Summertime in Amsterdam

Summertime in Amsterdam, originally uploaded by Mini Miu.

Going back to 6 months ago. Just a quick recap of my shoot last late spring in Amsterdam with Charles van Trappen on 8 May 2011. I worked with him once before 2 years ago and was so pleased with his work that I decided to go for another! Wow two years and how my style has changed. Last time, it was just swimwear, lingerie and "art nude" but this time we decided to go for something more crazy and quirky, even more daring in the nude....

And you gotta love his ideas. iPhone in front of my private bits and adding the eye on the touch screen, a straw coming out of my boobs as if I'm feeding myself milk, and brandishing a rifle half dressed in the middle of a skyscraper. Those were a few of Charles cool ideas. Yep am up for em!

At the time, I also needed some swimwear shots for my portfolio. It was a very warm spring we had, it felt like summer already. But alas, the warmth wasn't too last as a wet summer followed with days, weeks and months of rain and below-20℃ temperatures. On the day, I managed to pose in two swimwear, one green and another in teal.

I also had a make-up artist with me. Kudos to Yachar Dabboussi who was recommended by Charles. A friendly and gifted artist, she also did my hair. And I loved how she did my eyes! I normally do my own make-up and hair but I was getting in a rut with the same look so decided to try something different.

I look forward to working with Charles again soon. Though it took some weeks to get the images, I was pleased with the results, including the post-production. Worth the wait! We now need to get our thinking caps on for the next shoot and come up with some more quirky ideas. We hope to shoot again once the weather warms up. And hopefully it will be a much better summer than the last one!

Thanks, Charles and Yachar!

For more pics on this awesome shoot, please click on my Flickr page!

More of Charles' work could be seen on his Website.

"Erotic Japan" Home Shoot with David & Jordi

I had further opportunities to do erotic shoots in Japan which I've been dying to do. After all, Japan is the home for erotica in the Eastern hemisphere! This time, it was to be entirely "Japanese", so to speak, at the comfort of my family's apartment in Tokyo. Enter Spanish professional photographer David Rodriguez Toro who resides in Japan. We managed to connect through mutual friends on Facebook and been corresponding for a few months. Observing his work, I noticed he focuses a lot on creativity with a slight surreal twist which makes it all the more interesting. He was accompanied by another budding photographer, Jordi Olaria Jané, whom David has been taking under his wing. And what wonderful guys they were!

Initially I wanted to do a shoot in a forest nearby where David lives, in the outskirts of Tokyo. He has done a few in the past there and thought I would be daring enough as well myself to try it. In Japan, it is forbidden to be nude in public so it would've been the ultimate thrill for me. However, David expressed his preference to come over to our apartment in Tokyo and shoot, especially as we have a Japanese room equipped with tatami mat floor, windows with shoji doors, oshiire sliding closet and a tokonoma corner. I must admit I was a little gutted not being able to do a nude shoot outdoors but it turned out for even better!

I had a few yukata's I purchased from a local charity shop. At this point, I was unsure about using my family heirloom kimonos mum kept very carefully, especially for something as explicit as an erotic shoot. Perhaps one day I'd like to a proper traditional kimono shoot, complete with hair and make-up, when I find someone that could give me a hand...

I picked up David and Jordi at Meguro train station and took a short bus ride to our apartment. Interestingly enough both felt more confident speaking in Japanese than English, and even with my limited Spanish which I had learnt at night school years ago, they still preferred to communiate in Japanese. Both were initially quite shy but eventually we all became comfortable with one another. And very polite and professionally-mannered they were!

We started with a warm-up shoot. I would be hidden behind the net curtains sitting on the window ledge, almost nude but partly covered up with a white and blue yukata. After David had taken a few shots, it was Jordi's turn. He had this ingenious idea of me fiddling around with my clothes on the washing line, namely my bra and panties. It added to the contrast of Western-style lingerie with the traditional Japanese attire I was wearing. David then developed this idea of throwing the white bra on the floor and photographing it amidst the reflected lines from shadows of the curtains. It was the only image during our shoot that would be permissible on Facebook!

