Well, what can I say? It's always fun collaborating with my good friend Summah. Even when she's very ill, it's the middle of winter and she wants me to wear a dress three sizes too small (in the chest area! Seriously though... I think we did such a good job of hiding that!) The dress is from Free People and I was styled by Summah in her own fabulous bohemian clothes.

I love how the rocky ones look like they're in the desert or some rugged hot landscape but we were actually right beside the road up the Maitai Valley! Sorry to spoil that for you... 

Photography is so magical! I think we did a really good job overall and we had a great time, so I hope you enjoy the results of our little adventure.

Be sure to check out Summah Noakes Photography on Facebook. Thanks heaps to Isaac for your driving and assistance.

xxx
M

The water was just as cold as it looks - absolutely freezing - as it was the middle of winter when we decided to do venture to Wainui Falls for this photoshoot. It was something Storm and I had talked about for ages so it felt amazing to see the final images. It was all a bit hurried because obviously it was very very cold so the whole photoshoot only lasted about five minutes. It would have been hilarious if someone had walked up to see the waterfall and seen us busily sellotapeing leaves onto our nude underwear and awkwardly scrambling down the bank into the icey water, but thankfully no one did.

The blurriness on the pictures seems intentional now but it was actually caused by the misty water vapor that sprayed onto the camera lens. Funny how everything works so perfectly but never exactly as we had planned - but that's life, and that's the same with any kind of art really.

Storm is always so wonderful to work with because once he has an idea he will make it happen. He has such amazing creative vision and talent, I am constantly inspired by him. I'm very pleased with the outcome of these shots and can't wait to see more! 

xxx
M

I recently helped out Emma with her latest project for her photography course which was using Man Ray as an artist model. These are some of the final images. I love them so much! Especially the vintage portraity ones.

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​M

Collaborating with these two lovely ladies was amazing, yet again! It was totally spontaneous aswell because Gabrielle had asked if she could join me photographing Sundari, who was leaving in a few days. And then I also ended up modeling - aswell as being behind the camera - that day.

I really liked it when Gabrielle posted one of these shots and called it 'Sun and Moon.' I feel like that fits us perfectly. We compliment eachother - she has glowing tanned skin and beachy blond hair (also her name is literally Sunnie) and I'm sort-of pale, luminescent, and curvy.

We only had two hours to do both photoshoots and the light was disappearing fast. I think sometimes the best things happen when you have limitations like that. Cheers Isaac for assisting and doing some behind the scenes photography, which I shall post soon aswell...

Don't forget to check out Gabrielle Wee Art Clique on facebook and Instagram for more photos from this series and click here for behind the scenes.

xxx
M

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of collaborating with three talented young woman for this photoshoot titled 'Wandering Spirits' by Summah Noakes. Modeling alongside me is Sunnie Zuleta and Gabrielle Wee, who are also both amazing photographers. 

We gathered at the Wainui Falls carpark in our beautiful hometown, Golden Bay, and slowly made our way up to the falls. Stopping many times to get shots of us chilling on the huge boulders and playing in the trees.

Massive thanks to Isaac for driving us there and assisting on the shoot and to Marama, for bringing her all the way from Nelson just for the day.

I had so much fun modeling for this project! You guys were a dream to work with! Don't forget to check out Summah Noakes Photography to see the rest of the images in this series.

xxx
M

I love it when Emma messages me with details of her latest photography project! It's so fun to dress up and play around trying to match an artist model's style, whom in this case was Maggie Taylor, who is actually a surrealist painter.

The final image that she handed in is the one with the frame and the bunny photoshopped in, and the rest are some of our favourites.

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​M

This was my first time modeling for Emma and it was such an awesome experience! The setting was perfect to match Edward Hopper's painting style and we borrowed these gorgeous vintage dresses from the drama society. The Shady Rest is so beautiful inside, I definitely want to go back there when I have the right project.

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​M

A couple of weeks before this Storm posted a photo of him lying in this fountain but while it was empty, I asked him where this beautiful place existed and he promised to take me there some day. And it was so magical in real life as well!

Obviously when we got there the fountain had been refilled with water and I couldn't resist jumping in! I adore the shot of me lying in the water - it felt exactly how it looks. 

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​M

This collaboration was so much fun! Patrick's sister Maggie Conlon had made this amazing wearable art piece and given it to him to use for a photography project. So Storm and I missioned over to Patrick's and got to work.

It felt so strange and different but I really enjoyed embodying this quirky creature with extraterrestrial vibes! It's my favourite kind of modeling, where you're wearing something completely different to normal and need to totally change your mannerisms to suit it, rather than just posing and looking conventionally beautiful.

There's so many photos but these are the one's that Storm has already edited and shared, so hopefully there's more to come sometime soon.

xxx
M

So the other day I was just chilling at home in Takaka and Gabrielle messages me asking if I want to come out to hers to do a photoshoot. I almost didn't even make it because I couldn't get a ride there but mum suddenly realized she'd forgotten something in town so she said we could have one hour max!

First we jumped over some fences onto the neighbor's farmland and did a few levitation shots which were soo much fun! Then I climbed up on a massive tree that had fallen over in a recent storm, but was somehow still growing fresh leaves, I think half of it's roots were still in the ground. That was pretty amazing, I was at least three meters up in the air balancing on the tree trunk. I told Gabrielle that in any normal situation I'd say "hell no I'm not going up there!" but for the sake of art I'd do it without question! Then we went back to her house where she'd prepared a little studio backdrop where we played around with bubbles and mirrors.

Check out her page Gabrielle Wee Art Clique and follow her on Instagram @art_clique for more of her amazing photography and artwork. This girl is seriously talented!

xxx
M

This was my second time collaborating with Summah. I went over to her place with a bag of clothes and we went across the road to the park. It was autumn so we got some awesome shots in the dead leaves, and the rest were taken in and around her house. 

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M

So just because it's such an awkward story, I shall share it with you... This is how Storm and I met; I was op-shopping alone, just casually browsing The Great Mistake for interesting new items. Then I turned around as two beautiful people walked in the door. I thought to myself "Oh wow, they have the coolest style, definitely look like a couple of models. I wish that I was brave enough to go and talk to them but I'm far to shy. Oh well..." and went back to my browsing. A little while later I glance up and notice them staring in my direction and smiling. It was one of those moments where I wasn't sure if they were actually looking at me or at something behind me, so I just didn't move. I just stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Then something that I never ever expected happened, the guy approached me and told me that he loved my style and would love to photograph me some time. He took some photo's there on his phone and we kept in contact after that. And finally, yesterday, it actually happened. 

I'm so grateful for my life and all the amazing people in it. This just makes me think, what if every time I see a cool looking person I actually go and talk to them instead of just thinking about it. Imagine how many awesome experiences I may have missed out on just because I was too shy. So from now on I'm going to speak my mind and make an effort to meet new people. Because why not?

I hope you like the final images, I love them. Storm was absolutely amazing to work with, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I truly admire his imagination, creative vision and talent.

See photos from behind the scenes here.

xxx
M

These absolutely amazing masks were made at Community Art Works in Nelson, a huge thanks to Karl Wulff for letting us borrow them! This photoshoot was a collaboration between all of the models, Summah Noakes and myself. I was the stylist and I modeled aswell and Summah did the photography and designed the original concept. Be sure to check out Summah Noakes Photography on Facebook.

And click here for behind the scenes.

xxx
​M