Here are some new beauty shots from my photo shoot with Adam Robertson this January. I normally can't stand being photographed without my red lipstick, but I have been shooting with Adam more or less since I started modelling so he is one of the very few I trust enough to let go of my lipstick security blanket for a few shots ;) Skincare by Bareskin Beauty.
If you are a photographer interested in booking me for a beauty/ nude shoot, please message me via my PP profile. Thanks!
I'm excited to introduce a guest blog this week from modern-day pin-up girl Penny Dreadful, who kindly agreed to share her perspective on retro glamour modelling with us. If you are a photographer in the North of England who could use a curvaceous 5'10 model who self-styles, you can browse her full portfolio and make bookings >here<.
For the rest of us, I'm happy to share Penny's feelings on what the true essence of pin-up really is. Let us know your responses in the Facebook comments, and let me know whether you would be interested in seeing more guest blogs from carefully selected relevant industry figures in the future!
Penny: When one mentions Pin-up photography or Pin-up modelling, people automatically think of 1930s-1950s styled shoots. This era has become synonymous with the idea of Pin-up because of Bettie Page, whose photos had a resurgence of popularity from the 1980s, and artists such as George Petty, but the first Pin-Up calendars actually go as far back as 1889. Really, “Pin-up” is a concept that emerged alongside suffrage.
From the advertising of Brown & Bigelow, the Gibson Girls, Vargas and Elvgren, all the way through to artists like Olivia de Berardinis and Dita Von Teese, the fascination with the Pin-up has always been strong. Feisty and fearless, she has always been a joy to behold, a symbol of both women’s independence, and their right to be sexy for themselves.
So, what approach to take when attempting to photograph Pin-up images yourself? First off, if you are attempting to recreate a Pin-up style from a specific era, research, research, research! For photographers – there can be different lighting techniques that were popular in each era, for example “Hollywood lighting”, and for models – there are lots of different poses to look for and attempt, some of which may require a little practice! Not to mention wardrobe – there has been a resurgence of vintage clothing, which can be helpful for stylists, and also no shortage of online tutorials for hairstyling and makeup from those specific eras.
Photography still holds with the ideal of independent, strong women, looking and feeling fierce, happy with themselves and their bodies. Who wouldn’t want to photograph a modern day Pin-up? Pick up any magazine on the stands today, and you will find pages brimming with examples- the only things that have changed are the fashions on display. It is not the mood that has shifted, only the trimmings.
If you think you've seen that pose before, you're right... it's one of my favourites from the '40s:
Do you feel a spark? I'm looking forward to bundling up for a firework display in our garden with my home-made Portabello mushroom burgers and sweet potato fries, mmmm! And plenty of mulled cider. This is all assuming my cooker gets delivered tomorrow, otherwise it's houmous all round again :p
New photo in my Lady Lucie Latex leggings from my tour round England last week, shot by StuartGL.
I'm just getting over a killer cold that's had me in its jaws for 10 days and counting- including when this picture was taken- hence suddenly having time to catch up on all my favourite horror films over on Facebook when I got home ('tis the season). However, after sleeping a beautiful total of 15 hours last night, I am starting to feel better today, and no longer sound like Marianne Faithful :)
I also found time to read a couple of the pulpy paperbacks I found on the £1 shelf in one of my local occult bookstores ages ago (there are quite a few round here). I can recommend either if you are ill/ bored and need some easy reading. The Devil Hunter in particular is kind of written like Enid Blyton for grown-ups.
To do tomorrow:
Call various tradespeople to lay floors, strip paint (I am so done with stripping paint myself, it is the worst job), replace lighting fixtures and open up fireplaces
Order a cooker and some bathroom cupboards
Finish off last bit of painting in kitchen and powder room, now that I have a stepladder and can reach it
Figure out where I'm working next month. Suggestions gratefully received ;)
I can't believe it's September already! I'll have been in three different countries by the end of the month. I miss my boyfriend and cats when I'm touring, but other than that, I never really feel "lonely", like people expect me to! I find it liberating and kind of meditative to travel alone with nothing but my thoughts and a suitcase for days or even weeks at a time.
To get myself back into the time-consuming yet enjoyable habit of blogging, rather than just posting on Instagram, I thought I'd blog my pictures and memories of my most recent trip to Loch Ness, one of my favourite places on Earth.
I do enjoy reading my old blogs once in a while, as they always remind me of travels and moments in my life that I know I'll especially treasure when I'm older... I think the reasons I've been blogging less in the last year or two are:
a) now that I live in the countryside, rather than in London, I tour every month at least once. I enjoy the lifestyle very much, but it would mean a lot more blogs if I wrote up every single one! I used to write quite detailed blogs about my tours when I only did 2 - 3 a year.
b) I'm just very, very busy with doing the actual modelling, touring and behind-the-scenes work, leaving less time to write about it. I do sometimes envy models who have enough time on their hands to blog extensively!
I was on tour for three weeks or so, which is pretty standard for a mainland UK tour, but this time I booked a whole five days off in the middle to go on holiday in Scotland with boyfy. I'm friends with a lovely couple who live in an idyllic log cabin on the shores of Loch Ness, who I met a couple of years ago when I took my little car off-roading and needed rescuing. After dragging me out of the woods in a 4x4, they took me back to their place to sit up drinking Scotch and getting to know each other until the sun rose the next day, and we've stayed in touch ever since.
This picture of my butt has nothing to do with my friends at Loch Ness, but it was shot during this trip to Scotland, so behold my Bettie Grable impression.
I had already driven as far as their place over the space of a week or so of working my way up from Somerset, shooting along the way. We picked boyfy up from Inverness Airport and drove along the famous and beautiful Cattle Pass to a gorgeous little pub on the edge of a loch, where the owners row out in their boat every day and serve the catch in the pub that evening, along with lots of very old Scottish whiskies.
After dinner, we "glamped" in what I can only describe as a hobbit log cabin, then continued exploring West Scotland the next day.
We dropped in on Nessie Steve, the world's foremost Loch Ness Monster hunter, and let him know that he was in the new issue of Fortean Times! He gave me a funny little Nessie he made in his converted mobile library home.
We spent our last evening in Scotland on our hosts' private beach on the shores of Loch Ness, with them and their dogs.
We even got taken out onto the Loch in their boat! Then it was party time as the sun went down over the water.
The next day, I showed boyfy Boleskine Burial Ground, and then we started driving South the scenic route via Glencoe, so that we could have a vegetarian haggis lunch at the equally spooky C18th pub, The Drovers' Inn, which is full of taxidermy and antique weaponry. We vowed to return in the winter and spend a night at the inn when the huge open fire is blazing and it's snowing outside!
We/ I have definitely been spoiled this year; we didn't go on holiday for years, but this was our second holiday this year after Paris. Next up we are going to Cornwall in September and Amsterdam for the first time in October. If anyone can recommend places to stay in Amsterdam, do let me know using the link below, as we are still looking for an apartment for four (we are going with another couple we're friends with).
I have listed one of my steel-boned latex corsets for sale on eBay >HERE< Don't miss it.
Photo by Darren Birkin
Book news! I have ten signed and numbered collector's copies of the hardback edition of The "Ugly" Girl's Guide to Modelling: No Agency? No Problem! for sale HERE! Reserve your copy before they're gone.
I have also had a second book accepted for publication, which is exciting. The publishing house hopes it will be ready for release in time for Christmas. I have to be a little mysterious about what kind of book it is until we are ready to start promoting it, but let's just say you're in for a treat or two ;)