Once we all felt comfortable, we got down to business! Whilst semi-dressed in the same yukata, I got tied shibari-style with a rope in the form of a chest harness. David is not a professional rigger so it was of course quite loosely done and clearly for effect. We naturally chose the tatami room as our set, close to the window for the light and of course because we wanted to display also the shoji, which are the traditional inner doors with latticed wooden frames covered in white paper. I lay on the tatami floor looking serene yet sensual despite being bound in rope. Am I to enjoy it? Or am I to accept in despair? That's open to the viewer's interpretation.

Next set, I changed into a more formal-looking yukata. A colourfully reddish pretty one. Still using the same tatami room, we abandoned the shibari-style bondage and continued with erotic poses as we aimed to focus on the beauty of the outfit. At one point we also shot some POV (point of view) shoots where David would be my "partner" and putting his hand on me. I don't normally let photographers touch me at all, but we agreed that this was for merely for effect and considering David's status as a professional photographer in Japan and with Jordi in the room, I knew I could trust the guy completely. And I must say the images turned out beautifully!

Now to the the third set. We decided to take advantage of the apartment balcony overlooking the residential neighbourhood. I changed into another outfit, and this time it was the under-garment of a kimono, a lightweight flowery pink cotton gown. In the old days, we didn't wear knickers & bras under our outfits! We wore instead these under-garments for warmth in the winter and for protecting our clothes from perspiration in the summer. I gather that David read my mind as we decided to shoot me discreetly flashing with my back to the outside world. And boy was that fun! I was in fact determined to do at least one naughty outdoors nude shoot before leaving Japan. My disappointment at not being able to shoot nude in the forest immediately disappeared. This was even better! I've done plenty of nude forest shoots in the past anyways so it was a great change to do one with the scene of Tokyo behind me.

And the final set. Naked me standing inside a closet full of clothes! Being in Japan, it was a rather small closet, so small in fact that even I had to bend over and get into it. The floor of the closet was made of thin wood so I had to be extra careful treading inside it in case my big foot went through it made a big hole. Nevertheless, the image turned out rather well although all the clothes were in plastic garment covers.

By then we decided to call it a day. I thoroughly enjoyed working with David and Jordi. Though David was mainly shooting, I was more than happy to have Jordi shoot me as well as he wishes to gain experience working with models and expand his portfolio. Much of his work has been focused on events and places. All the best to him! David has a good eye for artistic photography so I was very excited to work with him as he has brilliant ideas and captures them beautifully. When I'm in Tokyo again next year, I would definitely work with them again! Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to the next one!!

For more pics from this beatiful shoot, please click onto my Flickr page!

More of David's work can be seen on his website.
Jordi's work can also be seen on his Flickr page

Going Underground in Tokyo with James Drew

So my first two photoshoots in Tokyo involved street fashion, both daytime and evening. For the third shoot, though, I decided to exploit the wild and wicked side of me by entering into Japan's erotica realm. Interestingly, Japan keeps pornography under wraps as seen in all the "pixilated bits" in magazines and films, and even I, the uber-exhibitionist I am, was not prepared to risk taking my kit off in public as I otherwise would in Europe and UK. That said, with love hotels casually scattered even in the most upscale residential areas, and places like the lively Kabuki-cho curiously managing to avoid oozing the sort of sleaze seen in Europe's red light districts, I must say the country is an interesting paradox.

For that reason, I couldn't wait to do some erotic shoots in Japan. And what setting could be more perfect than those love hotels! So what is a "love hotel", you ask. Almost comparable to motels in the U.S., it is where couples can cheaply rent a room for either a few hours (or overnight) when one's own home is not possible. Enough said! Having shot in a luxurious 5-star Hilton in Brussels as well as a 70s-style decor Travelodge in Gloucester, I figured love hotels would the Japanese alternative to a "sleazy motel" set. Seedy yet luxurious, and the gaudier the better. One such photographer who made this possible was James Drew (known as Kakko-eroi), an American living in Tokyo.

We somewhat connected throug h Flickr a few years ago when I came across his work. Edgy yet sensual, his photos somewhat portray a mysterious underground vibe through clever use of lens and angles and light-handed post-production manipulation like cropping and colour. As such, he successfully manages to capture traditional Japanese eroticism whilst introducing the modern Westernised ideals of "hot and sexy". So is it glamour? Is it fetish? Or erotica? I think it's hard to pigeon hole his work into one category. Whatever it was, I just couldn't wait to work with the guy!

