Getting Naughty in Nottingham: The Final Seduction

Yes I am actually back to shooting again more and more! Some of you may remember the Fetish Group Shoot II at the Blue Carrot Studio back in November (blog) which Jonny Blaze had organised. Well I was so impressed with his work and regretting that we only had a short time to shoot during that group shoot, we kept in touch and decided to do a one-to-one session!

Jonny is also a photographer who is also an artist. Rather than just click away while the model just sits and looks pretty, he has his ideas well thought out and goes for it with gusto. Shooting at a hotel was his idea, in which he initially suggested a vintage lingerie theme. To be honest, I have very little of such outfits so panicked as I started improvising with stuff I

already have, ie. polka dots, lace, corsets... Then during our chats, he changed it to the "stockings and suspenders slut" image. Well that made life easier! The shooting date was set for 15 May 2011. I couldn't wait!

Jonny picked me up at the tram stop at Nottingham Station. What started as a warm sunny start in London turned out to be a cold cloudy day in the Midlands. I should've known! We reached the hotel by the tram, where we were greeted by hospitable staff . The rooms were

a tad smaller than as seen on the website but still adequate enough to shoot Plus, at least the decor was quite pleasant and good enough to use as backdrop with the beds beautifully made.

Jonny brought with him an air pistol (known as a BB gun in the U.S.)

which we thought we'd use as a prop. I would be a femme fatale brandishing the gun wearing nothing but suspenders and stockings looking menancing. Actually, that started reminding me of that controversial French film, "Baise Moi", a Thelma and Louise type film but more violent and sexually explicit. I had so much fun pretending to be one of the girls but a lot nicer of course!

I certainly admire Jonny's spontaneity. During getting changed to the next set, Jonny had this brilliant idea ofme getting behind the sheer net curtain in nude and sticking my body out as much as possible to reveal the curves. After a few play with the lights and my posing, we nailed one good one which we are proud of.

We then proceeded to the next set which I named The Final Seduction. I got changed into a beautiful black corset by Nikita Sablier, also run by a friend who is also a model. The session involved a POV (point of view) shoot where I was supposed to be seducing the photographer as he holds the camera in front of him. There, he used a fish-eye lens to give it a more voyeuristic feel. First, Jonny held the gun to my head and snapped away. It was a sharp contrast to the last set where I was now to look afraid and paralyzed with utmost fear.

This is the part of the job I enjoy most. I love exploring different expressions through the various scenarios. After having the gun in my head, I was then to try and wrangle out of the situation by seducing the attacker so it was jumping from fearful to fearless. From vulnerable to being in control. In fact, the entire set turned out so well, as what helped was Jonny being so easy going and non-threatening with me not feeling a least bit uncomfortable as I would have done had it been another photographer

We were just about to call it a day until Jonny asked me if there was anything else I'd

like to shoot. Well I've come all the way from London to Nottingham on a 2-hour train journey with a night over there so I was certainly determined to make it worth the while! I mentioned a stunning picture of Dita von Tesse in one of her sleazy motel shoots where she is standing on a bedside table in her underwear along with her stockings. So I pulled out a pair of

polka-dotted B&W lingerie and black holdups. Finding the lighting on the bedside table unsuitable, we chose a nearby table. Luckily it had a wall mirror behind it so plenty to improvise with!

It was good I suggested continuing earlier on. As ideas developed, Jonny suggested doing some lying on the bed shots firstly in my outfit which eventually led to shooting nudes later. It was interesting how we managed to capture various moods. Some were dreamy, some edgy, others "come hither". It's wonderful to work with someone that appreciates versatility rather than making images look all somewhat same and stuck in a rut. The post-production was just as impressive. Most were B&W but with the coloured ones, he cleverly manipulated the tones to make them look quite 1970s retro as the nude picture below illustrates.

After the shoot was over and I dressed to warmer clothes, Jonny walked me up to the shops where I could buy some food. We gave each other big hugs and look forward to seeing each other again at another group shoot next month in Nottingham organised by another photographer, James Rose. Mind you, I was so exhausted after this successful and fun shoot, I stayed in the hotel snuggled up watching a string of CSI series. Thanks Jonny for this wonderful day, can't wait to work with you again next month!

