I meant to show these a while ago, and I think they make a nice contrast with some of the recent images I’ve blogged here. The following were taken on film by Tony Ornstien, who booked me quite a few times late last year (read a previous post here). They’re very relaxed and almost candid (I was genuinely quite engrossed in the magazine I was reading) and not at all ‘try-hard’ or overly posed, which I like.
I worked with Rebecca Parker at the end of August. If you haven’t seen her creations before, you really should go and look at her website. Her images are exquisite – a wonderful mixture of dreaminess, drama, strangeness and simplicity. Rebecca does all of her photography and digital manipulation/processing herself, and now also does the make up (including mine, below). I think she’s secretly a control freak… Only joking. The multi-talent definitely runs in the family: Moonmomma made the beautiful pearl and blue-green headdresses I’m wearing below and they combine efforts often on various things. What a crafty team!
I’m so glad we were able to do these while I was in Birmingham on the way to a shoot in Manchester. Rebecca was exactly how I hoped she would be, after emailing each other for quite a long time, and I think we have such similar tastes that I totally trust her creative vision. The location was ‘Gentleshaw’, and we rocked some heather for some portraits, some lazy lavender fashion and then some mean gypsy styles indoors. Here is the evidence so far (there will be more images to come):
I also want to show this image I’ve recently seen. I flippin’ love it and keep going back to stare at it. Wow:
Rebecca will soon be organising some workshops/classes, to share her knowledge and techniques with other photographers and creative types. Definitely contact her for more info if you’re interested, and do feel free to hint heavily that I should be the model she demonstrates on… 😉
I know, I know, it’s been ages since I’ve updated! I’ve had a lot of exciting shoots recently but am reluctant to post without the images – hopefully I’ll be able to remedy this soon!
Anyway, I was lucky enough to be asked recently to model for the new 2011 collection of Chanticleer wedding dresses, each made by the extremely talented bridal designer Tracey Salt in Cheltenham. One look at the Chanticleer website and I knew this would be a wonderful day; the dresses are exquisite.
We shot at Badger Farm, having stayed over the night before in the cottage. It was such a varied, beautiful location; the views all around were amazing (as you can see in one of the images below). It was a brilliant case of everyone pulling their weight and doing their bit; 2 models and 18 dresses to get through in one day (11 hours!), all with different hair and make up, and each needing help to get into and out of each dress, trains carried for walking outside between locations, beautiful shoes carried until the last moment for minimal mud-sinking, fluffy robes held to be thrown on between sets (there was a very cold wind on the day!)… We were well looked after! All in all, the shots below are due to the brilliant teamwork of the following:
Designer: Tracey Salt (Chanticleer)
Assistant: Natalie Russell (Chanticleer)
Photography team: Chris and Claire Hanley
Make up: Hannah Raison
Hair: James
Beautiful and lovely other model: Rachel Hetherington
Thanks also to Liz Parker, Tracey’s mum, and for the gorgeous jewellery and shoes (which I don’t have a link for but may be found via the Chanticleer website).
The theme of the collection is ‘Back to Nature’. Each of the 18 dresses is named after a fairy. Cute or what! Here are the 9 dresses I modelled…
Jocasta:
Oriana:
Aphrodite:
Cassandra:
Paloma:
Arabella:
Carmel:
Minerva:
If you like what you see and are feeling bridally inclined, you can visit visit both Chanticleer and Chris Hanley Photography at this year’s National wedding Show at the NEC, from October 8-10th October.
Behind the scenes… 🙂
I worked with Michael for the second time, at a beautiful late Georgian, early Victorian house in Wiltshire. Although the weather wasn’t exactly on our side (downpours all day!), you just can’t go wrong in such an amazing location. Michael’s style thrives on soft, natural light and the beautiful, rustic ‘shabby chic’, furnishings and features of the house were just perfect for someone who places such importance on location (much of Michael’s work is travel photography). He’s very kindly sent me some images from the day:
I worked recently with Patrick Allen, photographer and classical recording engineer/producer with Opera Omnia Productions on two CD covers. The two CDs Patrick needed images for are Schubert’s Schwanengesang/Beethovern’s An die ferne Geliebte and Schubert’s Winterreise. The theme was 19th-century romance; unrequited or unnattainable love. I love modelling for historical themes – the emotion, costumes and history of it all. I made sure to think wistful, yearning, formal, damsel-ian, lace-filled thoughts as I pondered upon my fine gentleman lover who may or may not have had a trusty steed.
Below are some shots from the day (some of which involved Patrick standing on his roof while I appeared unattainably through the window…and me standing unattainably on a ladder amongst the blossom of a beautiful cherry tree), followed by four draft mock-ups of potential CD covers which Patrick has very kindly allowed me to show already.
… Of images from my shoot with photographer Mark Bigelow featuring Ivory Flame. I love these images – it was such a creative, productive shoot! 🙂
Click here to view some ‘backstage’ shots of the day. 🙂
Mark will be exhibiting a variety of work as part of Oxford Artweeks 8th-16th May: find out more.
Ella Rose - Photo actress, Muse & Dancer 