A Tale of Bink

My trip to Scotland this month was a short but lovely one. I got to see lots of people and had a super wonderful time.

I’ll do a full post about it when I can but for now I want to focus on just 3 days of my stay. I got a train to Inverness where I met Mr Alex Ingram. My train journey was beautiful. Train journeys in Scotland are some of my ultimate favorites out of everywhere I have been.

My top 5 includes the East Coast Line, London to Edinburgh. I start getting excited when the train pulls into Newcastle. From their on the scenary is familar and never boring. Scotland has this rugid beauty. It’s the rough and ready kind. It looks good no matter what’s going on, come rain or shine. Or 10ft of snow. It looks bloody wonderful. The train leans round the coast speeding you through the boarders. I always get a train that will see me through sunset. It’s well worth the bother of checking train times. It’s just so insanely beautiful to look at.

The train journey I took to meet Alex and Ivory Flame was no different. Polmont to Stirling. Stirling to Inverness. Beautiful. Alex was waiting for me at the platform. It was a bit of an occasion for me as normally I would of seen Alex at least once already this year but due to him being snowed in and then me being snowed in. The weather has but a stop to any plans. So simply arriving was fantastic. Alex even took a photo to mark the event!

Just moments after I arrived Ivory Flame’s train was pulling in on the platform opposite my train, just minutes apart. It was a marvelous example of trains running on time and just doing what they are meant to do. Which makes me happy. People slate the trains so much, and I feel this overwhelming need to stick up for them. I spend so much of my life on them. Being on a train  feels like being at home, and I’m sure people don’t like their homes being insulted. So this was lovely, two on time trains arriving next to each other. One for me and one for Flame.

And there it was, the first time the three of us had been in the UK together. We’ve managed to meet up in other countries, just never our own. Madness!

Left to Right. Alex, Ivory Flame, Joceline, Me – Australia 2009

It was also the first time Flame and I have been together in Scotland. We’ve managed every other part of the UK and Ireland but some how Scotland has just never come together for us. So we snapped a picture of us at the Inverness Train Station sign. Proof we were there, bags and all. I look some what like a fat penguin.

The drive back to Alex’s was stunning. Cross country from the East coast and over to the west. I love the West Coast of Scotland. It feels like going home. I recognize most things and have a real interest for the area. I do my best to remember names and places, routes and directions. I want to know all there is about it, it’s such an inspiring place. One of few I know where humans really are just a small part of the landscape, not a dominant feature. The highland cattle, the deer, rivers and mountains. Every one should visit this place in their lifetime.

We got up the next morning to some rather dismal weather. It wasn’t great. The mountains were half covered by cloud. But it didn’t dampen our spirits as we hoped into the car and off location scouting. Every time I go I ask Alex for a new location. And most recently locations new to him. These aren’t easy to find when you’ve been living in the area for so long. Driving up the Bealach na Ba – look it up it’s worth it – and back down again. When suddenly Flame scouted a beautiful lochan with wonderful reflections on the near still water. Loch Fada it was. New to all of us.

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Mission complete. Although this was a social visit as neither of us had seen Alex since October 2009 we all wanted to get an image done. It’s unfortunate that I can’t simply can’t convey how cold that water was mind you, it might make you appreciate the end image even more! We hit the road once more and off to Kinlochewe with a fabulous view of Torridon Mountains as we went. It was a great trip. Beautiful scenery. Lots of picture stops as we went. Originally I wanted a snow photo. I’ve wanted one ever since I first went up to stay with Alex. But once more it was not to be. But the image we did get more then made up for it.

All to soon it was time to pack our bags and get to sleep ready for heading off the next day – this will be one of my next blog entries with any luck! I had a marvelous time and simply can’t wait to go back. I’m planning my next visit already

Starting off with some lovely nude work, soft and feminine shapes :

These images were from a sleep and shape series. Rebecca is really good at prompting with words to draw out poses and describing what it is she wants to acheive. By the end of the sleep series I don’t think there wasn’t an inch of the studio floor I hadn’t rolled over lazily yawning and stretching my way up into more upright poses.

Next was a fashion nude set, from an image Rebecca had found of J-Lo! I wasn’t sure about it but Rebecca was so enthusiastic about it and I’m really happy with the end result.

Lastly we did some headshots and some belly dance inspired images, I love the portrait. I  love that you can see one of the lights in the background of the image. It just makes me think of some wannabe starlet on their first big debut night. Feeling happy and confident. Love it. The belly dance images were fun, it’s not often I’m asked to bend and twist my body into shapes that cause folds in the skin along my waist!

I had an amazing day with Rebecca, the 4 hours flew by with her endless ideas and enthusiasm. Everything was so well organised and the energy just flowed from set to set. She really just lets her imagination run riot and isn’t anti anything image wise. If it looks good, it looks good. No rules is a great basis to play

I see life as a journey, we don’t live to have regrets or for any specific purpose. We may find a cause to which we are suited, we may. Life is about learning and growing, basic needs and interests drive us to be who we are & what we will become. Travelling through this journey working as a model you can really see these things. A models life is captured in images. Good days and the bad days. We wouldn’t know what the good times were without the bad, and the same applies to images. Every model has an image or images of themselves that they don’t like for what ever reason, but without these images we wouldn’t appreciate the truely great ones.

I’ve met alot of people during my time as a model. I’ve been in transit for over two and half years. I call my Dad’s house home, but I’m lucky if I’m there more then 3 times a year. I travel around, England, Europe, the world. It’s too easy. You just go online, book your ticket and off you go. The more I travel round this world of ours the more I realize that places are magical and beautiful. They can move you, quieten you or energize you. But it’s the people you meet along the way that make it an experience. Turn you from an observer into a participant. They include you and make you a part of the scene in which you find yourself. I do photoshoots as I go along, always hoping to do some location work in every new place I go to capture it how it was when I was there, to be a part of it. It’s then the images that capture these moments and make them last forever.

Looking back on images make me smile and some times make me sad. I like feeling both, remembering that point in time. The conversations that were had, the experience of that shoot or place. How that person & time has influenced me & my life now. There are too many wonderful, beautiful people that I have met to even begin to list them all here but there are some influencial ones. People that have really shaped and moulded how I think, feel and act without knowing it. They are people that I can not imagine being without & people that will continue to inspire me.

Alex Ingram

Alex Ingram is a photographer based up in the Highlands of Scotland. Scotland is one of my favourite places in the world. It’s got a ruggid beauty that sweeps you into a magical world where nothing but you and the mountains & lochs seem to exist. I first worked with Alex in Scotland, and have since been there 4 times. Alex has become a friend, as well as the taker of my favourite image. Alex really works with his models, he truly believes in it to be a collaboration. I enjoy the trust that we have, and I know he shares with other models, that I can pose and he will capture it. There have been times when we have had to communicate with hand signals as I have been too far away to hear him but the images always work out. Always working on location, every shoot still holds vivid memories for me. Be it just how cold that waterfall was or how high that rock in Sedonna is, it’s fantastic. Alex has a way of harnessing natural light no matter what the conditions. The image feautured is my personal favourite image that I have been a part of. Shot on a dismal dreary day, in a tiny stone building in the middle of no where. We weren’t hopeful due to the weather conditions but this is the shot that we got. It was one of very few frames and will always be in my portfolio. For me it sums up my take on art nude, and Scotland. It’s an image of memories of so many things – thank you Mr Alex.

Ivory Flame

I first worked with IvoryFlame in 2007. I was incredibley excited to meet and work with her, I travelled 6 hours on the train each way just to do so. She was the model that I saw the work of when I first started and just thought “wow, this is what I want to be doing”. Since then I have the pleasure to call her my friend. I know I can rely on her. IvoryFlame has taught me to appreciate myself and my existance more. To love myself. And if I’m not I know she’ll be the first person to turn around and give me a compliment to pick me up again. Since that first shoot we have come along way, studio days and tours under our belt and more to come. We have worked in 3 different continents together as well as around Europe. She consistantly produces jaw dropping work with people & is an inspiration to many. I’ll always feel proud to have worked with her & feel happiness as I look back on our images. I check her portfolio every time I log on to check my mail, just incase theres something new there. You can view more of her work at : www.ivoryflame.co.uk – her beautiful website.