For more captivating images from this shoot, please click onto my Flickr page!

A Room with a View with Teemu

It's so exciting to meet and work with various photographers from all over the world. Though I have yet to have the honour to shoot with a Japanese photographer, I have already worked with those from at least 10 different countries in Europe and the Americas living out here. Now added to my list is Teemu R. from Finland who was visiting Amsterdam on business but thought he'd spend his evenings by shooting.

Teemu contacted me out of the blue on MM announcing his visit and interest to work with me. When I perused his work I was well impressed! He manages to capture mesmerising

images by making themsomewhat abstract and certainly artisitic through clever angles, lens type and immaculate lighting. His interest to experiment and create clearly reflects in his work. Of course I wasn't going to pass this opportunity! I was curious as to what sort of images we'd come up with. After exchanging e-mails, we decided to shoot on the evening of 15 March 2o11.

I met Teemu at his hotel in the West part of Amsterdam. Just as I expected, he was very friendly and polite, immediately making me feel at ease. We had already discussed what sort of images we were aiming at so I was able to travel minimally and there was no faffing about. Some black lingerie and simple outfits and a pair each of very high stilettos and knee boots as

well as gloves and collars were all that was needed. The hotel room was very modern and simple which provided a perfect background for edgy images.

We started out first set on the bed. I had a black top and a lingerie "skirt"

which I gradually stripped off. Then the lights were dimmed and we proceeded with shooting some bodyscapes. It's been ages since I done bodyscapes! We were going to do some sets in which I would be standing in front of the big windows but unfortunately the light wasn't right. That said, we captured with a wide-angle lens a really cool image where I'm sitting with legs sprawled apart holding a vintage Ikoflex camera in front of me!

The theme for the next set was fetish. It was so fun having to play role of both domme and sub by wearing nothing but just one item plus shoes. I donned a pair of gloves and a super-high platform knee boots for the domme role, looking mean. Then switched to a sub role by wearing a simple pvc mini skirt and heels, kneeling down with hands tied to the back looking distressed.

We also took advantage of the spacious beautifully-decorated bathroom as a setting. It had black tiles with modern and angular facilities which

provided a perfect backdrop for edgy images. Wearing my boots, I went in nude in the huge empty bathtub sticking my legs out to enhance the monstrosity of the boots. And of course we managed not to miss the crucial "toilet" shot!

The final set was the "shower scene". And what fun that was! I've done shower shots before so it wasn't a big deal but this time, I decided not to get my hair and face wet as I had done in previous ones such as with Thunder UK or for Suite 301. The point was to create sensuality by focussing on facial expressions. Also, I wasn't in the mood to go home in the cold in wet hair

and smudged make-up! The results were intriguing... I loved how Teemu captured the water spraying on me. I think those were my favorite images as they were unusual. You will find more images on the row of images on the right hand side.

I thoroughly enjoyed my shoot with Teemu. He knows exactly what he wants out of the images and sees to it that it's achieved with perfection through meticulous lighting, choice of lens and directing me. He was also very easy to get along with and was interesting to talk to as we exchanged stuff about our own countries. He was very pleased to hear I've been to Helsinki, and I was impressed that he could say "My name is Teemu" in Japanese!

Thank you so much, Teemu, for such a fruitful shoot. Though it took a few months to get the edited pics as he has been busy with work, it was certainly worth waiting for! He plans on visiting Amsterdam again in June, and he has expressed interest to work with me again which am honoured to accept. Fingers crossed, it won't coincide with my travels. Hope to shoot with you soon again!

For more beautiful pictures from this shoot, please check out my Flickr page!

Getting Amsterdamned Outdoors with Kris

Finally getting back to the hang of shooting again! I had 3-days in a row of posing in front of the cameras last weekend: Friday in Germany then back in Amsterdam shooting with a visiting tog from Belgium and finally Sunday in Amsterdam with a local tog. Then this Wednesday, am off to the UK to shoot more next weekend! Wow, am really starting to feel like an international model...