After having put off my trip to Japan for years and hence procrastinating my shoot with James, I finally made the decision to go. Few emails exchanged, and it was as soon as I arrived in Tokyo that I contacted him. Out of courtesy, he was kind enough to invite me for lunch to introduce himself, put me at ease and discuss ideas. He was just as pleasant and friendly as he has been in his e-mails with a professional yet casual approach. So we set the shoot for that Friday, 23 September 2o11.

James picked me up at the hotel I was staying for a few days. After selecting the outfits to take along to the set, we took a taxi to a rather famous and fancy love hotel in the upmarket Azabu Juban area. Knowing his style, I grabbed some thigh high boots, heels, fishnet and PVC clothes and lingerie and slapped on some heavy eye-make up to look as bitchy as possible. And boy was I ready for some bitchy action!

Like a lot of love hotels, the place had rooms each of it's own theme and character. We were pleased to discover that the BDSM "dungeon" was available. Apart from a big bed, the room had a bondage bench and the grey concerete wall was adorned with ropes, chains, collars and whips hanging from it. We were expecting James' friend to join us later to assist with the lighting so meanwhile we decided to do a warm-up shoot with me wearing a PVC one piece micro-dress with fishnet stockings. At one point, I grabbed a ballgag from the wall but in the interest of hygiene, pretended to be biting into it rather than wear one.

As soon as his assistant arrived, I changed into another outfit. A fishnet top with attached suspender fasteners and matching fishnet knickers I had purchased earlier on at a sexshop in Shibuya. I have to say I have been amazed at the number of outrageous lingerie and abundant variety of hosiery available in Japan, though many are imported from the U.S. Either Japan has changed, or I have. We went around the hallway looking for ideal areas to shoot such as the staircase and finally landed in a narrow elevator! The glowing buttons on the wall amid the dark lighting made such an ideal background.

We went back to the room and proceeded to the next set. Now, in every hotel shoot, the toilet should never be missed! What made this one unique to the others I had done in the past was that it was a Japanese-style toilet (benjo), the one where you squat down over the hole on the floor. By then I was clad in a pair of black PVC shorts and a studded open PVC bra. And not to forget the hot-looking thigh high boots to elongate my pins! It was to be a rather voyeuristic shoot from James' viewpoint. Mockingly teasing him while I have my shorts pulled down halfway. Or giving him the "what the f*** you looking at" eyes. And I have to agree with him that the pics from this series came out the best, although I found the other sets also stunning.

And finally, we experimented with James' laser pens. Room lights would be out and a reddish filtered light for effect. James got his assistant to carefully trace the pen around me while I was being captured with a slow shutter speed. This meant staying very still for 15-30 seconds or so. Having been a life model before, I know what staying "very still" is like so it was no difficult task for me! After a few attempts, we finally nailed a few awesome ones. The chain curtains in the background added to the effect as did the sink basin behind me, giving that seedy motel vibe with the green laser light acting as a neon sign around my half-naked body. This would certainly make a great advertisement!

We decided to call it a day and walked to a nearby Teppanyaki restaurant for some dinner. With a lot of ideas brewing, we have been planning more shoots during my stay. But alas, our busy schedules clashing and his catching a flu towards the end of my short prevented this from happening. Such a shame but then again, I will have my next trip to Tokyo in the course of early 2012 to look forward to! By then, ideas will develop further, we'll be more at ease working again together and I'd be better prepared with outfits and being organised with schedules. I have yet to do a naughty Roppongi evening shoot. What I'll be up to will be a surprise so stay tuned!

Thank you so much, James for your collaboration as well as your hospitality. The pictures you have sent me are awesome, and I can't wait to receive more. You're a pleasure to work with and I look forward to the next time!

For more pictures from this saucy shoot, hit me up on my Flickr page.

And more of James' work can be seen on his Flickr page too!

