Portraits

Out-And-About Glamour

ERWhittington 1 Comment

The word ‘glamour’ has become such a walking-on-eggshells word. My new website, which I promise is on its way (I have had some concerned emails questioning the fact that my website is down, which is hugely flattering – always nice to know it’s being looked at) will include a gallery (one of 12) called ‘Glamoureuse’ – a nod to glamour and also away from it, in the sense that everyone who sees my work will know that I don’t do ‘page 3’-style stuff – it’s just not my thing. I find it boring (I bet the ‘page three’ brigade would find my style interminably dull, so no hard feelings I’m sure) and I doubt I’d pull it off anyway without a quick fake tan, etc. Anyway, glamour is cool. I like glamour. I like the version of glamour that’s in my head. (My head involves glamour which is probably a little bit 70s; soft, pretty, sensual and elegant.)

Par exemple, here are some images I meant to blog a while ago, from the most recent Yerbury Boudoir Academy seminar I modelled for (copyright Faye Yerbury):

 
 

By Jean-Marc Gargentiel (a photographer attending the course):

Also, while I’m here, here’s some bridal stuff we did the same day:

By Faye Yerbury:

And by Trevor Yerbury:

Front cover – Practical Photoshop

ERWhittington 3 Comments

I’m currently on the front cover of the very first issue of ‘Practical Photoshop’, a new magazine full of tips and know-how for the more digitally-inclined photographer. It looks like it’s a brilliant magazine, so I’m proud to be on/in it. Below is the cover, plus some of the (many) pages I’m shown on. It’s out now – go get it (if you want it)!

I think I’ve been neglecting the more ‘commercial’ side of my modelling over the last year or so. I have got some absolutely brilliant artistic/figure nude projects coming up between now and the end of the year which I’m really excited about, and I’m proud of my artistic portfolio and how far I’ve come since I started 2.5 years ago, but I’d like to redress the balance between my ‘art’ and ‘commercial’ modelling too. I suppose the best way to do that is to show more images of me in a commercial setting, so people know that I can do it just as comfortably as the artistic stuff. It’s fun to give a big grin to the camera and be light and happy for lifestyle shots and to have these two very different prongs to my modelling… spike. 🙂

Blue

ERWhittington 8 Comments

It’s that time of year again… As soon as the bluebells arrived I alerted the various photographers who were on standby and squeezed in some arrangements for early morning/evening shoots. These flowers don’t wait around long; you’ve got to be on their schedule. They’re such a pleasure to sit in; I try my hardest to squish as few as possible in the place I now call ‘my bluebell patch’ and have taken to spritzing my self with Elle Macpherson’s ‘Calming bath and body oil’, lavender scented, to discourage any bluebell-loving insects from settling on me.

I don’t care that I’ve done this type of bluebell shoot before and still have many more coming up over the next ten days – one of the things I love about these short woodland sessions is that, somehow, each photographer always seems to get completely different results, whether by using different angles, wanting different themes or just because the light is so changeable, varying itself in intensity and colour minute by minute. I love the morning mist. It turns out I’m shit at getting up early unless shooting, so I love the fact that these 6am alarm calls are kick-starting me back towards my new year’s resolution with a vengeance. It’s an amazing feeling to be back at home having done a good ‘day’s’ work when most people are just setting off for theirs. 🙂


I’ve already received some images from Mike Castle, who is primarily a traveller (not the irish kind) and secondarily a photographer. He likes things not to be overly posed, preferring a beautiful scene with a girl in it, rather than a girl posing in a scene. This was my third shoot with him (see here and here for previous stuff). I love the relaxed feel and bokeh in these (and am delighted to be able to use one of the few technical terms I know, photography-wise). Here goes:

Lean and stooped, clumped at the feet
of elephantine trunks, by scrubby roots
and washing open spaces, grow
the bluebells. Emitting 
 
periwinkle, leaving stains
on butterfly tongues, they knit together,
their dense heads close,
soaked overnight like pooled ink.
In sun they wisp, slight and arcing
as if to say there’s nothing to see;
this is what we do. As if being blue
means nothing more than reflecting
sky. On the ground, the clouds are spaces
to be grown in, hushed, amassed; barren
blanks to be sewn up,
like bubbles linking in water.
 
We then found some blossom:
 
It’s Good Friday today – Happy Easter everyone!

Modelling for Workshops

ERWhittington 3 Comments

I’ve noticed that some photographers think models might not be too interested in seeing their shots of you, as you have (as a photographer said to me yesterday) ‘billions’ of photos of yourself already. Well, I don’t think I quite have a billion(!) but it’s true I’ve seen renditions of my own mug a few more times than the average person. However, I’m always interested in seeing how things turn out – different effects and styles mean there are a corresponding billion ways my mug can manifest itself as a photographic image, and I genuinely love seeing the fruits of mine and a photographer’s labour!

SO, I am always particularly chuffed when budding photographers attending workshops I model for then add me on facebook, tagging me in shots they’ve taken, or email me to show me their results!

Here are two more from the Yerbury boudoir workshop I modelled for recently. I thought the glowy light in these was fantastic when I saw them! By Donovan & Donovan Photography:

I’ve also modelled many times for the British Institute of Professional Photography, for their fashion, portrait and bridal workshops (I’ll be modelling on 16th March for another bridal workshop). This is by Rob Grimes, for a workshop led by the lovely Kelly Hearn. Photographing through a veil can be difficult, focus-wise, but makes for a really nice effect:

Big Hair and B&W Film

ERWhittington 6 Comments

I’ve had three shoots recently with a wonderful hobbiest photographer called Tony Ornstien (no link, unfortunately) and his wife Jennifer. Tony contacted me via my website a while ago wanting to work on some images in which the women are portrayed as strong, powerful and glamorous; he and Jennifer are big fans of the likes of Helmut Newton (their house is covered in bold and intriguing art works), and make an incredibly enthusiastic team. Tony is always striving to improve on his last efforts, keen to perfect the lighting, and seems to really enjoy having me to practise on (I’ll be seeing him again soon for a fourth visit to work on a particular set which has a lot of potential!) and Jennifer, an ex-racing car driver, enjoys brushing my hair and making it ENORMOUS!! 🙂 Both are careful to check details (of both myself and the background) before a set is ready to be clicked; it’s important that the images convey a plausible context.

Because Tony works with film (Hasselblad) rather than a digital camera, there’s no checking the back of the camera to see what the results are like, so each visit begins with a table display of the last visit’s images (developed in the dark room), which is always fun and involves lots of analysis! I actually met them both last night in Oxford, for a quick dinner and perusal of the latest shots of my generally-naked self, before a dance troupe practise.

Here are a few of the shots so far. I was kindly given a print of the first!