Old photos: four generations of De Bauch women from the 1920s to 2010s

I guess I'm a matriarch at heart because I'm way more interested in tracing the women in my family than the men, even though my dad's side is technically Italian nobility (they built the Tower of Pisa and if a couple of people died I'd technically be able to call myself Countess De Bauch).

Women's lives are more interesting to me, I have floor to ceiling shelves of photo books and biographies of women I admire and I love looking through old photo albums that have been passed down from my mother's side.

 My mother: bilingual pro folk singer and guitarist, Bachelor of Art, DIY expert

My mother's mother's mother posing for a photo in 1920s London: she was a lift operator in Selfridges

 

My mother's mother (my Nan) modelling in the 1940s 

 Me and my darling Nan at her place last summer

Happy Mother's Day :)

PS Mom if you're reading this, I'm still going to be posting #NakedSundays on Twitter and Tumblr today. Soz.

#tbt with Tim Haylock: vintage bikini babe :D

I almost always have the date an image was shot as part of its jpeg name on my hard drive, but obviously forgot with this one. Judging by the length of my hair, and the fact that it's black, I'm guessing it was taken circa 2009/10 EDIT: photographer just Tweeted me to say it was taken in 2008!:

Photographer: Tim Haylock | Styling: moi

I cut my hair yesterday so that both sides are now the same length (just below my chin in a bob). Having one side longer than the other was fun when it was short but just annoying when it started getting long. Maybe I'll grow my hair out long again, if I can maintain the condition- no mean feat considering the amount of heat, hairspray and dye my hair is exposed to.

Makeup and hairspray-free selfie to vaguely show new hair length

Felt inexplicably upbeat whilst retrieving medicinal caffeine from Costa this morning. The sun is shining, the trees are full of blossom and my 1930s lounge finally has double-glazing :p Anyone who has been to my place will appreciate how good this is. I'm not a huge fan of vintage realism, I just like everything to be beautiful and luxurious, so very happy to have a warmer, quieter lounge ready for THREE photos shoots in there tomorrow.

Merrily procrastinating now as I have finished dyeing my hair for tomorrow but still need to finish cleaning and tidying my silver satin 1940s "boudoir", before the workmen leave and I can clean an inch of dust off of everything in the 1930s lounge and move all the furniture back. Hopefully my soy cappuccino will kick in anytime.... NOW

I leave you with another pic from my Playful Promises lingerie/ Fabulously Fetish boots/ Lady Allura's Latex pendant shoot in Cambridge, this time by the lovely David Morley. We work really well together and have already booked in another shoot for the end of the month, when I'm back in the UK :)

Hair & makeup by meee | Nutrition advice and skincare by Bareskin Beauty

#WardrobeWednesday with Bryan Shaw, Playful Promises, Fabulously Fetish, Lady Allura's Latex & Bare Skin Beauty

I started writing this blog back at Norwich Station after three days of shooting in Norfolk and by stealing free wifi from Pumpkin Cafe, and am just finishing at home now! I would have bought a cappuccino but they didn't do vegan milk >:(

Fittingly for "#FetishFriday", Friday was a bondage shoot for me! I was supposed to have another bondage shoot in Norwich the morning before, but unfortunately it was cancelled as the photographer had another emergency with his dog. Annoying situation overturned by thinking about how upset I'd be if one of my cats had to be rushed to pet hospital on the morning of a shoot, or anytime, for that matter. Poor doggy :(

In the afternoon after the cancelled shoot, I had a fashion shoot in Kings Lynn to keep me out of trouble, and the day before that, two fashion shoots in one day in different Norfolk towns! I'm so glad I get Virgin Atlantic air miles from all my train tickets!

When I was up north last week, I also worked for a lovely couple who run a slew of bondage sites. They've just bought new lights and equipment so the photos were extra nice, and they always give me time to get my hair, makeup and wardrobe just right :) Here's an outtake, in case you didn't already see it on Facebook/ Twitter/ Tumblr!

My cat isn't the only one who like to photo-bomb me!

Now for some proper modelling photos ;)

Now I'm home and have some moody black and white lingerie photos from my trip to Cambridge :) The lingerie was a gift from wonderful Playful Promises, the pendant from Lady Allura's Latex, and the amazing knee-high patent leather lace-up fetish boots were kindly lent for the shoot by Fabulously Fetish :)

 ^Click on the images to see larger versions :D

 Photographer: Bryan Shaw | Skincare & nutrition advice by Bareskin Beauty

Really enjoying  my new resolution to take the equivalent of two days off a week, like people with regular jobs do! It seems to have increased my productivity and general sense of wellbeing :) I booked off Monday - Thursday this week to compensate for two weeks without a single day off, and it feels amazing! I've been keeping up with emails of course, but that's it, other than Pilates :) Back to full-time shooting on Friday, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated :)

Pre-Raphaelite Muse

Home from my second modelling trip in two weeks, this time, Norfolk, where I had a lovely time modelling for both regular and new (to me) clients- everything from fashion to bondage! I'll post pictures when I have them :)

In the meantime, here is a shot taken just yesterday at an art nude workshop I was modelling for in London.

 Photographer: Vineet Kumar | Skincare & nutrition advice: Bareskin Beauty

I hadn't had time to do any yoga or Pilates for two weeks and was surprised how much this pose pulled at my quads! Had a lovely yoga session in front of the fire on my huge Persian rug this morning and felt all the muscles in my legs, back and shoulders loosening :)

Day off tomorrow, which I will be spending with my girl Roswell Ivory, lunching, drinking pots of chai tea, and probably going to the Janey Morris: Pre-Raphaelite Muse exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. It's a romantic era of female portraiture that we both love :)