It's Shibuya Chic with Asian Impressions Photography

Another coincidence! One other photographer happened to be in Tokyo on business during my stay. This time, it was American photographer Teban from Asian Impressions Photography, who is based in Seattle. We had connected some time ago through Twitter and began corresponding. Such a talented photographer with great character and witty sense of humour, I couldn't wait to work with him!

And what is it I like about his work? I really adored that he mainly specialises in photographing Asian women, whether models or the girl next door, and as such knows how to capture their natural beauty. And their beauty radiates not only from the outside but also from within. Teban clearly manages to combine the Western and Asian ideals of beauty and enhances elegance with understated sultriness.

Our schedules closely coincided and in fact, we even barely made it. Teban had already been in Tokyo for a week before I arrived. While I landed in the morning from London, his flight back to Seattle was leaving that midnight. And how crazy was I. So keen was I to shoot with him that I volunteered to work the evening of my arrival, despite an 11-hour flight and 8 time zones later! That evening, though, we had a heavy Typhoon and had to cancel. We were both gutted. But it was a blessing. His midnight flight got postponed till the following afternoon which meant I was able to catch up with some sleep and shoot the next morning! So we decided to meet at the famous Shibuya diagonal crossing on Thursday 22 September 2011.

We only had a couple of hours but it was worth every minute. Good thing about working with Teban is that minimal preparation was needed. Just turn up the way you are with natural make-up, well-groomed and wearing a smile. He likes the natural and fresh-faced. Plus no teetering around town with a rolling luggage full of clothes to change into. So I showed up in a pair of denim shorts and a floral purple hippy-chic top with diamante on the collar area. And shhhhh.... I purchased that for €10 at an Amsterdam's Albert Cuyp flea market! Finally also a pair of comfy platform wedges.

It was only 10 am, and the shops were just about to open. The streets were only half full with some people on their way to work. We walked around the main and backstreets and spontaneously shot. First the bar district, which is street leading to DIY shop "Tokyu Hands", followed by Shibuya's "Sentaa-gai" the infamous shopping street and finally the aforementioned famous Shibuya crossing. It was important that we captured the "typical Shibuya" character as background to make it as "modern Japan" as possible. Being close to 11 am and being a very sunny day, it was at times difficult to find a suitable spot with good natural light but nevertheless we managed to capture a number of beautiful images.

Although the shoot this time was rather brief, Teban travels quite a lot on business. He is expecting to be in Holland during the warmer months of next year so we intend to meet up again and shoot in Amsterdam. It will be fun! And hopefully we'll have more time then to collaborate. Thank you so much Teban for squeezing me in your tight schedule! I look forward to the next time.

For more photos on this shoot, please hit me up on my Flickr pages.

And please also feel free to check out Teban's website

Raising the Red Lantern with Sean O'Malley

So Tokyo here I am!! After 3 years of putting it all off, I finally decided it was time to visit my hometown, the place I was born, raised and left 17 years ago. During my absence, though, I began modeling and over the years gained ample experience, building my portfolio and reputation in the industry in UK and Holland. So now's the time to expand in Japan!! How strange it feels... I now beam with pride yet blush with embarrassment being referred to "Miu, that model visiting from Europe". But I have to say, I'm enjoying this 3 weeks of fame!

During my journey, there were a couple of photographers though who happened to be in Japan on business. It was sheer coincidence that London-based photographer, Sean O'Malley, happened to be in town, which I discovered when looking at the casting calls on Model Mayhem before I had left. I had the pleasure of shooting with him two years ago at the Bunker group shoot near North London and remember him to be a polite and professionally-mannered photographer. In fact, it was the first time I wore a corset back then ,and I recall how sweet he was, being very concerned as I couldn't breathe and felt I was going to faint! This time, though, we decided to do a pure fashion shoot incorporating the Tokyo nightlife. The date was set for Thursday, 22 September 2011.

Initially, Sean suggested that we shoot near his hotel along the water front and then in his room. However we decided we wanted to take advantage of being in Tokyo and thought it would be an idea to include a "typical" Japanese setting such as street signs in Japanese and all the bright neon signs. He came up with Akasaka-mitsuke, an upscale street lined with bars and restaurants, as well as Japanese entertainment establishments like pachinko parlours and "hostess" bars, which are somewhat unique to Japan.

