Sun & Lace…

Hair, au naturel...

Recently had the opportunity to do another successful beach shoot with my good friends Mike and Lauren, husband and wife photography team. We shot in my own backyard, Ponce Inlet, FL which is a gem of a beach. Somewhat secluded and off the beaten path, it’s not flooded with visitors and beach chairs. This shoot was particularly fun because it was a double shoot, my friend Christina came along. Christina has never modeled before, has zero experience, however the girl is strikingly beautiful, with full lips, a sweet round face, and a body even Marilyn would be jealous of.

Christina & I on location...

But even as beautiful as my dear friend was, she was lacking some confidence and needed some direction with posing, so I came along to help. Mike and Lauren shot both of us separately on a beautiful February day, neglectfully it was a beautiful day minus the jellyfish explosion! Jellyfish everywhere, oh man! I’ll admit, I’m a bit skiddish when it comes to these little marine wonders. Being that some of the shoot involved me and Christina partially submerged in water, the damn things liked to casually float uncomfortably close to you while Mike and Lauren were trying to get that perfect shot of you. I didn’t hesitate to hop out of the water. Christina, the true Floridian, grabbed them and tossed the animals like they were sea footballs! Ahhhh! Nevertheless, made for an interesting shoot day.

The feel Mike and Lauren were shooting for was a Sports Illustrated look. Baby oil, wet, tousled hair, and sand. Sand everywhere. The sun was starting to set which provided us with some fantastic lighting…

I think Christina had contained most of the jellyfish by this shot...haha!

Lauren had brought along this white linen sheet as a backdrop. The way the sun filtered through it, made for some beautiful shots. I told her she’s from now on required to bring that to future beach shots. Even if it blew away a few times due to the strong ocean breeze!

Glowing...

My favorite

I really liked this shoot because of what it brought to the table. There was a rawness to it that attracted me. I didn’t straighten my hair like I had in nearly every other photo shoot. I let my natural waves come through, adding to that natural, untouched beach scene. My makeup I kept pretty minimal, only a little bronzer and some definition to my eyes. The result: a fantastic shoot. Special thanks to my friends Mike and Lauren for being team awesome. And thanks to my friend Christina, who kept the jellyfish at bay. 😀

Pinup!

So after attending the Orlando model Meet & Greet, I fiddled through the pile of business cards stuffed in my purse. Looked at them, mentally noting which ones to shoot with; yes, no, yes, no, maybe… but then I signed into my profile on notable model and photographer site http://www.modelmayhem.com/ and checked out the photographers I had on there already, and reviewed their talents. Bingo! Spotted one. Known as Abbazia (first name Al), the man had talent when it came to shooting retro and vintage inspired shoots, with special attention to pinup revival. Of the three years I’ve modeled, I hadn’t found a respectable enough vintage photographer to work with, but this time, looking over his portfolio, I believed I had met a ‘pinup God’. I scheduled a shoot with him right away.

Pinup has always held a quaint, sweet spot in my heart. I’ve always been attracted to the way the women looked of the era; the big, gleaming smiles, the crimson rouge on the lips, the curvy hips, stockings and garter belts, the undeniable sexiness they possessed without even trying.

There’s some photographers that you click with and others, not so much. From the model’s point of view, it’s important for the model and photographer to meet at some common ground, be on the same page as to what they’re trying to capture, as a team. With Abbazia, this was effortless. We began the shoot with 80’s music playing in the background (music always makes any shoot more fun and relaxing), me laughing at his jokes, and trying to tune his Labrador dog out, as she wanted all the attention on her, instead of me. 😀

We did three looks, one with a green metallic corset from which had been sitting in my closet, dying to be used for over one year now, another with a retro navy blue striped Victoria’s Secret number, and one with a cocktail hat and a purple corset. And fishnets? You bet your sweet ass. This is what we came up with…

My absolute favorite

This one was a little more burlesque inspired, but nevertheless, came out great too.

A take on burlesque...

I’m in love with how Abbazia revives vintage advertisements…

The man knows what he’s doing, and that is why, I will definitely welcome a future invitation for anymore pinup and burlesque photographic adventures. Viva la pinup!

2010 Orlando Model & Photographer Meet & Greet

So last year, photographer extraordinaire and friend, Meg Schutz, invited me to go to an annual gathering  of photographers and models called the Meet & Greet. For whatever reason, couldn’t make it last year, probably due to something academically related or some other ball and chain…so this year I came to check it out.

