Vintage Pin-ups: a thing of the past? New guest blog by Penny Dreadful!

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!

© Gavin Prest

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.

Penny wearing Shhh! Couture.
Hair & makeup by Louise Shepherd.
© Gary Clutterbuck

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.

The Pin-up is here to stay.

© Keith Snell

Penny Dreadful has been a model and artist for 13 years. If you would like to see more of her work, head over to
www.dreadfullycreative.com.

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Early Bird Special: up to £35 off half-day Somerset home shoots in January!

Firstly, more photos from my flamboyant orange suite in Amsterdam- this time in nothing but my Dita Von Teese Madame X knickers and Bareskin Beauty lotion! I loved this padded, spotlit headboard, so I slid a hardback book under the duvet to stop my high heels sinking too deeply and jumped aboard!

Info about the special offer is after the pictures!

You may have already seen this last one on Instagram.

#sorrynotsorry

I'm taking inspiration from this decadent, vintage "maximalist" (new favourite word) style of décor for my new house; a Victorian Gothic lounge with original oak panelling, an Art Nouveau library with a taxidermy peacock (he died of natural causes), a Chinese Deco boudoir with a fireplace nearly as tall as me, and the part that everyone seems most interested in, for some reason... the dungeon. I can't think why!

I am so eager to get photos of it in all its glory that I am offering a limited number of discounted one-on-one home shoots in January, when the renovating work will be done and it will be time to revel in its maximalist lusciousness, as well as enjoy playing hostess in my '50s country kitchen.

You could get up to £35 off a half-day shoot, which is a 20% discount! There are only three of the original 14 shoot slots left, so if you would like to book one of them before they're gone, please apply here today (link to PP casting call- opens in a new tab). If you know someone who might be interested in this unusual offer, please share this post on Twitter by using the little button at the very bottom- it looks like this.

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Hair fashion shoot for Robert Owen Haircutters with Fabulously Fetish and Bareskin Beauty

Hello, faithful blog readers! I have so many photos to post from shoots and general travels in the UK and US that there are far too many for just one post :)

I was shooting in New York for ten days, flew back to London straight away for two more shoots, then got sick for four days (just a cold but I was laid up in bed and looking at the laptop screen made my eyes hurt >.<), then it was back to photo and music video shoots and trying to catch up on emails! So I haven't really properly updated here for like a month >.<

Thanks for keeping up with me on Facebook and Twitter (if you are), but as we all know, the blog is the place for *extensive* photo set publishing and rambling details ;)

So I'll be catching up on what I've been doing in upcoming blogs:

1. I have a cover and 14 page interview and pictorial in BeDeSeMe magazine :D
2. I shot with lots of lovely people in New York and New Jersey, met Dita Von Teese, and found time to do a bit of tourist-ing and vintage clothes shopping too :D
3. I shot a combined Bo Ningen music video and fashion film for Nowness with Marie Schuller, Head of Fashion Film at Nick Knight's SHOWstudio (and director of Oyster), which I believe is out 5th May :D

I also have some fab new photos from a hair fashion shoot that I did with Andrew McMeekin and his team at Robert Owen Haircutters in Norfolk last month. I know people always say this,  but this was a truly wonderful day with a wonderful photographic team. Thank you Andrew for specially ordering in my vegan lunch- it was much appreciated ^_^

Please click the images for larger versions:

I did the makeup and wardrobe styling- the dress is inspired by Rita Hayworth's scintillating gown in Gilda (1946) and my shoes are by Fabulously Fetish :) Skincare by Bareskin Beauty.

I think I've answered all my emails now, just need to dig through my Facebook inbox and reply to those messages!

I have already found time to post this week's #NakedSundays shots though, which are by Stephen Perry: 

http://anitadebauch.tumblr.com/post/81868876400

x

Beyond Burlesque bridalwear by Dave Kai-Piper

Fun day today! I've been feeling a bit tired/ unmotivated for a little while now but an amazingly inspiring email from Ivory Flame has cheered me right up :) I'm pottering around my flat in London doing my own thing for a couple of days while Liam is visiting family in Somerset and feeling my energy levels slowly going back up.

I've been up at 7am or so the last couple of mornings getting back into Pilates, which always seems to get me back in shape within a week, as long as I stick at it! It's satisfying when you can feel yourself getting stronger :) Then I had my darling green smoothie and went to meet Simon Pinto to get my hair cut professionally for the first time in at least a year! After a couple of bad experiences with hairdressers doing unpredictable things to my hair I went back to just chopping the ends of myself in the bathroom when they felt like they needed it, haha. But then I got the itch to have a real, proper style again, rather than just an uninspiring longish mop.