Today's entry will be about my shoot on Saturday. A tog called Kris, known as NDHW Photography from Gent, Belgium contacted me on Fetlife and asked if I'd like to shoot. A lot of his work is dark-toned and subdued, quite moody. And this time, it's rather focussing on composition and story rather than being just about the model which is quite different from what I am accustomed to. Sort of like comparing the paintings of Van Gogh (mellow) with Monet (vibrant). So I thought I'd give it a go. It's always nice to work with photographers of different styles! Kris volunteered to visit Amsterdam on 8 May 2011, hoping to work with another model afterwards which unfortunately fell through.

Kris arrived our house around 9:30am. A very pleasant and laid back guy with hair even longer than mine tied in a ponytail, a true artist with creative ideas. After some coffee and choosing outfits, we ventured off to Westerpark, a park which is about a 15 minute or so walk and much quieter and a more varied venue than the infamous Vondel Park.

It was a very warm day and very sunny, and with no reflectors at hand and no additional lighting equipment, we had to be selective about the ideal place to start shooting.

We had a warm up shoot with me in the green dress I already wearing. I think that was a good idea, rather than jumping straight into a shoot. By then I was comfortable with Kris. He is also very intelligent and quite worldly not to include the fact that his girlfriend is also Asian (a graduate in Gent University from China) which really made conversation stimulating! We strolled around the park and found a building with a fence which made interesting patterns. I quickly changed into a plain black American Apparel black bikini top and hotpants and a small red collar for a fetish twist.

Then was the switch from a domme look to a sub. Previous to our shoot, we discussed the possibility of me crouching helplessly in the bushes in ripped clothes clutching a teddy bear like a lost child. The only problem was, I had no teddy bear but being an avid Hello Kitty collector, I hastily grabbed one of her dressed as a snowman which I thought we could use. The whiteness of Hello Kitty, though, proved too bright on the images and totally distracted everything else from the whole picture so we had to abandon that idea and resort to having me looking lost initially followed by frustration and going mad. And hence the ripped yellow shirt!

We left the park to fetch a bottle of water and proceeded to try out some alleyways underneath the railway bridge. Despite a few passerby's on bikes, we were quite comfortable to shoot there though a little dubious about me going nude. Yes, even I was! I quickly changed into a red PVC bikini top with matching miniskirt with zippers on the side (from Unzippped). Whilst shooting, a couple of guys on a motorcycle stopped by and watched but they were so funny it didn't bother us a least bit. A classic shot was when Kris captured one of me posing with a passing cyclist (see first picture above). In hindsight, it would've been so cool if I had been nude but oh well! Too many passer by's anyway, and it is my neighbourhood in case I'd bump into someone I know...

We searched for the next place to shoot and came across the car-park. Also underneath the railway bridge, the lighting was just as dark. I changed into my pink lingerie set and covered

myself up with a white trench coat. And there I went flashing away. I know, why we didn't think of me doing that in nude makes me wonder... perhaps too many passerbys or I was holding back cuz it was near my house? Nevertheless, we managed to nail some outrageous shots with the naughty element. Perhaps next time I do daring nude shots outdoors we be in another area of Amsterdam? Maybe in the snotty Zuid area which would most certainly uplift those uptight residents!

We then walked home, hoping to capture a few shots in our garden. However, when we got there, the sun was a tad too bright. Although we managed to take a few images there, we had to cut it short and proceed indoors. We did a few images on the bed and intended to make it a fetish scene but unfortunately due to misunderstandings neither of us had any "equip

ment" such as handcuffs and whips which I had left in the UK. Ropes and gags are normally supplied by the photographer. Perhaps in future, it may be wise for me to invest in some as I will increasingly be doing fetish/bondage shoots. Nevertheless, we were able to capture some wonderful nude images combining fetish and erotica, using the bedside lamps as additional lighting! Now that's what I call improvising...

It was about 4pm by the time we decided to call it a day. The day went by so fast! As the model with whom Kris was to shoot that afternoon was a no-show, we were able to extend our schedule. Though the no-show is unfortunate, it goes without saying that it's her loss, our gain! Kris was so fun to work with, and I was very pleased about such a quick turn-around of the pics he edited. He has indicated he would also post me the non-edited ones from which I could choose any other ones I like. Not only is he quick, but he's also generous and fair. I wish other togs would be like him!