To start, I was already digging the scene because the venue they chose was one of my favorite bars, Ember, in downtown Orlando. I’ve spent many birthdays there as well as many laughter filled nights out with friends. But wow, did that place look different during the day! I arrived right on time, parked in a parking deck directly across from Ember and walked in. I was greeted by a couple different photographers, some I had recognized from http://www.modelmayhem.com/or just in passing. I introduced myself, made a little sticky name tag for my shirt and took a seat. I ordered a flat bread and took in the atmosphere, it was pretty cool. The photographers were playing show and tell with their portfolios, explaining their camera equipment. I flipped through some of them…some photographers very talented and some, not so much. But of course it’s polite to just smile and take a business card.

Meg walked in and I gravitated toward her. I love Meg. Not only is she an amazing photographer, but her personality is just so infectious to be around. She’s full of giggles and unassuming grins. Just a joy to be around and to work with. I’ve always enjoyed working with Meg because her and I both share a mutual appreciation for the unconventional, the abstract, the different, ‘out-of-the-box’ concepts for photo shoots. You’ll never see Meg do a shoot on railroad tracks or do some otherwise boring head shots- she’s way ahead of her time. She has a knack for the different, and has the ability to capture the mood in a lot of her photography, which is killer. Good stuff.

With Meg...

Meg and I mingled with some of the other models, exchanging ideas, concepts, and flipping through each other’s work. It was indeed interesting. I met a male models, female models, skinny models, curvy models, a nude model, a fetish model, a squeaky clean model. I didn’t know where I fell in when it came to the categorization of models. I don’t do nudes, and definitely not fetish.  But I don’t lack in creativity, that’s evident in some of the work I’ve done with Meg. It’s not that I’m a prude, but those things just don’t interest me, so why would I model a theme of that nature? I could care less if someone poses with bondage and sadomasochistic props, but that’s just not me. Of course with modeling, it’s about being moldable, the ability to transform yourself and immerse yourself into the moment. But, it also enables you to be your own canvas, you can be whatever you want to be or not be. To make a beautiful photograph, you really have to feel or identify with what you’re shooting, and if you can succeed in that mission, you’ve accomplished the task of being a great model. I liked the mix of people, there was about 50 people there, Meg said that’s small group compared to last year, but nevertheless, it was about networking; I got some good feedback, shared ideas, left with a purse full of business cards and met some photographers to put on my ‘To shoot with’ list.

Model meet & Greet

You and that dangerous red dress…

I recently had the opportunity to do a shoot unlike any other I’ve done before. A young boy by the name of Josh, on the brink of his ‘coming of age’ ceremony within the Jewish faith, his Bar Mitzvah. The family honored their son’s wishes by pursuing a James Bond theme for his celebration. Everything from the venue down to his professional photographs. When my photographer friends Mike and Lauren called me up asking me if I’d like to be a potential ‘Bond girl’ for his photographs, I obliged.

The family couldn’t have picked a more beautiful location for the shoot. The Portofino Bay hotel adjacent to Universal Studios in Orlando. In a word, breathtaking. The hotel is modeled after, you guessed it, Portofino, Italy. Everything is muddled down to a Mediterranean science, from the cobblestone alleys, the outdoor cafes, the colorful stucco high rises with verandas…there’s even a small lake in front of the hotel, dotted with small rowboats.

Hotel by night

Ducks in the lake in front of the hotel

You really did feel like you were in Italy for that six hour cut out of time.  The interior of the hotel was equally impressive as the outside, the corridors were designed to resemble a night promenade in Portofino.

Even though it was a hotel corridor, there was definitely romantic ambiance.

I met Josh outside in the courtyard which began the shoot. A short 13 year old kid with hair like Justin Bieber. Very quiet, seemingly nervous. The whole shoot Mike was joking with me that I was making this kid weak in the knees by just posing next to him. Haha 😀 Josh was the focal point of the shoot, after all these were for his Bar Mitzvah. So I let him soak up the camera while I played into the Bond girl role, gently cupping my palm on his shoulder, gazing off, a mysterious object in the background…

One of my favorites...

As Josh’s shoot came to a close, Mike, Lauren and I snuck off into unchartered territory of the hotel. Lauren was in love with my red dress and really wanted to get some shots. The Portofino’s architecture, from the winding spiral staircases, the verandas, the archways, everything about that place provided beautiful scenery for piecing together a nice, classy photo shoot.