Image by Cam Attree

Zoe Wiseman

I haven’t known Zoe very long, a little over a year. And I have only met her twice but she is some one that I hold very dear. I can trust Zoe for an honest opinion on everything! I think any one that knows her will tell you the same. What you see is what you get with that woman and I love her for it. She modelled herself and now spends her time on the other side of the camera. She appreciates the work the model has to do cause she’s been there herself and this really shows up in images. Models look at ease, happy & relaxed. Shooting with Zoe is like a walk in the park, everything about it feels completely natural…like every body takes art nude pictures of their friends. When I work with Zoe I feel inspired to be a strong feminine person, standing tall and proud. I have to thank Zoe for making me realise how important being honest with yourself and your friends can be, to trust in them and have them trust in you. To face problems together and not alone . Despite being half a world away from this lady, I know that I can mail her any time and get a swift, funny, informative reply. This shot is from our most recent shoot in Australia :

Mick Waghorne

Mick. I always look forward to shooting with Mick. I swear his favourite pastime is seeing just how far he can push my good nature! Shoots are always eventful and time passes quickly, it helps that he always has my favourite sandwiches in for lunch too. When in the UK I work with Mick around once a month & things have never gotten boring. Normally in the studio Mick has really mastered his lighting technique. I can spot one of his images a mile off which is something that is often hard for photographers to achieve; that distinction from everybody else, but Mick’s got it. He’s very honest in what he likes and doesn’t like but then acts on it to improove on what we have already captured & pushes me to do better too. He doesn’t just accept it, he wants to do if you can do more & this attitude really does make you want to do more somehow. Even though sometimes it’s not physically possible. I’ve had to remind him a few times that I simpley don’t have a joint half way down my calf so no my leg can’t go there. Mick makes me smile & his images are all over my portfolio, I feel that our working relationship is as good as it gets & that makes me very happy.

Adam Robertson

Not strictly an art nude photographer, but some one I can’t not mention. I’ve been talking to Adam online throughout my modelling career. Always planned to do a shoot, and 2 and a bit years later we got round to doing it. Both of our work has changed and developed a lot since we first talked and it was with great anticipation that we did our first shoot. We got on very well online & so I was hopeful it would be the same during the shoot. It was, so much so we had to pause from shooting cause my tummy hurt too much from giggling. We form Team Binkertson – see what we did there?! Adam and I shot art nude, corsets and latex. We got images that really stand out from the rest of my portfolio cause they are so different. Adam keeps me laughing no matter what is going on in my life, he doesn’t even mind when I ring him from Australia and wake him up at silly AM. He’s just a human shaped ball of happy.

Modelling is a journey, we all learn as we go. About our job, the people we work with, the world we live in. It’s all so important. I have so many people to thank for helping me be me, to do the things I do. I can’t mention everyone in one post, so expect there to be more like this in the future.

Thank you & love to you all,

Binky

I have a real love for Scotland.  I can’t get enough of the place. Every time I go I find myself in this little dream world where every place I look I’m mesmerized by what I see. Everything is beautiful. It’s a bit ruggid, a bit rough round the edges. But stunningly beautiful. Everyone should go – immediately! I don’t think anyone could be disappointed with the landscape, especially on the West Coast. I go to Scotland as often as I can, I think I’m averaging 5 times a year at the moment!

On my most recent trip I spent a  lot more time on the East coast and was treated to some amaezing locations. The following image, taken by John, was taken during a lovely warm afternoon in a series of derelict buildings. It was a fabulous shoot, John and his wife working as a team to sort out the locations (tidy broken glass out the way etc) setting up and composing the image. It’s a wonderful way of working, very relaxed but prodcutive. This is my favorite image from our time there :

Some people love my long hair, some people hate it. Some times I can’t imagine not having it for posing with, some times it just gets in the way.

But now an image which I called ” I have hair – see? ” seems to be incredibly popular. This pleases me a lot as it was such a fun shoot and I like the image so much. Often I find an image I like, others don’t. So it’s nice that people seem to be agreeing with me on this one.

Here it is