Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

The last week before Christmas and I am not sure how many more posts I will make before the end of the year. Nearly all the shopping done but I have a shoot in Hampshire on Wednesday and one never knows how many jobs ‘her indoors’ will doll ou between now and then.

I wish all of you that follow me both here and on Flickr a very merry Christmas and I hope that the new year brings you everything that you wish for.

The model for this image is Victoria Summers

Merry Christmas with Victoria Summers

A pillow fight

Thought you might all enjoy this.

I shot it at Studland this year with Raphaella and Monika and the help of Nikita Sablier for the styling.

Click here to see the pillow fight

31 entries for December NM Best Picture of Day

Net Model has had a daily competition for best picture of the day for some time and I enter once in a while to keep my profile in front of that audience and hopefully win. I do once in a while which is always a pleasant surprise.

This month they are having a special competition for all the winning entries for the month of December. I have taken this as a personal challenge. To try and put together 31 images that are worthy of entering a competition. Being the old fool that I am, I need to keep a record of what I enter or I am sure I will duplicate myself and that would be unforgivable.

So here we go. This being a blog which is not rated I have not shown any of the entries that are considered not suitable for children as I would hate to offend. I have given the links but remember to not open if you think you might be offended.

I will update as the rest of the month goes forward.

1 December

2 December

The results are in

These boots are made for walking

Yes we have a winner. Amie was your choice with a majority of 1. The actual results are below. Thank you so much to the thirty three people that voted, it has been a great help.

Gallery Poll Results

All the models I work with are always amazing and so I have no favourites.

Well done Amie and her Gallery will be going up shortly.

Model Photography Casting

I am still looking for models for my personal project of a series of naughty postcards.

Are you interested then look at this page and contact me.

Naughty Postcard 2

Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish is the photographer I was referring to in “being a tourist in my home town”.

Joe Cornish is someone I have admired for some time, my sister has an enormous collection of his work, she sends out his calendars and this year was even an unusual Christmas card which is unwittingly a limited edition. I would say she is a fan also. I always enjoy looking at any of his work which in the main has been some stunning views of the North Yorkshire moors. This being just one example

Kirby Knowle

He is one photographer that would be able to give you the golden times for any part of that moor without having to look it up.

I have only just started seeing his work of London and already am a fan. “Oxo” is the image that has really captured me on this trip and I am proud to share it with you now:

Oxo

Being a tourist in my home town

Last night I spent the night in London, the place where I grew up but left many years ago now. I must say I felt like a country bumpkin and according to ‘her indoors’ also looked like one. It was the dilapidated 20 year old Barber I am sure

I went for my first London Net Model gathering and another rowdy bunch they were too.

I especially enjoyed my wander around Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. The sights, sounds and smells were a delight. Christmas is definitely upon us with carol singers singing in the square itself and the buskers wailing out Christmassy things.

I stayed at my sister’s flat down on Shad Thames, no view from there but great surrounds and some marvelous pictures by Joe Cornish. The new one sitting on the floor would make anyone drool. A London scene that makes you gasp.

I woke up this morning later than normal, no chickens, dogs and cats to attend to, so did not catch the golden light. As I walked to the tube station, I couldn’t resist this one, Hope you enjoy it.

Tower Bridge - A December morning

Good to be back home in front of a warm fire but thank you little sister for your hospitality, I switched everything off that was supposed to be switched off and left the sheets on the bed in case we come back again soon.

14

The Poll closes Sunday

Still trying to decide which Gallery to start first to my web site. So far 19 votes and Amie leads the pack.

Make your voice heard and vote now

Guest Post – Matt Harper’s Top Tips for Newbie Glamour Models

Matt Harper has been a professional photographer for the last 5 years and beside exciting his clients with his wedding and portrait photography, he also specializes in Glamour and has worked with many established and aspiring models to produce some stunning glamour images. In fact he is affectionately known as General Gusset by his peers.

Victoria

I needed to add to my series of Top Tips For Models and asked Matt to give his advice on this blog, which he graciously agreed to do. Here are his words of wisdom but if you continue the content may not be suitable for children.

Do you re-touch your portrait photographs?

This is another question I am often asked. The answer is in most case almost certainly especially if the subject is female.

I was talking to a wedding photographer one time and I asked the same question. He told me that if he doesn’t re-touch he gets far less final sales.

The key is not to do too much. Don’t make a sixty year old look like a 30 year old but taking 5 or ten years off will almost certainly get you a sale.

You saw some images of Annie Moya yesterday. At 26 she has beautiful skin and to skin smooth her until she looks like a plastic mannequin would be a sin. She had a few small spots on her chin, you poor girls must hate those hormones doing that to you, and so a little spot removing with the clone tool is all that is needed.

Here is a before and after to show you what I did to her.

After Photshop

You will also find a few more examples here.