Master Connor .... and Mum.

Some portrait sessions are more fun than others, and I was treated to a fantastic shoot with this handsome little chap who brought his stunningly gorgeous Mum - former Miss West Lothian winner - Claire Molloy, along for company :-))

Brian & Sam's pre-Wedding shoot.

I had the great pleasure of welcoming newly betrothed West Lothian couple, Brian & Sam to the studio recently.

Brian popped the question to Sam at the end of last year and, since then, Sam’s thoughts have been focused on their July wedding. Now, with the date getting closer and closer, things are starting to move – a welcome distraction to all brides who have to suffer that becalmed period which seems to fall over everything when all the initial arrangements have been made and you’re then just waiting for things to start happening - in ‘real-time’ 

So, having previously booked in for my pre-wedding package, both Brian & Sam were keen to come to the studio – both for the shoot itself, and to chat about final arrangements for the wedding itself.

The primary reason for arranging the shoot was to capture a picture of Brian & Sam which could be displayed at the wedding reception venue. The picture is enlarged and printed at A3 size. It is then sent off to be professionally mounted. Then, on the day of the wedding, it will be set on an easel and family and friends are invited to add their signatures and best wishes to the couple.

While we are essentially looking for a very warm but informal image to display as a sort of 2D guest book, the secondary reason for staging the shoot is to have the opportunity to get back together with the couple again before the nuptials are performed.

Chatting with the couple about the wedding allows them to relax and feel at ease, and presents an excellent distraction for them as they contemplate their big day. It’s also a great opportunity for us all to get to know each other a bit better prior to the formalities of the day, when the opportunity to share a few words, a few laughs, and a bit of casual banter might not present itself again until after the ceremony is over, the formal pictures are captured and the cake is ceremoniously cut.

Fortunately, Brian and Sam are a fun-lovin’ couple; very at ease with themselves and, as such, the shoot itself went really well. We enjoyed a few cuppa’s while, in between sets, we fine tuned some of their ideas for the day in respect of the photography.

All that’s left to do now is for Brian & Sam to choose the picture they want to display at their wedding which, for all of us, can’t now come fast enough.

West Lothian Couple, Brian & Sam.

Metja is our featured model at FSM

If you ever happen across Metja - finding yourself sitting beside her on a bus, perhaps; bumping into her in a café or just seeing her walk bye on a street, you’ll know you just got lucky, for Metja has that ‘thing’, that aura, that special quality, that indefinable ‘presence’ that somehow makes the people around her feel a little bit better about being where they are.

So, you can imagine how it felt – not only to meet her for the first time – but to have the opportunity of photographing her on behalf of the Miss West Lothian competition in which, at that time, she was just a contender and hadn’t yet been awarded the highly prized laurels; I have to admit to having been a little star-struck.

But Modelling isn’t just about looking pretty in front of a lens. It can be an exhausting and laborious enterprise. It can take hours to build a set, test for lighting and get hair and make-up sorted. So, before you know it, the model has already been there for three hours and she then has to be briefed on what the shoot is about and what the stylist is trying to achieve – and it’s not easy to take spoken ideas and turn them into a story through modelling. And, after all that the lens cap STILL hasn’t come off the camera. The entire shoot has – by this time - lost that exciting immediacy, and THAT’S when you find out that, in Metja, you have a model who knows what’s wanted and, most of all, knows how to deliver: her need for direction in the actual modelling of the shoot is minimal, her repertoire of learned poses are contemporary, editorial, high fashion and apparently inexhaustible in their variety.

The camera loves Metja; that’s simply an inarguable fact. She has that natural understanding of her own posture, lines and curves which allow her to interpret what the camera sees from the other side of the lens and, with just the slightest inflection of a facial expression or posture, to deliver that sustenance which the camera lives off; aspect, aura, comportment, spirit, air or art – whatever that certain ‘thing’ is that she certainly has. At such times it can actually be difficult keeping up with her!

With all that said, the picture you should be getting is that of a wise, time-served, professional model. But what you’re actually presented with is a 17 year old girl who never consciously decided to try to be a model.

FSM: So who did convince you to try modelling: your family, your boyfriend, your favourite mirror?

Metja: Erm, let me see … No … no … and … what mirror! (laughs) No, really, it wasn’t something I ever really tried to get into. I don’t know, it just sort of happened. I was asked to do a few shoots and I really enjoyed it. Then I was encouraged to go into the Miss West Lothian competition, and I was invited by the competition organiser, Eddie Anderson, to take part in some promotional work. That’s where I met Duncan Bennett of db-images. He invited me to his studio to do a fashion shoot. Then he and his business partner, Nicola, invited me to join First Step Models. There was no kind of conscious focus on my part. One thing has just sort of led to another.

FSM: Do your family support you in your modelling ambitions.

Metja: Oh yes. Very much so. But they know that it’s really difficult to make a career of it and that I shouldn’t be hurt if I don’t make it as far as I’d like. I’m planning to go to college or university to study Business law. If a modelling career comes along then I’ll continue to study. Modelling is also a pretty short career, so whether I’m successful in that or not, I want to have something else behind me.

