A New Beginning

So it has been an awful long time since I last updated this thing, about a year infact! I've come a long way since then. I completed a manic final year of University, packed up and left Southampton, had an amazing relationship that has ended already, lost friends, made friends, dyed my hair and been the lowest of low. The last couple of months have been a real rollercoaster. To anybody embarking on their final year the best advice I could give you is to relax. DONT PANIC. Everything will be fine.

On completing my 3 years at University I pursued internships, I applied like there was no tomorrow. I worked at a media and PR agency which then led me to working at a publishing house in Shoreditch, which was much more what I wanted to do. I then went to British GQ for 2 weeks and worked for an amazing guy, had a wonderful time and was given a glowing recommendation which finally landed myself a job as an Art Consultant at the new Lumas Gallery in Mayfair. I have been revived by my new path for a career and by friends. Old and new.

This seems to be a wonderful time for all, its the start of a new season, fashion week has been taking place all around the world, people embark on their first terms of uni (really jealous) and we've all got Halloween/Fireworks night/Christmas/New Year to look forward to. Mulled wine, fairy lights and cosy fires. Thats what its all about.

So heres to Autumn. And heres to Tim Walker.

Work Experience

During September I was given work experience with a well established fashion photographer who goes by the name of Mathew Shave. His clients include Harpers Bazaar, Elle, Jimmy Choo and Vogue. As a photographer who owns his own studio, life seems pretty easy going for him. Having assistants means he can come in when he's ready and his equipment will be set up ready for him, which makes the technical side of his job as a photographer pretty easy i guess. For the three 'Advertorial' still life shoots we did, Mathew was given designed images of which we had to recreate for the magazine...not so much of a fun shoot really. The lighting set ups took a long time to get right before the propper shooting could begin, and there was a strict look to which Mathew had to stick to, not to mention the anal and quite bratty 'stylist' we had to pander to.

Aside from that, just being in the studio everyday gave me such a surge of desire to be doing this for life. Looking out of the windows, across Borough High Street and seeing people sat at desks in dreary offices and realising that we were soaking up the natural light, blowing up balloons and chatting about what music to put on the surround sound. Its so exciting to see the images coming up on the computer screen and working out how to make them look even better. For the first three days of my experience with Mathew, it was all still life, jewellery, shoes, bags and the last day shooting martinis. The last day I was there, was a shoot for Gloss magazine, an editorial shoot involving the most beautiful of couture and the most beautiful models. I nearly exploded the whole day, it was all hard work but I didn't want to leave! If everyday of my life could be like that then I think I'd be a very happy girl. These models make posing look so easy, and they were such lovely girls too...towering over everyone. From Christian Louboutin's over the knee 'Alta Fifre' red suede boots (my personal alternative to a diamond slipper) to Ralph Lauren's red beaded evening dress, and what I think was an Alexander McQueen peacock feather jacket. Basically, I've had a taste and I want more!

Mathew was really great to work for and I hope to work for him again soon, he's shot alot of stuff you've seen before but never realised it was him, including Calvin Harris's album cover with the diamond shades. As I cant get hold of the editorial shoot images for Gloss (foreign mag), there are a couple of examples of his work above.

David Bailey in London

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23733653-details/David+Bailey+captures+Londoners+alive+at+night/article.do

Experimental shoot.

PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE.

Here are two images from a recent experimental shoot I did in the woods. I never photograph men and I've never done a night shoot. These images were shot in late twilight. Because of the changing light, I have found that the images don't necessarily work as a series but do work individually. I wanted to create a low key, fun shoot with a slight fantasy ambience. The rest are shot with a very subtle flash so have a much warmer cast than the late night blue natural light cast.

Lillian Bassman

Photographer to Harpers Bazaar around the 1940's and 50's, producing some of the most poignant black and white photography in fashion. With stark tonal contrasts within her images and plenty of hand manipulation, they almost look like fashion illustrations. Here are two images from a series that I liked the most (although different to her most famous images).

The elgance in these images has been heightened with her developing methods. I cant be sure as I have not been able to research her methods, but it look like in these images she may possibly have used solarisation. In her other more memorable images (as above) she may have overexposed the paper to the light and also painted the developer on, aswell as alot of extra dodging and burning. Her images could be considered more art than photography. Either way she designed a whole new aesthetic for fashion photography during and after the war.