumba later (after a quick phone call later about another Paris visit that’s happening in June… I know, I’m just showing off now) and have also managed to get in an enquiry about a local life drawing class I’m thinking of trying out. I didn’t get to study art at school, since it clashed with music on the timetable, but I’ve always found drawing really relaxing on the rare occasion I’ve had a go. I wonder if I’d be any good at it – I really have no idea and could almost definitely be terrible, but I used to enjoy it a lot and I think it would be really fun to try. I’ve also never ever modelled for a life drawing class, only one-to-one when it comes to traditional-media artists, so it will be interesting to see what it all feels like.

Anyway, I modelled again for the brilliantly inventive Colin again recently. We had lots of fun trying out various projector themes on me. (I’ve written about his methods previously here.) I also suggested during the shoot that we try movement/motion blur, something I don’t think Colin had really worked on before, and it produced some really really cool (and surprising) effects, we thought, and required the invention of an alien zebra dance which amused me greatly. You feel off in your own world a bit when modelling for these projections; everything seems pitch black or blinding; with the heater on loudly as well, communication between photographer and model isn’t the easiest! Maybe I’ll be able to show some more movement-y ones at some point, but anyway, here are some good ‘uns to be getting on with! Thanks Colin!

Boundaries

ERWhittington 4 Comments

My personal integrity is more important to me than money. I am confident in my values and aware that maintaining my boundaries is what will enable my modelling to be sustainable and as enjoyable as it is.

Sometimes imposing limits (on creativity, your time, or on your output) is the most liberating thing you can do. It amazes me that some people don’t protect themselves from other people’s demands, and from their own addictions to achieving what they think (and often this thinking is unexamined) is ‘successful’. I have felt (since I started modelling 3 years ago) that I have never reached my ‘potential’, that I don’t shoot as much as I could, I could travel far more (though I am travelling across Europe and across continents a fair bit these days, with global plans emerging for October onwards) that I should either shoot more or less (but can never decide which it is), that I should accept more bookings even if I don’t like a photographer’s portfolio or trust in their abilities, that I should give people a version of myself that they want…

…But then I think, actually, I’m doing it fine. I have to protect how much I love this ‘vocation’ by listening to my inner voice and blocking out what other people might be impressed by.

Some of my (quite mundane, actually) self imposed rules include:
– Don’t work on Sundays. I generally don’t now, unless on a trip, as I have been brought up to see Sundays as special, and involving walks in the countryside, family time and rest.
– Don’t shoot more than 3/4 times a week; my writing discipline would suffer, as would (probably) my enjoyment of modelling, which can be emotionally as well as physically demanding. Again this rule disappears when on trips, and in practise working every day can be energising and intensely creative, just not if it’s longterm. I usually take a few days off every month and value that time to catch up on other things and rejuvenate.
– Don’t shoot work which is overly sexy or provocative, whether nude or clothed. This is kind of frustrating for myself in some ways as (throwing all modesty out of the window, in both senses), I know that I would be bloody good at it. It’s also a lot of fun. However, that sicky ‘hhhm, what am I doing?’ feeling I would probably get shortly afterwards would not be enjoyable and is just not worth it for me, and doesn’t sit well with my beliefs or values.
– Don’t accept agency booking for shoots that advertise things I don’t particularly want to put my face to, however wonderfully paid they might be and however pleasing I would be to the agency if I were to accept all castings/bookings like a good little model. NO to the BP/Shell ads. In fact, ‘no’ to the general effing business of telling people they need things which they clearly don’t. Art is much more honest; I’m prouder of being naked on the internet for art than I would be for some other quite ‘normal’ things.

Here is me gazing wistfully into space while double-checking my boundaries (taken in Mexico by the lovely Gerald Oar):

And by Neil Huxtable: