Self-portraits at Schönbrunn Palace

I'd been promising to visit my amazing, amazing childhood friend and her partner in Vienna for an embarrassing number of years, and last month I finally made it! I only had a couple of days there, but I made thee most of it.

On my second and final full day there, after spending about 6 hours getting my hair done by genius Sophia Jane (whom I met whilst modelling for my favourites Kevin and Martin at their hair styling academy in London) I'd been psyching myself up to take these, knowing it would be full-public. I had researched some points of interest before getting to Vienna, settling on photogenic-as-heck Schönbrunn Train Station, so imagine my elation when it turned out that the beautiful station I'd put on my callsheet was literally the nearest station to my friends' apartment! Serendipity.

That said, I didn't end up taking photos there as the light just wasn't right by the time my styling was done and I got to the station. Light was fading quite fast actually, so I ambled over to the nearby palace gardens, speed-scouting places to set up my equipment, before finally settling on the steps to the Palace. For a warm-enough late Sunday afternoon in early March, it was as busy as could be expected, and I can't say I didn't want to back out and find somewhere completely empty to shoot, but I now had a vision! In a recent not-yet-released interview I did with this amazing, young, female photographer (more on that later), I talked about how I do get scared to do certain things, but then I forget that fear should stop me. I guess I wanted these pictures more than I wanted to run away. So I set up the darn tripod and took some video tests on my phone, before switching to my Fujfifilm XE3. Eventually, the nerves fade almost completely as focus turns to posing and checking and posing (and checking and posing and checking...). I feel so in my element when I'm shooting. It's hard but it's my happy place, for sure.

And evidently, I'm so proud of these that sharing only a few to IG is not enough - I need you to see them all! Danke x10 to genius Ellis Jaz for lending me this incredible dress (every single thing she makes is incredible, go check her out immediately, but first go buy all my photosets so I can commission an outfit from her).

Another batch to come, from falling in love* on the dehydrated walk back to my friends' apartment...

*with a location :p