A Visual Catch Up

Hanging upside down on the stairs | Baking Cookies | Illustrating Practice  Of Devendra Banhart| Discarded Flowers| Lighting Practice| Brownie Baking

I wanted to check in with all of those that read my blog and let you know what I've been up to recently. Whilst I may not always be modelling I have been keeping myself busy with other activities!  
I've recently been getting stuck in with my video production course, experimenting with lighting setups and occupying myself with both the planning and pre production of a horror special effects project.  As part of the pre production process I've got to revisit some of my favourite horror productions like Dead Set and the spanish horror film Rec , studying sure comes a lot easier when you get to watch movies you love as 'research'! One of the tasks we were set was to select a shot from a film and emulate it, thats what I'm doing in the shot above for her a fellow film student- lying upside down on some stairs.

Elsewhere I've been baking ALOT, it started out about two weeks ago with ONE batch of cookies. They were so popular in our house that I've been chained to the stove and forced to cook more sweet treats. Slight exaggeration aside, I really do enjoy cooking from scratch, experimenting with different ingredients and giving all retailers of cookies and brownies a run for their money. Theres pasta in the pipeline, I also made my own pesto last week. Can we tick off Domestic Goddess yet?

I recently got round to listening to Devendra Banhart's new album 'Mala', another album of the dreamboat's folk flavouring. It was a delight with my favourite tracks being; 'Never Been Such Good Things', 'You're Fine Petting Duck' and 'Golden Girls'.  Listening to Banhart's soothing sounds and finely tuned instrumentation really should be done with a glass of vino in hand, whilst lounging in an hammock- that is the only thing missing! This inspired me to play around with a photograph of his, I was very keen to attempt a digital illustration but I couldn't bring myself to destroy him! Practice makes perfect though!

I've also been pitching lots of new reviews to publications, there are so many gigs I want to go to in the coming months, ones not to be missed and that will hopefully provide good reading. I'm soon to be blogging on the Huffington Post's new student blog section too! I'm so excited about writing this year and I'm snapping up any opportunities to do just that, so stay tuned!

I'm working flat out at the moment, aiming to be in a constant state of 'beta' creation and grab those opportunities with both hands! So I just want to say thank you to all those who take the time to read this and say that I look forward to sharing my journey with you.

Abitha xo

Tweet me your thoughts @abitha_arabella | Email me: bookings@abitha.co.uk| Or leave a comment!

about.me/abitha.pallett

To Love Kuvaa

Another modelling job, another lookbook! This time it was for FashAddict brand 'To Love Kuvaa'. So once again I hopped the metropolitan line boarding almost to the very end to meet Pip Wass, Rie Williams and Chloe Hilaire at Liverpool Street and shoot the Spring/Summer lookbook in the middle of a bitterly cold English winter! 

After a browse of the twee feminine pieces I'd be modelling, Chloe quickly set to work on my hair and makeup and did an amazing job I might add. All three girls at currently studying their vocations and qualifications at the London College Of Fashion. Just when you think you've mastered make up you meet scores of MUAs who have the midas touch and can transform your look way beyond your own (or my own to be frank) ability. Chloe put curls and waves in before back brushing my locks to create some admirable volume. And painted a picture of girly perfection onto ma visage using a pink lipstick, defining eyeliner and a soft silvery eyeshadow. 

As you can see from the above picture I was a slightly disgruntled with shooting in such little clothing in the freezing cold but its a skill I'm honing even it does result in a terrible cold. Rie and Chloe were absolutely lovely and really helpful though, buying me a cuppa, following me around with my coat between shots and running me over with a hairdryer each time we got back to base. You also couldn't ask for a more attentive MUA, whenever there was a flyaway or a little more of this or that had to be sorted Miss Hilaire was right there at the scene of the crime. As was Rie, the stylist who tended to every pinning needed and ensured the clothes sat right between poses. 

Here are just a few of the end results:

Of course I haven't forgotten upcoming photographer Pip Wass, who I discovered is also from the shire (Thats Buckinghamshire, Darling!) yet another 'Its a small world' frequent occurrences. Doing my research prior to the shoot I was delighted to see that Pip has already developed her own style. One of dreamy muted colours and pastels colours. Pip has a well trained eye on what looks good from behind the lens and with all of collective efforts I'm glad to have achieved some great shots that I hope will please the designer and everyone who comes across them!

Links: Pip Wass  Chloe Hilaire Rie Williams

My First Shoot Of 2013: De Sachy Browne

Being a freelance model with no other parties to promote you let alone apply to casting calls for you it's amazing how a little (a lot) of meticulous searching can score you your next modelling gig. This one was via Twitter, thanks to the dozens of photographers and creative sites I follow I saw that a photographer was looking for a model and jumped on the 'reply' function to sell myself. That's what you have to do with these things, market yourself, sound obnoxiously big headed but nonetheless sell yourself. And when you score that job your shameless (or not so) self promotion doesn't seem all that bad because it paid off.  Emails exchanged and details confirmed and then boom. My body decides this would be the perfect time to contract a cold the day before the shoot. I'd been itching to get back on the proverbial clothes horse job ever since the clock turned midnight on New Years Eve. January is a quiet month I had to remind myself as the creative industry get back on their feet post christmas. I was determined not to back out of this job so that I did not and soldiered on.

Once I got out of the cold and into the studio my cold eased off for the duration. I met the most wonderful team (though everyone I get to work with are the most wonderful at said time). The very talented make up artist that is Kate Littlejohn, the two Irish designers come stylists for the day Marie De Sachy and Jennifer Browne, the bubbly photographer Jason Alden and his hard working assistant Tim Bowditch and the beautiful italian model Djada.

Thanks to the MUA and designers, we covered lots of looks and designs much to photographer Jason's surprise each time I came back out to shoot I looked completely different. I also got to add my own art direction and poses, its always nice to get a little bit of creative reign especially if its a fresh idea previously unthought of and beneficial to the client. Another highlight included the cave constructed by Jason and Tim out of polystyrene boards so that we could achieve some tight headshots. Time flies when you're working and having fun and it was soon time to head back out into the dreaded cold. I had so much fun once again and I'm happy to have done my first shoot of 2013!  I'll post the final pics when I have them! Until then...
Abitha xo

Photo Shoot With Marshall Kappel

Towards the end of 2012 I modelled for Marshall Kappel , a well travelled photographer hailing from the states.  Here are some of the end results!

After running the (so I'm told) fifteen minute walk from Ladbroke Grove to Portobello in five minutes I finally arrived on location on the corner of that renown road(After much stress following bus replacement, misguiding tfl staff and all the lines I needed to be in use closed for work). As I stood there regaining my breath from the aforementioned sprint, I baffled at the huge house standing before me with the correspending number to the email I held in my hands. Really, we're shooting here? I must have got something wrong.   I ascended the steps and rapped on the door. No answer. Christmas shoppers below gawp at me and my bewildered expression.

The door swings open and I am greeted by the photographer before being lead up to the chair for hair and makeup conducted by a sweet French MUA singing along with the pop music being streamed by spotify. My eyes are diverted to the various film cameras lying around and in use, being an amateur film photographer myself I just have to ask questions, carefully though as not to smudge my lipstick. It's actually a mastered technique to be able to articulate yourself verbally without your lips meeting, try it sometime, hard right? 

I am dressed and redressed, in vintage designer clothing, accessories and shoes. Shot and reshot. Taken outside and back in. The hours have flown by and it's time to go home. 

Many thanks to Marshall and the team!

2012: A Retrospective

2012 has been a whirlwind year for me with regards to both modelling and journalism and as it draws to an end I'd like on reflect and thank all the people I've had the pleasure of meeting  and working with.

It all started with uploading a profile to a popular casting site and suddenly I went from that to having three shoots in one week at one point, something I'd hadn't envisaged. However 2012 has brought me into contact with some of the most friendly, aspirational and creative people I've had the pleasure of meeting, here are some highlights.

• Modelling for ESSKA, a London urban footwear brand. We spent the day in and around Primose Hill shooting for the S/S 13 lookbook. It was lovely to work with talented photographer Natalie J Watts and the lovely MUA Chloe Olivia Hiskett. 
• Modelling for GEMMA LAND's ' The Heart Of The Blossom' scarf collection.
• Modelling for Nobuyuki Taguchi, a Japanese photographer specialising in fine art photography. I had a lot of fun experimenting with extreme hairstyles and impromptu hair accessories i.e cabbage!
• Modelling the designs of a candidate going up for Dazed and Confused magazine's 'Spirit of Toughness Award'.
• Working on the lookbook for my dear friend Steven Alley's brand ALLEY CLOTHING.
• Working with Ravensbourne university students to create a campaign for River Island based on their fashion designs. See Video Here

And so much more!

This year I also had the pleasure of scribing again for CLASH magazine and LIVE magazine. Covering Hop Farm Festival at which I got to see Bob Dylan at his only UK date this year,  SW4 Festival, Bestival and Freeze Festival!

2013 is shaping up to be a year of continued and greater success for both myself and many budding creatives in the industry and I'm very much looking forward to it. I just want to thank everyone that has worked with me, supported me and encouraged me without you I wouldn't have been able to experience all that I have this year and blossomed in my self. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

@abitha_arabella

http://www.facebook.com/abithaarabella

http://abitha-arabella.tumblr.com

Email: bookings@abitha.co.uk