FSM: So what’s it like to be voted the most beautiful woman in West Lothian?

Metja: Ha Ha! But WOW! Winning Miss West Lothian was such a shock, honestly. But I was more proud of myself just for having the guts to enter in the first place. I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s been so great.

FSM: What sort of modelling work excites you, and what scares you?

Metja: Everything about modelling both scares and excites me. I’d like to experience all aspects of the profession, but the thought of being on a runway in front of hundreds of people – or shooting for a famous brand would be both exciting and terrifying.

FSM: Would you like to do the whole holistic thing that a lot of models do now: from runway to recording studio to Hollywood?

Metja: Hmmmm … Well, yes and no... because, for a start, I want to get in to modelling to experience working with different people, and modelling sometimes offers opportunities across the globe. This means I’d get to do a job I’d love and travel around the world. As for recording studios and Hollywood … well, I wouldn’t say no if the opportunity came along but it’s a bit early for me to consider that.

FSM: Have you signed an autograph yet?

Metja: Erm …. No …. But I’ll send you one personally when I feel the time is right (laughs)

FSM: What makes you smile, what makes you scowl and what makes you cry?

Metja: I smile when I see people being nice to each other – it’s such a simple and lovely thing to do. I scowl when I see people using their teeth to take of their gloves – it gives me the shivers. And I cry when I’m angry.

FSM: Have you enjoyed being signed to First Step Models?

Metja: Yeah. It’s been fun. Everyone is so nice to each other and it’s given me some great experience.

FSM: Will you remember us when you've made your first million?

Metja: Oh definitely … I’ll send you that autograph I promised (laughs).

Metja

….. and then there’s Teri.

I met Teri for the very first time at a Miss West Lothian photo opportunity being staged at the, then, relatively new Debenhams store in Livingston. She couldn’t have been more than 15 years old at that time but, with strong features, fathomless eyes and a natural, olive–oil skin which she inherited from her Italian forebears, she was already a strikingly good looking girl. Add to that heady mix a slightly shy but respectful temperament, and an obvious attentiveness to the job in hand (modelling & catwalking a series of new ranges from Debenhams affiliated designer) and the promise was clearly present.

Fast forward a year, and that slight girl has blossomed; her face has matured from ‘cute’ to ‘handsome’ and her figure has realised the classic lines of a healthy, well proportioned young woman.

We seemed to happen upon each other at yet another Miss West Lothian event: the competition final held in December last year, though on this occasion Teri wasn’t competing, but was there to support the aspirations of a friend. She told me that she’d only just heard that Nicola and I had launched our First Step Models project, and she wanted to join us.

So, skipping forward a month, Teri and her chaperone came along to the studio where Nicola did her usual – transformational – make-up, before we did the shoot.
A few examples from the shoot are appended to this post, but they do little to illustrate just how comfortable Teri now was in front of the lens. On our first meeting, last year, I was presented with a giggly, unsure and somewhat uncoordinated girl who obviously wanted to model, but wasn’t really au fait with what the camera was looking for. On this occasion I was presented with a young woman who – though she struggled a little at first – soon found her confidence and was willing to push the envelope a little.

For me, a mark of how well (or not) a shoot turns out, can be measured by the parents remarks and, on this occasion, Teri’s Mum PM’d me to thank me for having given her daughter a good experience of modelling and, as a bonus, a few good snaps to publish on her Facebook page.

I just hope that First Step Models will provide Teri and the other young girls we have in our group with a little lift into the world of modelling. If you’re a photographer and you’d like to shoot with Teri, or if you think this pretty young lady she has the ‘look’ you think could best showcase your products, the please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Teri:

Sam

Don't you just love working with beautiful girls?

Being a photographer has it's down moments, but then girls like Sam walk through the door and you realise that fashion photography is one of the most exciting of all art forms.

Of course, it does help if you can get on with the subject of your 'focus'; Sam was a dream to work with though; a young, shapely blonde with lots of verve and vitality, complete with that magic formula of having a good ear for direction and a determination to shine in front of the camera. And eyes - did I mention eyes? Eyes that burn like glacial fire and, and, and .....well, you have to look into their depths to understand :-))

This was only Sam's second experience of being photographed, but she took to it like the proverbial fish to water. And perhaps just as well, as this pretty youngster is going to be the subject of a lot of attention shortly as she has entered the Miss West Lothian 2011 competition.

Sam has also just signed to First Step Models in an effort to further her interest in modelling. Check out Sam's profile and get in touch with FSM if you'd like to work with this feisty young blonde.

Amanda

Amanda is studying to find a place in university where she hopes to study medicine, but she took a little time-out from her studies to visit the studio.

A gorgeous young lady, she complements her looks with a sharp wit and a good sense of humour.

The guilded corridors of learning are going to leave the modelling world short of a real prize it seems.

Leonie

There are times when – no matter how much forward planning you do – nothing seems to work: the lighting doesn’t work, the white-balance seems out; the props don’t really suit and, worst of all, the model just isn’t up for it.

