Inspiration

Above: Inspiration collage.  Below: Pieces used to make the collage

            

            

The Visual Female recently set up a Pinterest page which acts as another outlet to showcase images from this blog. Each image that is posted here, will later be pinned to an appropriate board on Pinterest. But, sometimes there are pieces that haven’t made it onto this blog quite yet. For those, I put them onto my ‘Inspiration’ Board. It is also a way for me to repin the amazing visuals I come across from the boards I follow. I wanted to share some pieces from my Inspiration Board, so I decided to make a small collage of a few pieces as seen at the top of the page. And, just so each image gets its own little bit of fame, they are all there as thumbnails. Hopefully either my inspiration collage, or the individual images can get you all a little inspired. If you are on Pinterest, make sure to follow The Visual Female.

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Charlotte Free

I remember reading about Charlotte Free in an article in one of my mum’s magazines when I was visiting home quite a while ago. Only recently has she come back into my radar. Back then I thought she looked cool, and also sounded like a cool person. I still agree. Her name is very fitting, because ‘free’ is exactly how she appears. She is completely comfortable to be herself and that is rare and wonderful these days. I know pink hair is all the rage now, but I kind of imagine that she started it well before it acquired popularity. Plus, I’m pretty sure she still doesn’t shave her armpits, and I don’t think that will be making a comeback anytime soon. I love people who are comfortable to be themselves. And therefore I love Charlotte Free. And you should too. Here are a few snaps from her spread in Wonderland magazine. I love the quirky aspect to the shoot, the vibrancy, and the incorporation of nature and prints. Enjoy.

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Barbie by Jansson

I found these photographs taken for Vogue Paris by Swedish photographer, Mikael Jansson. What attracted me to them was how much they reminded me of Barbie dolls. The models (Diana Dondoe and Missy Rayder) appear so casual about being naked it is almost as if that is all they know. Much like Barbie, it seems their own bodies are desexualised and their nakedness is made very secondary. This is why the photography works so well – the product is emphasized through the very casualness of the naked bodies, and in doing so the product has nothing to compete with. Very clever work in my opinion. The models are shinned up to add a lovely glossy sheen to their skin which looks flawlessly beautiful, and very much plastic (hence the Barbie connection). In this first image the poses of the models (especially the one on the left) look rigid, as if the models (dolls) have been positioned manually and are unable to move themselves. And despite the models having beautiful figures, it is not their skinniness or shape that really makes them look like Barbie dolls, but rather how they are positioned, the colour choice, the way the light hits the skin making it shine, and how disconnected to their own bodies they appear. I think it is a wonderful accomplishment from Jansson.

On another note, I found a black and white image (above) from the series which despite being more beautiful (in my eyes), completely loses the doll-like aspect. I find that without the colour, and with the shine diminished, that the models’ human quality returns and they appear as two naked girls hanging by the pool (seductively, of course). So I suppose in this instance colour photography really achieves something that is arguably otherwise unachievable through a black and white image. Normally I prefer black and white photography, so it is great for photographers like Jansson to impress me with the accomplishments of colour.

May

Visual Female of the Month is up! Make sure to check out the interview with Miss May – my dear friend Jessie Bush, the face behind the successful blog, We The People. Jessie is such a talent and I’m so glad to know her, even if she is on the other side of the world! Make sure you click on the link to read the interview and get to know more about Jessie and We The People.

Also, if you, or anyone you know seem like a good candidate for Visual Female of the Month, then please get in touch with me via my email located on my About page.

Klimt Again

A while back I posted some Klimt homages. In my research I found some cool fashion shoots from Vogue that had a Klimt vibe, but I didn’t quite deem them right for Copy Klimt. I thought I would share them now as they are really quite nice images. One can definitely see the Klimt essence, yet these images are quite modern and edgy. I love the merging of pattern – from sheets, cushions and clothing to the effect of tattoos through body paint. This really unites each piece, and the tattoo and 50s style look of the model transforms the piece into something original. Really fun and vibrant pieces! A great way to kickstart your weekend. Enjoy! x

Covers

I don’t often indulge in purchasing magazines as I find them a bit pricy and I’m not really that fashionable. But they can be a good treat sometimes. In saying all this, I haven’t actually bought a magazine today, but simply wanted to share a few covers that I think are pretty cool. Ooh how fun would it be to work as a graphic designer for one of these magazines. Well, at least dreams are free… unlike magazines (hah). Enjoy.

I also found this mirror image of Tar magazine which I think is quite fun.

The female form

I found this page from an old school magazine a while ago.  I don’t know what I was looking for, but I thought it was pretty cool and saved it to show a friend.  It’s nice to see women looking like real women.  My friend I was going to show it to hates the modern ideal of the skinny woman.  I have this thing for skinny arms (?!?), but I do agree that it is nicer to see women with soft curves rather than abs of steel.

I don’t know about the whole nudist thing though.  Personally, I can’t imagine doing anything like that.  And it’s not because I am uncomfortable with my body or anything.  I quite like being naked sometimes, I just think I’m too modest or shy for others to see.  I’m pretty private in general.  But maybe it’s one of those things everyone should try one day.  Because it seems that a lot of older people take it up or are found at nudist beaches.  Maybe because it takes all those years to build up the courage.  Or maybe by then you don’t see your body as a sexual entity anymore?

Anyway, I just thought this was a nice image to share and remind us of the beauty of women.  As they say, nothing is as sexy as confidence.  I love their poses and how they are representing themselves.  Strong and wonderful.