I love the colors in this shot...

I don’t have a whole lot of red in my closet, it’s not particularly one my sought-after colors. But, looking back on this photo shoot, I must say, it panned out quite nicely…

The night came to a close, and our time was spent at the Portofino. Mike, Lauren and I grabbed some dinner. Even though it’s a hotel, I really think I could live there, just, the atmosphere is so intoxicating-literally. From the constant aroma of garlic in the air, to fresh brewed Espresso, to people jiving away to big band and swing, it’s like my own little Italian playground, right in the heart of Orlando no less. Is that weird? I don’t know and I don’t care, I just know that I love that place. 😀

Swimwear

There’s something that sets the mind at ease when the words ‘beach’, ‘water’ and ‘sun’ come into view.  I’ve always enjoyed doing beach shoots, to be at the edge of the ocean, showcasing it’s extravagant beauty while still captivating the camera as a model. One advantage of moving to Florida is dispensing myself at the hands of many scenic inter coastal waterways and oceanfronts…

 

Not just in one beach shoot, but all my beach shoots, I wanted the photographer to capture the surroundings; the tawny, crystallized sand, the bright blue sky, and the relentless wash of waves upon the coast. To have a successful photo shoot depends on the model, what kind of message she wants to convey, but also the photographer, and his efforts to capture the essence of the moment.

Mike & Lauren are good friends of mine. They’re a husband and wife photography team. I’ve worked with them on various shoots in and around Orlando. Sometimes they like to use me to add to their portfolio, which, in the industry, is called a ‘trade for print’. Instead of charging money, you exchange time and talents, and everybody is equally happy. You get exposure, they get exposure.

One of my favorite areas to shoot is in Ponce Inlet. I love the underdeveloped, rural simplicity of the area. Aside from the typical beach front condominiums and homes, the beach itself is a serene, hidden secret. Unlike Daytona beach, Ponce Inlet isn’t heavily traveled by tourists, making it a more ‘under the radar’ beach. It’s a gem for people like me, who enjoy the solitude of a quiet beach.

Ponce Inlet is a good location for any shoot, whether it’s swim wear, engagement sessions, weddings, or family portraits.  There’s a section of the beach I particularly love. It boasts hundreds of rocks, with fossilized shells attached, providing a beautiful landscape background…

While some models might think it’s a bit cliché, for beach shoots, I never tire of the lifeguard stand. It adds that nice pop of color, especially if you’ve got a good photographer with mad photo editing skills.

One of my favorites

Introspective attitude...

 

My stumble into modeling…

If someone would have asked me three years ago what my hobbies and interests were, modeling would not have been on the list.  However, I remember the drive down to Florida from Ohio when I was moving here, and I remember thinking to myself, okay this is it: Florida, a new chapter in my life, with new possibilities.

Always been a lover of art, art of all kinds.  Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, even architecture. Modeling encompasses the similar objective of art, which is, without limits.  To just, be. Fashion, glamour, boudoir, abstract, pinup, implied…whatever. Each photograph tells a story, it captures the mood at that very moment when the shutter goes off.

When the idea of modeling crept into my head, I didn’t want to go join some corporate, money hungry modeling agency and stand in line with all the other amateur hopefuls.  I thought it would be more fun to go amateur, independent…and see where it blossomed from there. I wanted to tell a story, I wanted to express my creativity in another way, not just on canvas, sketch paper, or in crafts. I didn’t want to be restricted in what I could do.  The model has a lot of freedom as far as what they want to convey. A model should be able to unfold naturally, revealing layer by layer of their subconscious, producing a beautiful photograph.

I especially like this one because of the contrast of colors, the soft, cool, green grass against my black mass of hair.  And my eyes, lost in the translation of time…

I like playing with color…

And wandering into the dreamy, abstract realm…

I didn’t want my entire portfolio to be a collection of just one common theme (like swim wear or lingerie), but a random, mixed up medley of different style, looks and approaches.  This is where the creativity really runs wild.

Oh, how I love shoes

I welcomed different concepts because I didn’t want to thrown into some category, like ‘Lingerie’ or ‘Contemporary’. I wanted to be uncategorized. Impromptu. Spontaneous…but still able to make pretty things.

Modeling is the world I feel most welcome in, the possibilities are endless as to what you can create…