Digital Artist Dave Charsley

"Dreadful Tales" at Abney Park
I've been very lucky with models recently (those that have turned up that is!) and today's London shoot with Tepidboo and Lachesis Muta was no exception. The Abney park location was an excellent backdrop and the girls modelled superbly! Extra thanks must go to the boyfriends; James and Pete who acted as my lighting tripods through the afternoon.

Tepidboo, me and Lachesis Muta

Current Mood: tired

"Steel Cathedrals"
I'm going to stick my neck out and say that I think Blueraven_AJ is one of our best models on the Alt scene today. I've been a fan for sometime but what she's created recently with her Modelworx project where she hired a studio for a week and invited photographers in, has been outstanding! My own chance to shoot with her again was a few weeks ago on a very rainy day in Manchester. Myself and

chel_logan met up with the aim of doing a science fiction themed meet with three models but due to various events conspiring against us, only Blueraven_AJ managed to attend! You may have seen a couple of

chel_logan's shots over on his journal but here's some of mine. I'm always amazed how two photographers can produce such startling different images from shooting the same model but I'm glad we all have such different styles. Most of these images were lit with two SB-600's pointing either side of Blueraven_AJ's face and a third, either backlighting her hair or highligting the graffiti behind her.

I've had another busy week starting with a shoot with

bass_prin_prin on Monday, so she got to be the first model to be photographed with the new Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens and very nice it was too! This weekend I'm back in London, this time to shoot my "Dreadful Tales" shoot in Abney Park thanks to

fracture242's recommendation for a interesting location.

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Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Angels & Agony - Forward (Construggle Test Club Mix)

"Doll Eater" one and two, Fae and Pin-up
I was trawling through the huge amount of "modelling" profiles on MySpace last month, when I came across one that really stood out, that of lovely Birmingham model; Miss Cyanide. We shared a couple of emails and it soon became apparent that though young, she had a professional approach to her modelling and so I got her into my studio for a quick test shoot. We tried a couple of different styles on the day, ranging from fantasy and pin-up to these dark "Doll Eater" images, and she pulled each off with equal skill. In fact her confidence grew tremendously during the shoot and it was a shame to have to call it a day! So Miss Cyanide now has a profile on Model Mayhem and think we'll be seeing a lot of her in the coming months, she's definitely a model to watch!

Last night I got my mate Aimee L'amour round to try out my new Nikon D700 camera. The news lens I've ordered is actually arriving today but I couldn't wait any longer, so I shot it all with my Nikkor 50mm f1.4, which is a great lens but I'm disappointed it's first shoot was without the pro lens. Still the shots are looking good and hopefully I'll be able to share these "Newborn" images in a couple of weeks. It's sad, I'll always remember these images now as the night Michael Jackson died.

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Current Mood: shocked
Current Music: Swarf - Drown

"Assimilation one, two and three"
Last month's "Cellblock Tango" shoot had a really strong theme, but I thought it was limiting to do all the day's images in just one style. I was looking for another idea for Roxy Lyx, to shoot, when I remembered the roll of black cling film I'd used with other models to such great effect. I always find it interesting to see what a model will create with a roll of sticky plastic and Roxy Lyx decided on a dress with a strap around the neck. The circuit board "Assimilation" idea came later, once I'd taken all the shots.

I've spent most of my spare time this week photoshopping the remaining images from my last four shoots. I'm now pretty much up to date and ready for my next shoot which hopefully be sometime in the next seven days, if this bloody lens turns up! So you can expect the next month to be a mixture of images taken at my "Doll Eater", "Steel Catherdals", "Angels and Demons" and "Hellfire Consortium" shoots.

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Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: Judas Priest - Killing Machine

The "Cellblock Tango"
You may remember that some weeks ago I put together a shoot based around one of my favourite scenes in the musical "Chicago". The scene in question is the big "Cellblock Tango" number where the merry murderesses explain how they killed their partners and why. I was lucky to find two gorgeous models in Amaeya and Roxy Lyx, who were happy enough to help me with my idea and also look fantastic in fishnets tights! I haven't gone for a literal translation of the show but I've taken elements that appealed to me, the costumes, the cell bars, the bright spotlights and the harsh shadows, and of course the interaction between the dancers. Both Roxy Lyx and Amaeya brought their own ideas to the shoot and considering they'd never met before, I think they worked together superbly!

To keep you up to date with the new camera situation, I now have my Nikon D700 body and the battery grip but I'm on a waiting list to receive the Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens. I rang them Monday and they said they'd had a despatch of seven that morning but they'd all gone and he couldn't tell me any more than that! Better news is that Jacobs managed to fullfill my order for the Strobies kit I talked about some weeks back. But as I write, it's still in transit, so I haven't got that either! It will be like Christmas when it all comes though!!!

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Current Mood: listless
Current Music: Stratovarius - Break the Ice

A very wet day in Manchester
Well I survived my rainy day in Manchester with

chel_logan, though the only model that managed to make it in the end was Bluraven AJ. As usual, she was an incredible trooper and I think we still got some great shots between Chel and myself. She's such a great model!

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Current Mood: sore

"A Bargain in forbidden Woods", "Gypsy Two", "A Gypsies Kiss" and "The Gypsies Garden"
Here's my final posting from my "Children of the Labyrinth" shoot with Xanadu Nox, Angel of Darkness and

catwalk_ghost. Again, these images have a very dark fantasy theme influenced by one of my favourite film directors. Much credit must go to the three models who worked tremendously well together and had to hold pose while surrounded by dozens of playing kids and picnicking families. True professionals!

I've spent most of the last seven days visiting Brussels on Eurostar and trying to finish images from my recent "Cellblock Tango" and "Doll Eater" shoots, while simultaneously decorating the house where my studio is. Tomorrow I'm in Manchester to meet up with my mate

chel_logan for a little location shoot with three lovely northern models. I was hoping this would be the first shoot with my new Nikon D700 camera which I got the other day but as I've not received the 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED lens I ordered with it, I'm probably going to stick with my trusty D200.

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Current Mood: productive
Current Music: Tristania - Open Ground

"The Watcher in the Woods", "Lost" and "The Ruins"
The "weird but beautiful" style of Spanish film director Guilermo Del Toro was the catalyst behind these images from last month's "Children of the Labyrinth" shoot in London. I wanted to create something based in dark fantasy and although not all the images have come out perfect, I'm still pleased with the results. Of course I owe my thanks to the wonderful models

catwalk_ghost, Xanadu Nox and Angel of Darkness for accepting my ideas with great patience and for working hard to create my strange visions!

Several people have mentioned here and on my other accounts, how unusually dark these images are and I have to explain that I was using very short shutter speeds to prevent burn out. Although I shot in RAW, I was still terribly worried that the days bright sunlight was going to ruin the shoot. I was using three SB-600 speedlights as fill in but the daylight was changing so fast, I ended up playing safe and stopping down by several stops.

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Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Sirenia - The Seventh Summer

"Cellblock Tango" shoot
I managed to fit two shoots in yesterday, I had my first meeting with Amaeya and Sheffield's Roxy Lyx in the afternoon and then later I managed to sneak in a shoot with my muse

satanicangel666. The afternoon's fun was based around the wonderful "Cellblock Tango" scene in the musical "Chicago", where the merry murderess's explain how they killed their lovers and ended up in prison. So you can expect lots of fishnet coming in a few weeks!

satanicangel666's shoot was about the two sides of her personality, the "good" and the "bad" or "Angels and Demons" as I've named it.

Roxy Lyx, Me and Amaeya

"The Beguiling of an Angel", "Gypsy One", "Children of the Unicorn" and "A Gypsies Promise"
Ever since I first saw "Blade Two", I've been a fan of the director Guillermo Del Toro and it was only a matter of time before I did a shoot influenced by his fantastic films. A visit to London last month to work with the Spanish models Xanadu Nox and Angel of Darkness, seemed the ideal time. With the "Children of the Labyrinth" team completed by

catwalk_ghost, we met up at Grovelands Park in north London, a location perfect for a story of fairies, angels and unicorns. Unfortunately the park was full of families enjoying the unseasonally warm weather and I've had to photoshop out numerous lads playing with balls and young girls impressed with beautiful models in their park!

This coming weekend is my "Cell block Tango" shoot which is another homage to a film I rather like, "Chicago". Sadly, I've already had a model drop out but hopefully we'll still be able to create something in the spirit of the musical.

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Current Mood: busy
Current Music: King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King

The Hellfire Consortium (Part three of three)

Today I'm posting the third and final post from the "Hellfire Consortium" shoot, though you'll still be able to catch more character based entries on the steamfashion community.
For those that have missed the first two episodes of our adventure, our two beautiful heroines have been thrown into the sinister world of the Reverend Jacob Brimstone, leader of a group of evil scientists seeking eternal life. Amelia Braveheart, curator of the “Scrolls of Vimanas” at the British Museum and Lady Constance Blackmore, heiress to the Blackmore millions. Though of considerably different backgrounds and unlikely friends, our heroines join forces to escape the clutches of the Reverend and try and save the souls of poor Madame Moreau and her adopted daughter "Wrench".

The only thing, Lady Constance expected less than to be willingly aiding Madame Moreau was for Moreau to ask for such assistance.

But as they stared at the body in front of them, both women knew that their own fates rested upon fixing the equipment that Wrench had so carefully sabotaged upon his instructions.

Would fixing it be their salvation or a far worse fate. One knew, one was ignorant.

Or so they thought.

