Ramblings of a Model, Mother and Outspoken Weirdo

It was a year full of ups and downs. Had quite a lot of work stress which meant that I haven't got to shoot as much as I would of liked. I work weekends now which I thought would cause issue but I have got more shoots booked up to February than I ever have!

Here are a few lessons I learned from shooting in 2013

1. I enjoy cosplay shoots!

I have always loved to dress up I just didn't realise quite how much. I clocked up quite a few cosplay shoots last year ranging from Disney, to Scooby Doo, Superheroes, Dexter! I had so much fun doing it. I also went to a convention as April O'Neil and loads of people commented on how cool my costume was. I'm such a geek at heart, I'm kinda rubbish at computer games thought unfortunately, but this gives me an outlet for my geekery. I'm going to share my image with Graham Kenneth Short in this blog, it took quite a bit of planning and he is such an epic photoshop whiz that this image packs a real punch. I'm looking to work with him again for a Psylocke shot next month!


2. Sometimes shoot arranged a day in advance are the best

In November I got a random message from Richard Hanley, photographer who just lives round the corner in Delaval. He basically asked if the weather was ok could we shoot the next day. I said yes, we didn't travel far maybe just a couple of miles down the road, we shot for maybe half an hour tops, most of which was catching up and putting the world to rights and I was really happy with how the pics turned out. Sometimes you can plan and plan and plan and shoots just don't work but sometimes you do it on the fly and it just clicks.




I think it's fair to say I have made two extremely firm photographer friends. Meg from Spellbound Imagery and Shepy of Richard Shepherd Photography are always there to pick me up when I am down, talk through ideas, make me feel better about myself and not only this but they are both extremely talented photographers. I have had a crazy 3 or 4 years and they have been with me through the duration. I never tire of shooting with them and spending time with them.
Image one by Spellbound Imagery. Image two by Richard Shepherd.



6. My body isn't too bad!

I am 27 with two kids. I really need to stop comparing myself to those who are almost ten years younger than me who don't have a single stretch mark on their ridiculous hot bods. I don't over indulge, I exercise a bit. I get what I pay for. I don't feel sick when I look in the mirror (unless I'm completely naked)! Image by Spellbound Imagery.


7. I should work with more models

This kinda ties in with the one above. One of the reasons I don't work with other people is my own insecurity. After shooting in the summer with Scott Henderson, modeling with Fifi Galore and Anastacia Taline it was such a blast. I had such a giggle, I think it taught me a valuable lesson with regards to being threatened by other women. It should be more of a sisterhood!
Image by Scott Henderson


8. Work with new people.

One of my favourite shoots this year was with a lovely young Hartlepool chap called Michael J Smalley. No one I'd know had worked with him but I contacted him on Purple port and it ended up giving me some of my favourite images from this year. I looked young, fresh and happy and he photographed my movement perfectly.
Image by Michael J Smalley


9. I still love latex.

Although I haven't modelled as much of it this year. I've had some cosplay pieces and a few bits from here and there. Fave companies are still Catalyst Latex, Fetasia Latex and Violaceous Latex. I'm not sure whether I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for it all though! Got to grow up sometime, maybe 2015!
Image by Richard Shepherd


10. I should blog more!

I used to blog every shoot I did but this stopped when I started working full time. I'm attempting to do one shoot per week this year (on average) so I'm going to try and blog at least once a month. Even if I blog a months shoots in one go.

Thank you so much for reading (if you got this far!)
Final Image by Stu Glen (one of the most talented photographers I've ever worked with)

Feels very odd to finally be blogging this, it was actually a project I was involved in last year at about this time, infact I did this particular photo shoot the day after my birthday, so March the 17th 2011! I also performed at a burlesque event this day, and my daughter who at the time was 3 came along to this shoot which didn't particularly help with my expressions or anything.

So what was it all about? A designer called Jennifer Johnson and her partner, photographer Michael Daglish, showcasing their skills along with a poet/story teller with the theme of the '7 Sins'. So this involved 7 dresses, 7 photo shoots, 7 models (Constance Peach, Jenny Johnson, Trixie D Licious, Nicola Michelle, Katrina Darling, Betty D'Light and myself) and poems about all of the sins which was then published in a book. I wasn't able to release my set of the images until after the book launch which ended up being in January

My sin was 'Gluttony', this didn't bother me in the slightest. I think the only time this sin has been relevant to me however was when I was pregnant with my son. I suffered terribly from hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a severe form of morning sickness but because I was being sick so frequently (approx 8 times a day) I was still hungry and then filling my face. I struggled to stop doing this until after my son was born.

My frock was amazing, so much detail, and I actually adore the colour orange, along with purple they are probably my favourite colours. My shoot also featured some pretty rotten fruit which I had the joy of squishing into my hands. Anyway I just thought I'd share a couple of my images and I highly recommend hunting down everyone else's for a gander.

I have to admit I don't know much about make up, I don't really own a massive lot, I can't generally afford to invest in Mac etc all the time. I was lucky enough to get my grubby mitts on a couple of  Lime Crime lipsticks, if you have heard of this company, you are absolutely missing out. I own 'Airborne Unicorn' (a gorgeous matt lilac colour) and 'Cosmopop' (a nudey peachy colour)

So I did a shoot on Saturday with a lovely bloke called Grahame Jenkins the plan was to get all foxed up in my burlesque gear and then make myself look messy. I didn't really work out the way I had planned, I was so tired and sore from my shoot the night before I really didn't feel able to get myself prettied as as much as I could have liked.

I have only seen 5 of the pics so far but I am quite chuffed with how they've turned out.


I did my first art nude shoot on Friday night, I have seen some of the images but I don't think they do me any favours I most certainly look better with clothes on.

Yesterday my boyfriend Nick, best friend Ellen and I scuttled off to Craster to Dunstanburgh Castle for a shoot for Nick's Billboard Project.