Then there are times when, with very little effort at all, things just seem to fall into place – and that’s how it worked on a shoot I did recently with young Leonie!

Leonie hadn’t worked in front of a camera before but seemed to take to it like the proverbial fish to H20. She was keen to work, eager to achieve the poses I was looking for and willing to wait patiently as I fiddled with lights and camera settings.

Many thanks to Leonie for attending and bringing such a great attitude with her. Thanks also to Frances – Leonie’s Mum – for her help and patience, and to Jade Mcmeckan for the excellent make-up.

Little Princess Smiling Face.

Little Katie’s winning smile won me a bronze award from the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers when I entered her image into their August competition.

Katie is definitely one of the best models I’ve worked with this year; not only is she a beautiful, fun-filled wee person, but she has a smile that melts my heart.

Also, should I live so long, I’ll be able to blackmail her with these images when she’s 16; a cunning scenario which I’m also developing in respect of my own grandchildren (insert mad, cackling laughter).

Katie:

Getting all torn up about it.

Michelle made a welcome return to my humble studio for another shoot just recently; she was looking for a portrait to submit - along with her application - to take part in the much vaunted Miss West Lothian 2010 competition being run by Eddie Anderson and, to help with that, I’d engaged the services of Make-up artist, Jade McMeckan.

Having bagged the portrait shots, we then went on to other things – you could say Michelle got ‘torn into it’ as we turned the scissors on her leggings and T-shirt while Jade ‘bigged-up’ the make-up with some extra eyes and full, ruby-red lipstick.

The shutter was kept pretty active for the next few hours, with Michelle either working in front of camera or chatting to Jade while I arranged (and endlessly rearranged) backdrops and lighting set-ups.

Four and a bit hours just seemed to sweep bye unnoticed, but I ended the shoot with a great collection of images, and I have to say thanks to the girls for being so patient with me xx

Michelle:

For the ladies x

Playtime again.

Not often my schedule allows me much time to play these days, but I came across these images while going through the (almost daily) ritual of trying to make space in my pictures folder.

"A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet" - Shakespeare

If you want to get ahead, get a hat.

Caught in the rain yesterday, a plastic bag I had in the boot of the car became a makeshift hat.

As usual - due to the incredibly handsome arrangement of my facial features - anything that I put on my head immediately looks good (just simply by association)so I kept this item and, later at the studio, asked a friend (whose physiognomy is, unfortunately, not as blessed as my own) to wear it for a portrait shoot.

I think the bag came out incredibly well! Sorry, Stu ;-)

Fruit n' Finance

When I get the time, I really enjoy setting up and shooting different still-life images.

Below is a selection from a recent shoot which included tomatoes, pears and, of course, a few copies of the financial times. Well, what sort of shoot wouldn’t include at least one copy of the Financial Times?

:)

Rachael in white.

Young Rachael returned to the studio just recently to take part in a shoot for which I’d put together a white set; comprising a simple set-up of backgrounds, covered furniture and some silk flowers.

Rachael’s bright energy and terrific looks made the shoot ‘happen’ as usual, but the set was given some extra punch by make-up artist, Jade. This was the first time I’d had the pleasure of working with Jade and, of course, the first time Rachael had been professionally made-up for a shoot.

We did some ‘before & after’ images and the results were startling and, I have to say, the make-up actually drove the shoot to a certain extent.

Jade is now on my list of people I have to work with again and again and again.

Rachael:

Silver Award

I'm delighted to reveal that the image below was given a Silver Award by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers in the fine-art section of a recent competition.

Well, if I don't show-off for myself, then who will :)

Copies - plain, mounted and framed are available - should you agree with the SWPP's assessment :)

Corporate profile

It was a great pleasure to have Mr. Stephan Reigel visit the studio to take part in a corporate-style portrait he commissioned.

Mr. Reigel is a Director of H.A.S. and acts as a consultant to the hotel, catering and event management trade in eight different countries.

His company’s web-site manager is currently redesigning the firms web presence and requested a picture of the ‘top-man’ to grace the site.

His web site can be found here.

Michelle, my Belle.

Fortune favoured me when my good friend Michelle joined at the studio for another modelling session recently.

Michelle is great fun, has a fantastic attitude and brings great presence (and Karma) to our shoots. She’s also takes direction very well and is quickly becoming well versed in anticipating what the camera is looking for – a real help when it comes to allowing the creative flow to run along smoothly.

I’m already looking forward to working with her again as soon we can arrange something; I’ve been promised ‘first show n’shoot’ of a whole new wardrobe she’s preparing to take on holiday with her.

Michelle:

Gail force fun

The lovely Gail brought a little sunshine to the studio recently when she came to sit for a portrait shoot - at the behest of her partner. A bright, always-up-for-fun character, Gail soon had us all in a great mood and the shoot seemed to be over even before it had started.

I hope she – and her partner – enjoy the crop of photos that resulted from the session.

Gail: