Reunion with an old friend...,

Back in 206 when I was starting out on my adventures in photography, I met a curious and crazily creative young woman who was similarly, dipping her toe into the world of modelling.  Over the decade that followed, I have been happy to see the way her career has developed.  So it was with much excitement that Jess and I met up again last year for a long overdue reunion.  

On an overcast and none to warm day, we ventured onto the North Cornish coast for a day, shooting mainly art nude.  The combination of the soft curves and sensuality of a female figure and the resulting contrast with cold, hard angles found in rock faces, is something that continues to fascinate me.  Fortunately in Jess, I had the perfect model with whom to explore this theme and it was a delight to witness her expressive free flowing modelling style as the following images hopefully show. 

Photo Contest Win!

I am delighted to share a recent competition success - my image of the wonderful Suzanne, 'Bridge of Sighs' won the Nude in the Landscape section of 'Nude 2016'!  This competition is arguably the most prestigious of its kind and attracts thousands of entries from all around the world.  Given the standard of images from many acclaimed photographers, I was absolutely chuffed to win!



The image in question was taken at one of my favourite secret little coves on the Devon coast.  It was one of those magical moments when it all comes together on a shoot - the setting, weather, model, pose and composition.  Suzanne was at one end of a narrow chasm in the rocks and I was at the other - a deep rock pool separating us.  I had spied a rock protruding from the water and felt it would provide the perfect spot for Suzanne to pose on.  Because we were some way apart, I asked her to create some dynamic poses and try to fill the space.

She started by standing and stretching her arms, almost touching both sides.  Then after a few minutes she called across the breeze, "I'm going to try something, not sure if it will work..."  What happened next was incredible to behold as Suzanne walked up the sides of the chasm, feet on one side, hands on the other, her body bent to brace herself into a position.  If I hadn't seen and photographed that amazing moment, I wouldn't have believed it was possible.  Thank you Suzanne!

After the rain comes sun...,

This summer has given me precious few opportunities to get out on photo shoots, but when my friend Artemis Fauna told me she was heading back to Somerset for a few days, I knew I had to make time in my schedule for a shoot.  So we managed to grab a few hours in a woodland on the fringes of Exmoor.

Having sat in the car waiting for a summer rainstorm to pass, we ventured into the woods with the ground still wet from the rain.  Having wandered around for 20 mins we found the remains of an old stone building, covered in ivy and decided that would make the best setting.  As we were getting ready, the sun started to break through, creating an unusual light, diffused by the water vapour rising up from the warmed earth.  

As always, Artemis has an uncanny ability to create moments of sublime beauty from the humblest of surroundings. She is the modelling equivalent of an Alchemist and never ceases to surprise and delight my creativity.  I've added a small selection of images from the afternoon that capture the mood

New Blog for a New Year

So here I am then, a blogger!  The idea behind this venture is really to expand on the news page of my website, (www.imagesse.co.uk).  I have tended to write a paragraph or so on there whenever I add a new gallery to my site but often there is more I could share about what I do and the process of making photographs.  So here goes!

What better way to start a new year than an inspiring shoot with a model I've not worked with before.  It   was my good fortune to meet the lovely NikiMarie last weekend.  I had really good vibes when we spoke beforehand and these were confirmed on the shoot.  NikiMarie proved to be a friendly, lively model with a real imaginative spark.  Although we were working indoors, there was plenty of creative energy flowing between us.  There will be a new gallery on my website in a few weeks showcasing the best images from the day. In the meantime, here's a sample image of what we did.