Despite the rain following the typhoon the night before, we went ahead with the plan. After all, we're both from the UK so accustomed to "a little rain won't hurt us"! We met at Akasaka-mitsuke subway station, and as Sean had only a couple of hours, we paced up and down the bar district searching for perfect spots and shooting whenever a suitable one came by. I loved the way Sean would occasionally twist his camera sideways to "blur" the background and create some quirkiness in the image. Through manipulating the settings, though, the subject (me) would still stay in focus.

During the shoot I had two outfit changes. Both of the evening wear were designed and made by my friend in Holland, Farzana Warasta. I have previously shot quite a number of times with her dresses because I love how they flatter my build and of course, the colours are so beautiful! The first outfit was a black tube dress with gold specks on it fastened with a thick gold chain to add some bling-bling to it. The second outfit was a vibrant cobalt blue halter dress with frills, one of my favourites. They certainly went very well with Tokyo's colourful nightlife!

Sean was so kind to invite me for a bite to eat. We had some Taiwanese food, which is spicy and delicious. Intelligent and articulate, he was very interesting to speak to and he seems to enjoy his day job involving computer games. After the shoot, we hopped onto a taxi to Shinagawa station near where his hotel was. We even continued shooting during the ride! Now that was quite cool. I was to be sitting relaxed with the background of Tokyo city passing by among the neon lights while the cab was moving.

This was the first time I've done an outdoors shoot in the evening. And in Tokyo of all places! I have never even done one in London! Perhaps when am back there, it would be something to consider about doing, perhaps in Soho or by the Thames. Amsterdam would be good too, in where else but the Red Light District!

Sean was very quick at producing the results. He said he was too impatient! Considering only 36 hours or so passed since stepping off the plane from London with an 8-hour time difference from Tokyo, I must say I was quite amazed how much better the pictures turned out than I had expected. Thank you so much Sean for this wonderful opportunity. It's always wonderful to do shoot something different, especially abroad!

For more pics on this shoot, please click on my FLICKR PAGE!

Elegantly Erotic with Helyos Photography

Again my apologies for not updating my whatabouts. A lot of preparation for my present Tokyo Tour! Just before leaving, I had the pleasure of working with the photographer behind Helyos Photography, an Italian living in Hengelo, Holland, near the German border. He found me on Deviant Art, where I have a profile, and asked if we could work together. I was most chuffed as his work is most outstanding and so well thought out. Much of his work involves fine art nudity focussing on the beauty of the female form which very few photographers manage to capture. We set the date for Saturday 10 September 2011.

The train ride from Amsterdam was two hours but it was well worth the trip. When picked up at Hengelo station, I was rather surprised to notice how much younger the photographer was than I had imagined. Yet he was certainly very pleasant and intelligent with a very mature and professional attitude towards his work. I immediately felt at ease with him. We walked to his flat about 10 minutes walk where the "studio" was.

The set was a simple yet effective one. A futon bed was plonked in the corner of his lounge by the balcony which gave ample natural light. With white as the intended background, the futon was covered by a soft white sheet and scattered with a couple of big white fluffy cushions to add more structure and dimension. The whiteness gave a crispy edge to the images especially amid my tanned complexion and black cloth used as a prop. We started with a warm up shoot, typically in which I wore some lingerie. The bulk of the shoot though was all nude. I also asked if I could do some "anonymous" close ups of body parts which he was happy to do.

The photographer was a perfectionist and very meticulous in his work. Knowing exactly what he wanted, he gave me detailed directions on where exactly to lie down or place my hands or feet. I was more than happy to oblige because I too wanted to have perfect results! We also experimented with various poses which we got inspired through other people's work we saw on Deviant Art. We realised that some didn't work but also modified them to suit my stature. We shot for a few good hours...

I have been receiving the results bit by bit as he edits them. So far I've been extremely elated with the images! His post-production skills are also to be commended. I love how he softens the black/white contrast to give a more velvet feel to the image. It really makes the explicit poses look so much more sophisticated.

We plan on working together again soon. I can't wait! For this shoot, I do recall him asking me to bring some Japanese kimono which I didn't have so I may pick up a yukata or a cloth on my way back to Amsterdam. I thoroughly enjoy working with creative photographers and exchanging ideas. That's a true Artiste! Thank you so much for your time and for producing such beautiful work of art.

For more images from this shoot, please browse through my Flickr page!

Miu is in Uniform in Antwerp!

What a pleasant change to go back to fetish shoots! It's nice to get my creative self back on the track. For the third time, I had the pleasure of shooting with Joris Bruyninkcx over in Antwerp on 24 August 2011. A year has passed since we worked together for the first time! Since then, we also shot in Brussels, if you recall some of the daring ones I had done at the train station and the hallway and lifts at the Hilton Hotel!

Joris picked me up at Antwerp Berchem station and this time, took us to a derelict school building. How he finds these places is a complete mystery to me but I hear that derelict buildings in Belgium are, unlike Holland and the UK, not as difficult to come by. All I was instructed was to bring a long were two pairs of shoes, one black & one white, along with black and white lingerie sets with matching stockings & suspenders. I was very curious to find out what Joris had in his goody bag this time!

There were to be three scenarios. The first two were with me in a nurse's uniform, while the last one with me as a schoolgirl. Unlike these cheesy imitiations one gets at "Fancy Dress" shops, these are genuine uniforms sourced through Joris' connections with the theatre industry. The only thing he did was make the nurse's caps by white cardboard!

And wow, the venue was so perfect! An old school building complete with grafitti and even the blackboard still had writing on it! So eerie and scary indeed. When we entered, there was another photographer shooting at one of the classrooms so it must be a popular spot as well! The ground though was rather wet and muddy, and I was secretly cringing as the only pair of white shoes I have in Amsterdam is a brand-new designer one! But oh well, they can be wiped after use, and besides, it's worth the wear for this photoshoot!

For the first nurse outfit, I was to be cute, sweet and glamour-like. So underneath the uniform was a pair of white stockings and suspenders for added naughtiness. Later on, I was to get my hands tied up on the doorknob with some rope, looking helpless.

The second nurse's set wast to be the complete opposite! Joris had already prepared the nurse's tunic by painting some red spots on them to make them look like blood. The tunic was then tied from the back revealing my backside. With the outfit came a pair of white over-the-knee socks with a Red Cross on the base. I was then handed over with a chainsaw, pretending I've just about killed someone. So psycho nurse I was!

The final set was of me in a schoolgirl uniform! In the past, Joris' shoot of me dressed in a Japanese seira-fuku and in a Belgian private-school uniform was a real hit. I apparently play the role of a naughty schoolgirl quite well. That's because I was naughty when I was a schoolgirl, that's why! Joris provided me with an American Catholic School uniform which he found on eBay. And what to wear underneath it? A pair of white panties of course! What fun that was. I think it was my favourite set, as it not only brought back childhood memories, but having gone to a strict snotty Catholic school myself, helped released all the repression and smack in the middle of a classroom!

We continued this school uniform set at a construction site where Joris drove us. The next venue was a hut which looked like it was built from a huge container. Funnily enough, we were able to see trucks driving in and out from a distance, and despite shooting at visible locations, all were quite oblivious to what was going on, even during the scene where I was to sit on the floor and mischievously pull my knickers off. We recalled that the first time we shot at a derelict site a year, the police walked in on us!

To conclude the day, we did some topless lingerie shots. From fetish to glamour! I wore a pair of black/red knickers that had suspenders attached, along with a pair of black stockings. Unfortunately, we couldn't take our time over this set as Joris had to pick his children up and I had a train to catch. But we know there's always going to be a next time!

The train ride back to Amsterdam took 4 hours, about twice as long as going to Antwerp. Due to technical problems, we had to hop on a slow train and change near the border and wait for 45 minutes for the connecting train back home. I must say I was miraculously not even stressed as I thought about what a fun shoot I had and how it was worth this adventurous journey! Thank you, Joris, for making it enjoyable again! Can't wait to shoot with you yet again soon!!!

For more of Miu's images for this shoot, please go to Flickr:

Naughty Nurse
Psycho Nurse
Naughty Schoolgirl