The venue for the haircut was really cool- a barber's in Carnaby Street called Pankhurst, which seriously looks like somewhere James Bond would go to get his hair cut! if I was a bachelor, my whole flat would be decorated like their barbershop! I'm thinking of booking an appointment for a cut and shave for Liam for Christmas or something, with the proper cutthroat razor and hot towels and stuff. Totally what I would do if I was a dude!!

Simon and I came up with a haircut between us that I can make simple adjustments to to look either a) natural/ girl next door-like, b) vintage or c) punky, which is going to make my life so much easier and hairstyling so much quicker at shoots :D

After my appointment I inhaled a superfood salad from Pret as thanks to all my fussing and Simon's professional perfectionism, despite meeting at 11am we didn't finish cutting until 2pm, lol. I'm always starving for lunch by 1pm. Then I got the tube to Camden to buy hair dye from the market and other little treats for myself: three bunches of flowers and six bars of dark chocolate, totalling £7.77 from Lidl :p The house feels happier now that there are flowers and chocolates everywhere!

I'm also brightening up my colour a little, at least temporarily, to a kind of strawberry blonde/ apricot colour. My hair's actually blonde as I type this as I had to pre-lighten it! At least now I know that I can be blonde within 24 hours if anyone needs me to be for work! I just need to keep a box of the bleach in stock.

I'm doing a cool little conceptual shoot at home with Dan Hubbert tomorrow to capture the blonde-ness, then having a hair dye break, blow drying it and shooting some more with the new apricot colour! You'll have to wait til then to see me blonde as I don't seem to be able to get a good picture of it on my phone!

Here's a photo with my old hair, taken last month at a shoot for Beyond Burlesque bridalwear. The photographer was Dave Kai-Piper, who I'd met before but not actually shot with, so it was good to finally work together :)

I think this is my favourite shot of the day. It feels more editorial and like a modernised version of a pre-Raphaelite lady reclining in some sort of enchanted woodland (actually, a garden in Crouch End :p). If I remember correctly, Belinda said that this dress was inspired by/ a homage to Dita's wedding dress, which was made by Vivienne Westwood, the company Belinda designs for when she's not doing her own thing with Beyond Burlesque :)

But I also like this catalogue shot... I felt like such a Disney princess in this dress, it was amazing!

I must go and make my detox tea and go to bed now as it's 10.30 pm!! Gotta be fresh for 7am Pilates ;)

Anita xx

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Futura

I have some new photos from an old shoot with Shawn Bishop at Scarlet Door Studio :) They are a bit different from my "usual" retro look, but I really like them and would like to do more photos like this, with what I always think of as a Mechanical Animals kind of a look. They actually played the album in the studio while we were shooting to help me get in character!

Hair and makeup: meee

I adore the art work from the various eras of Manson. He is still one of my favourite models- always able to perfectly project character and scenario through pose, self-styling and expression, always a strong presence on camera, always demanding a connection and response from the viewer. Many of his photos from the 90s and Noughties are what inspired to me to want to model in the first place, for example:

Photographer: Perou

I remember posting that last photo on MySpace, which just shows how long ago it was, along with a blurb about having just found this photographer, Perou, and my somewhat fantastical dreams of working with him one day. In my defence, I may have only been modelling for less than a year at the time, but even then I knew it was fantastical. Perou also took some of my favourite photos of Dita, whose book I was probably dissecting with absolute ardour at the time (I still like it now).

I think maybe a couple of people reading this did actually read my old MySpace blog too back in the day and so might appreciate this.

PEROU MESSAGED ME ON FACEBOOK TO ASK ME TO HIS PARTY LAST FRIDAY AND I WENT AND WE HUNG OUT AND HE SAID HE LOVES MY LOOK AND WANTS TO WORK WITH ME AND I DIDN'T FAINT OR THROW UP OR NOTHIN'.

In fact I took his card and called him today and am meeting him at the Bunker on Friday to talk it over. *insert head-exploding emoticon here* And I was actually able to carry out a reasonably sensible conversation while dressed like this:

Me & Dan Hubbert on our way to the party

It's no exaggeration to say that I think Perou is one of the best, if not the best people photographer alive today, and yeah, it's almost pathetic how many times I've named him in interviews when the magazine person inevitably asks what my dream shoot/ project would be.

I'm like

right now :o

 *faints*

It goes to show that you might as well be optimistic because you never know what's waiting for you in the Futura.

Anita xxxx




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