Film Stills

Photography by Maria Dragan Styling by Emma Makeup by Chezni Rose

Back in August I was invited to take part in a creative shoot with a photographer I've worked with before, Maria Dragan. She is an incredible talent and I was really honoured when she said she wanted to take my picture.

I was styled in vintage by Emma who owns an amazing vintage boutique in Topsham called Elegantly Waisted. A couple of outfits were chosen and I thought this brocade dress was incredibly beautiful, even if it was made for a much bustier woman than I! Emma made the headdress herself and it's just lovely. A wonderful MUA called Chezni made up my face with a smoky eye and strong lip that I could never redo at home!

 We initially had a sixties theme in mind but looking back at these pictures a month or so after the shoot I feel this looks almost more Twenties. I love the costume effect and when I was putting these images together for the post I felt they had an almost cinematic quality, as if there had been some sort of party on the harbour or on the boat and suddenly everyone had to leave. The lighting was lovely when these pictures were taken and I hope I have done some justice to the clothes and makeup.

I find it very difficult looking at images of myself; which is such a paradox considering this blog is a personal style one. Maria took so many pictures and I can pick fault with myself in almost all of them (I have to stress that it is definitely down to my own sense of self and not a reflection on the makeup, styling or photography.) I don't know why I don't like what I see a lot of the time, but I struggle to see past the obvious faults I consider I have and that always ruins the overall image for me.

These pictures were the last set that we took from an afternoon's shooting and I think I had finally started to relax and actually enjoy what I was doing. I am not a model, I know that and it's difficult not to look awkward or feel uncomfortable when you aren't used to being in front of a camera; it's different when I pose for blog pictures because I feel it's all about the clothes, so I can put my head down or look away. But having to look right at the camera and have nothing to hide behind can make you feel vulnerable and this always comes across. When I looked at the first sets of images from the shoot I do look uncomfortable, as if I am very self aware and it wasn't really until the last half hour or so that I began to relax and that's why I feel these pictures are the nicest ones.

Anyway, now that some time has passed I have been able to look at the pictures with a new sense of achievement. It was something I'd never done before and actually I see it's less about how I feel I look in the images, and more about the images themselves.

I hope you like them, something a little different but hopefully interesting all the same.

XO Amie