“Hitting the Road, Jack…”

Photo by Tim Bosworth

Once more for the people at the back: I AM NOT RETIRING FROM MODELLING YET- JUST MY BLOG. 😉

Find me here:
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Dudes, dudesses and odd person from Pittsburgh who genuinely believes I am part of the Roswell Incident; I’ve been writing this blog for seven years and of all the things I’ve created, I am probably most proud of this one.
While maintaining this little corner of the internet, I went from being an assistant in an amazing hippy and pagan shop to becoming a full-time international model. This blog has seen two long term relationships end and one begin. It has seen me drastically change my modelling journey twice- from alt and art-nude, to fetish, to the current fine-art, curvy fashion and femme fatale of today. I have written some of what I consider my best work, sparked an argument or two, *cough* Helmut Newton *cough*,  met some amazing people and helped put a serial rapist in prison. I get overwhelmed when I think about my long term relationship with this seven year project…

But this is sounding like a goodbye, isn’t it? 😉 That’s because it is.

Photographers, I promised I would give you at least a year’s notice before I hang up my Suitcase of Doom- this is not it. I’m not saying farewell to modelling but… at least for now… I’m taking off my blogging hat. I have so many other exciting projects I’m working on that I can no longer spend the time on this one.

I will still be writing guest posts on other industry blogs and posting regularly on my social media- I’ve linked the places you can find me below and I hope to see you there. ❤
I’m not taking the whole blog down- my old posts are here for anyone who wants to read them and I have linked some of the most popular ones below as well.

Thankyou from the bottom of my little black heart for all of the support and for sharing my posts. See you in another corner of the internet! 😉

ROSWELL xxx

WHERE TO FIND ME NOW?
Portfolio
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POSTS YOU MAY LIKE

Modelling tips and tales:
– Tips for planning a tour
– How to shoot in freezing conditions
– Upping your game
– Guys With Cameras. How a total newbie can book an excellent model
– What do models eat?
– Tales of a naked girl
– Confessions of a nude model- a wee rantette
– What to do when the worst has happened
– The real thing: a rant

The Shaun Colclough case (in chronological order):
1) The importance of references
2) Proud
3) Justice
4) Peacocks Swansong
5) Aftermath

Assorted wordy rambles:
– Committing heresy: I (mostly) hate Helmut Newton
– Give me hope (sterilisation and the childfree movement)
– “Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered”
– Solidarity with Stoya
– A Tale of Two Captions
– Death Becomes Her
– Care
– When the veil thins…

P.S. I couldn’t leave without posting some pictures… and I’ll post more from ALL of these sets on my social media.

New edit from an old shoot by the incomparable Max Operandi

Two from a photoshoot with WOLVES, by my friend Valeria Kogan. Make-up/hair by Naomi Benjamin, dress by Joanne Fleming

In my bridesmaids dress! Photo by GaryMac and make-up/hair by me

I posed with a male model for the first time in YEARS and fortunately it’s my friend Darren S, who you should all book because he rocks. Photos by Tim Bosworth
I love the “American Horror Story” look of the last few- check out the crazy shadows!

I completed the “nude model seasonal rite of passage” this year. (Spring is bluebells, summer is rapeseed, autumn is leaves, winter is snow).
Photo by Scarecrow

Mermaiding about, by Andy Green
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And finally…….. shots from the beyond multitalented and lovely Liv Free, who took the photos, made the big headdress, did my hair and made-up and edited the pictures. ❤

How To Be A Man

I’ve been re-reading Caitlin Moran’s “How To Be A Woman”, which is a feminist commentary on life which manages to include both mothers and childfree woman. And it’s bloody hilarious.
I was once asked to make a man out of a drunk idiot’s squirming pimply friend. At the time I said something rude but now I think about it, what a wonderful suggestion!
Here you go, friend of the red-eyed hollering tit on Prince Of Wales Road five years ago: this is a belated guide to being a man:

– Don’t laugh along when your friends are catcalling and whistling at a girl.
– Don’t slap your misogynistic, cheating friend on the back and call him a ‘legend‘.
– If you see a woman crying on the bus, ask quietly if she’s okay or if there‘s anything you can do. Yelling “cheer up love- it might never happen” does not help.
– Hold doors open for people- this isn’t anti-feminist, it is common decency.
– Being nice to a woman does not give you the right to demand sex. Sometimes people value your friendship too much to risk screwing it up in that way, so be nice for the sake of being nice.
– If you have a girlfriend, find out what she likes. Those generic things that ‘all women like’ show zero effort. (Unless you know for a fact that she wants red roses and chocolates).
– You don’t need money to make someone feel special and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Sometimes, just giving your time and attention is all that’s needed.
– Recognise that you deserve the same treatment and respect! Relationships are about being good to each other.
– Understand that a woman’s clothing says nothing about her sexual availability- she did not dress for you and is not ‘asking for it’.
– “Excuse me, I just wanted to say I think you look lovely. Have a nice day.” This sentence (said without leering) may get you a smile, which is more than mumbling “you’re hot” will ever do.
– Try to keep your relationships with friends, lovers and family healthy but if it is time to let go, accept it without trash talking. Sometimes you’ve done all you can.
– Being gay is not a bad thing, or a good insult. You are no less of a man and neither is your gay friend.
– Self-doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. Dream big or small- as long as you dream, that’s all that matters.

You’ll probably spend your entire life learning how to be a man- that’s what new experiences are for- but the above points are a good place to start.

R x
p.s. Here is me looking thoughtful, wearing my own clothes in my favourite place (a woodland), photographed by Pirate Photography

Sneaky sneakthieves!!!

Hi there!

Well, here’s an impromptu industry blog, but I think it had to be posted immediately if not sooner!

A couple of days ago, I was contacted about the discount I’m currently running*, by a very amateur-looking photographer. I mailed him back, explaining the details and asking to be put in contact with a couple of models I could ask for references. He never replied and as the days drew on, I checked back to his portfolio. One image (the avatar) stood out- much, much stronger than the other images and with a drastically different location.
Now, either the photographer had taken part in a workshop with an excellent teacher and produced the image, or it was stolen. (As it looked like an Ann Summers catalogue and was cropped very very closely, I guessed a watermark had been cropped out).

I posted on a model networking site, asking if anyone knew of this person and the lovely Fizzy‘s advice was so good, I’m passing it on here for the benefit of other models.

This is how to use Google reverse image search:
1) Right-click the image in question and copy the URL.
2) Go to this link: https://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
3) Click the little image of a camera and paste the link into the box that comes up. Hit ‘search’.

This gives you a list of the sites the image appears on- and showed that the photographer in question had indeed stolen almost all of his images.
(He was, of course, reported and removed from the website.)

It’s not something I had really worried about or come across before- it was just lucky that I check references for everyone and the alarm bell came when he stopped replying as soon as I mentioned this. (I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to check references).
Also, keep an eye out for drastically different quality in images, images so closely or strangely cropped that they could be hiding a watermark, especially on profiles that have virtually no comments, friends or conversation. (Some photographers do prefer to keep their networking website profiles tidy but it can be a sign of someone trying to keep their head down.)

Anyway, there’s my modelly advice for the day! 😉

Goodnight!

ROSWELL xxx

p.s. * I’m now fully booked with the exception of the 25th, in the afternoon (after 3pm). Reading and London area. If you’d like to take my last free afternoon in the country until the end of October, get in touch asap!!!

A model’s guide: What to do when the worst has happened.

Ever since I outed sexually abusive photographer Shaun Colclough, I have had many e-mails from other models (and even photographers) telling me about the various experiences they have had during their careers. It is always interesting talking to others and sharing stories- and if I can offer help and advice, I can and will (if I am asked to, of course!)
However, something I will not do is out a person on someone else’s behalf unless I have worked with them also and/or know for a fact that they are dangerous- I want to empower people to speak up for themselves.

So…

Here’s my model’s guide for what to do when the worst happens:

You’ve had a bad experience.
That’s awful. At best, you’re probably angry and upset- at worst, feeling violated in addition to the above. Right now, get yourself a hot chocolate or a bath* or a hug from a friend and try to calm down a little.
*NOTE: if you have been sexually assaulted, I know it’s tempting but do not have a bath. (DNA evidence- take it straight to the police)
What to do next depends on the bad experience.

So, what happened?
If your levels have been pushed once or a slightly “off” comment has been made, then I personally would leave it but only you can decide how bad this has been and whether you want to do anything about it.
Anything between persistent level-pushing and (god-forbid) rape, really needs to be addressed- for you, and also for the safety of the person’s future models. This is not a normal part of a photoshoot and allowing it to go unchecked is giving the person free rein to do it again.

First thing to do:
If there was any kind of assault, take it straight to the police. Skip to the section below that deals with this.
Otherwise…
Look at the person’s website and online presences. Contact as many other models on there as you possibly can. You don’t have to say what happened to you- you just want an idea of whether this was an isolated incident or not.
For example:

Hello there,
Could you please give me a reference for Terry Richardson? I’d really appreciate an honest opinion about what he is like to work with.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me,
Coco Rocha.

Was this an isolated incident?
If that seems to be the case, could it have been a communication issue? Sometimes it happens. If it definitely wasn‘t, contact the moderators of the website you were booked on and let them know it’s happened. Even if they decide to keep the person on, it means that they now have a record of your bad experience which will help them make a decision if a similar thing happens in the future.
Post a link to the person’s profile on *your* profile, with the caption “not recommended”. That is usually the maximum you are allowed to do.

If other models have also had problems then it is time to do something about it. First, let them know that something happened to you as well, and then take it to the moderators together. Swap e-mails and if you need to, draft a standard e-mail that you can all send.
Does this person work for any companies or agencies? It might be worth giving them a ring and finding out if complaints have been made before. Certainly, calling the modelling agencies Shaun Colclough had worked for was a revelation!

Has a crime been committed?
Sadly, level-pushing (while horribly annoying) is very difficult to prove and unless the photographer is being especially menacing (that’s sexual harassment), it is probably best for all of you to just post honest references at the same time. Write a cut-and-paste reference if need be for both Purestorm, Net-model and any other sites that the person is on.
If the bad experience concerned more than that (examples: being shoved against a wall, being exposed to, being asked to perform sexual acts, violence- sexual or otherwise, touching inappropriately), then please for the love of all that is holy, take it to the police.

Taking it to the police
This can be a scary thing- maybe you don’t want to relive the experience, or are afraid that you will be ridiculed or not taken seriously due to the modelling (especially the nude factor.) I hope that I can alleviate some of your concerns regarding these.

– First, if you have just returned from a shoot where you have been assaulted, go NOW to the station. Call a friend for support if you must but the sooner DNA evidence/bumps and bruises are seen, the better. Remember, if this has happened to you, then it has probably happened to other girls and it is now the police’s business to track them down.
– If this was not an assault, or it was something that happened a while ago, go to the Met website (linked) and find your police station. Give them a call and file an intelligence report. This is not the same thing as pressing charges- you are letting the police know that this person is a problem. In the same way as reporting to moderators, it means that if another report is made or charges are pressed, there is a prior record that this person is a dodgy character!

The idea of reliving a bad experience isn’t nice, but the police employ people who are trained to be decent, not treat you like a fool and still get the details from you. Be brave- it isn’t as scary as you may think.
The nudity factor: there will always be people who do not understand nude (or even clothed) modelling, but it is not the police’s job to judge- what matters is what happened, especially the agreement before the shoot (if you can show e-mails proving what the plan for the shoot was, brilliant).
When I spoke to the police, they were great- the officer I spoke to even knew some of the modelling expressions and was very reassuring that *if* the Shaun Colclough case went to court, they would get an expert in the field to give evidence about what the correct protocol/expectations are during photoshoots.

Please remember- this has happened before and abusive photographers have been convicted, despite the shoot involving nudity. Look at the Lee Cropper aka The Mofo case for an example.
I know from experience that it takes guts to call the police and report a crime (whether you are pressing charges or filing an intelligence report), but doing so is not only empowering but could help save other models from what you went through.

To out, or not to out
Do not out if the police are involved- it may interfere with their work. However, if the experience was bad, but not bad enough to warrant a call to the police, you may want to consider outing the person in question. It’s a tough decision. I decided to because I knew a considerable amount of models who had also suffered. In addition, Shaun’s actions were serious enough that he posed a real danger to women.
Now, outing… You are not allowed to do so on networking sites like Net-model etc because of the potential for problems (they will be held accountable), but you can in a facebook note or on your blog.

Personally, I would only out someone in an extreme case, like that of Shaun, or extreme creepiness/touching/level pushing. If you decide to do it, have a look at the post below:

How to out someone
Firstly, are you sure you want to do this? If the person’s only crime is to make a few off-colour jokes then rethink. It is not fair to out someone unless they are truly a danger or a nasty character.
If you have decided that it is truly necessary, then:

1) Don’t use emotive language and don’t rant.
It makes you look unprofessional. Stick to the facts and leave name-calling out of it, no matter how bad it was.

Bad example:
Toggy MacTog is such a twat- he looked at me creepily, tried to flirt and he’s a terrible photographer anyway. Stay away from this utter pervert.

Good example:
I worked with Toggy MacTog on February 31st and found it a very uncomfortable experience. He first began asking me inappropriate questions (give an example) and when I asked him to stop, he told me that he would only stop if I posed open-leg for him.

2) Get support from other models
Ask the other models who have had trouble to post under your blog or facebook note with their experiences. It backs you up- people are more likely to listen when there are a few of you posting together. In situations like this, it helps to know you can support each other.

3) Stay calm.
People may try to be ‘devil’s advocate’, defend the person in question, or begin to rant themselves. No matter what, remain calm and stick to the facts.

The aftermath
I have had nothing but positivity since I outed Shaun Colclough. The only thing I have had on occasion (which is why I posted this blog) is people asking me to out on their behalf. 🙂
I can say I felt empowered and proud of myself for doing something about the experience I suffered and I hope that this blog can help someone else to come to terms with their bad experience, and take control as well.

Guys, if you have anything you would like to ask, or feel that something should be added then please get in touch at http://www.roswellivory.co.uk as I intend to keep adding to this blog.

Other links you might be interested in are:
– Guide to model safety by highly respected model Madame Bink
– Modelbitch blog. It has so many tips for things not just concerned with model safety- it’s a great resource.
– “Why do I keep having bad experiences?” Article on Modelbitch about this subject.

Now, to illustrate this entry, here’s an image from Phine Ka, who is a fantastic photographer/friend. 🙂

 

ROSWELL xxx