We plan on shooting again this summer in the woods. Next time it will be my turn to visit Gent which I've never been. It will be a change, from city to countryside! Also, I will be shooting with another model which should be fun. I very much look forward to that. So thank you so much Kris, I can't wait for this, and look forward to getting the rest of the images!

For more images please check out my Flickr Page!

It's All Black & White with Edwin van Wier

I apologise again for this long gap in my blog. The past few weeks or so I have been busy with personal matters such as visits from family and friends and sorting out our new house. So busy I was that I had to put my modelling on hold as my mind too was not with it. April saw a wave of visitors from the UK but luckily I managed to squeeze in a shoot in one of the days between the visits. After all, I also needed a break and figured a shoot would be a good distraction!

I shot for the first time in about a month last week. Amsterdam-based photographer Edwin van Wier (known as Wierdeu on Model Mayhem) and I were speaking of a shoot for a few years when I was travelling back and forth UK and NL. Somehow, the shoot never happened but since I moved here, we finally managed to find the time on 27 April 2011.

Finding a venue was easy. As opposed to the UK, it is not unusual for togs in Holland to have their own studios. Most British togs for instance shoot on location, at the model's place or their own place where they make a makeshift studio in their own garage or lounge. In Holland, togs take advantage of the "anti-squatters" scheme in which they rent cheaply empty offices from the council in exchange for occupying them to deter squatters. Edwin had his studio in the west part of Amsterdam.

It was a 20-minute tram ride and a 10 minute or so walk to the studio. Edwin greeted me outside the building, and despite me being slightly delayed, he was just as funny and friendly as he was during our correspondence by e-mail and Facebook. However, I did not quite expect him to be 2 metres tall! He led me to his studio which quite spacious and we had a cup of tea whilst chatting. We talked about how well I'm adapting to life in Holland (I also lived here in the mid-90's) and how familiar he was with Japan as he worked with the Japanese. Edwin does some underwater photography but unfortunately we need a swimming pool for this either by renting one for a few hours or being rich enough to afford one at home!

We began the shoot by doing portraits and headshots. In hindsight, it would've been better had we done a warm up shoot first or leaving them till the last set. It was my first time shooting for a month, let alone with a new tog, and with anyone I

shoot for the first time, I need time till I felt at ease. I couldn't figure out what kind of mood he wanted, and my nervousness showed in the pictures. Oh well, next time we'll know!

Edwin and I were intending to churn out black & white images this time. Thus, all I brought were black or white outfits or outfits that had black and white patterns. So in the next set

where he suggested a white brickwall background, I put on some black lingerie and a sheer black blouse with a pearl choker and matching earings and bracelets. By then, I was more relaxed and in my comfort zone because as Edwin rightly suggested, I was back to my "own style". The mood was rather semi-lowkey with a bright light on one side.

For the next set, I thought I'd switch to a white outfit. White bra and sheer knickers with a fishnet top. Thanks for these last few sunny days, I was able to get a little colour so took the opportunity to show it off by wearing white. Though I prefer the set with the black outfit, I was still pleased to see how this set turned out. Even with the white background, the lighting was perfect as it greyed out the background and enhanced the white of the outfit and my tan!

It was good two hour or so of shooting. As we are both local, though, it's very likely we will meet again and shoot. Perhaps next time, I'll be better prepared and more at ease so we could exchange more ideas. So after quickly packing up, we left together but went our seperate ways. He had his own scooter while I was taking the tram back from Lelyland station. While I was walking half a block, Edwin beckoned me to hop on his scooter as he was concerned about my safety. It was getting a tad dark and rather eerie, and the west part of Amsterdam is not the most affluent, though I have to say even the roughest areas are not as life-threatening than parts of UK. Still the offer was appreciated, and I was pleased to find that the first tram that was coming was the one heading for home.

Thank you so much Edwin for this short and sweet shoot! I hope I wasn't too awkward with you, and I would definitely like to work with you again. For more amazing work by Edwin, please click onto his website.