Images: davecharsley
Models: demondaz as the Reverend Jacob Brimstone, giselle_bour as Lady Constance Blackmore, belle_fille1982 as Amelia Braveheart, thevioletraven as "Wrench" and enlyyl as " Madame Twila Moreau
Words: budgie_uk
Props: Paul Smith
Jewellery: enlyyl

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Current Mood: content
Current Music: The Answer - Too Far Gone

The Hellfire Consortium (Part Two of Three)

Here's the second part of my Steampunk extravaganza entitled "The Hellfire Consortium". If you missed the first part last week, it's the tale of a group of sinister scientists led by an ex-minister who's turned his back on God and is searching for the secret of eternal life. His "family" is completed by the beautiful but deadly Madame Twila Moreau, schooled at the world famous Verne institute in Paris and their adopted daughter, the woman known only as "Wrench". Found starving as an orphaned child, it wasn’t long before Wrench displayed a talent for all things mechanical and earned her position as the Consortium’s chief engineer.

I'll introduce you to the heroines of the piece in our final instalment next week but if you're like me, it's always going to be the baddies you root for anyway!

Images: davecharsley
Models: demondaz as the Reverend Jacob Brimstone, giselle_bour as Lady Constance Blackmore, belle_fille1982 as Amelia Braveheart, thevioletraven as "Wrench" and enlyyl as " Madame Twila Moreau
Words: budgie_uk
Props: Paul Smith
Jewellery: enlyyl

Waiting was the worst part. While her lover seemed to enjoy the moments of peace and quietude. Madame Twila Moreau hated them, loathed them, detested them. Almost as much as she detested other people. They were her playthings, nothing more and nothing less. Her experience and command over the realm of psycho-physicality merely enhanced her latent misanthropy.

Madame walked through the door as if she owned the place, which – she acknowledged without a smile – she may well have actually did. Her memories before the Reverend had first taken her to be his were surprisingly vacant in some areas.

She could see the two women staring at each other, friendliness suffused with a mild suspicion as to their presence. She could almost feel the strangeness of the evening.

She made herself known, and took pleasure in the sudden change that came over them. Oh, if they only knew...

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Current Mood: productive
Current Music: Metallica - The Judas Kiss

The Hellfire Consortium (Part One of Three)

As the three women stared at each other, there was a creaking, ancient sound, and the large table in the middle of the room started to sink into what had appeared to be blank stone. It moved astonishingly quickly and then reappeared with the Reverend Jacob Brimstone standing upon it.

“And welcome to the first night,” he said in a deep, low voice.

So begins my tale of the "Hellfire Consortium", my biggest shoot of the year and most ambitious ever! These images were taken over a weekend last month and feature five of my favourite models. Each model had an individual character to play in my Steampunk opera and all jumped into their roles with huge enthusiasm. My friend demondaz played the evil leader of the group, Jacob Brimstone, a one time man of God now more interested in prolonging his own existence. His "Hellfire Consortium" was completed by his beautiful but deadly partner Madame Moreau played by enlyyl and their adopted daughter, the mechanical genius: "Wrench", played by thevioletraven. Into this madness comes our two heroines, belle_fille1982 as the feisty Amelia Braveheart and Lady Constance, heir to the Blackmore millions, played by giselle_bour

I'm planning to post a separate entry on the Steampunk communities featuring each character in turn, in the coming weeks so keep watching. Many thanks to my prop maker Paul, for making this shoot possible and for creating such wonderful devices. enlyyl for letting us use her beautiful jewellery and budgie_uk for taking my ideas and turning them into something real! They'll be more coming next week.

Images: davecharsley
Models: demondaz as the Reverend Jacob Brimstone, giselle_bour as Lady Constance Blackmore, belle_fille1982 as Amelia Braveheart, thevioletraven as "Wrench" and enlyyl as " Madame Twila Moreau
Words: budgie_uk
Props: Paul Smith
Jewellery: enlyyl

...tore his gaze away, his brain afire.

Moments later, he smiled. That same terrible half-smile that had preceded the burning of the nunnery, had come moments before he’d killed the child at its mother’s breast, had heralded the war between science and nature five decades past.

He summoned his compatriots and bade them look into the crystal... to look deeply... and become his once again.

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Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Kamelot - March of Mephisto

"Children of the Labyrinth" shoot
Yesterday's "Children of the Labyrinth" shoot in London was a challenge on several fronts. Firstly, the bright sunlight interfered with my lighting system which is a known problem with infared triggers and then the north London location we'd chosen was full of families with their kids. Models Angel of Darkness, Xanadu Nox and

catwalk_ghost were wonderfully patient and very professional and we did manage to pull off the odd great image, so I hope all was not lost. The theme was greatly influenced by the films of Guillermo Del Torro, what with the girls being Spanish and

catwalk_ghost telling me he had gypsy blood in his veins. So you can expect lots of mythological weirdness with this shoot, lots of strange creatures, flying fairies, water sprites and beautiful Gypsies!

Alice DeVille, Angel of Darkness, Xanadu Nox and Myself

Current Mood: busy

Poison Ivy

I got back from Scotland last weekend after ten rather nice days exploring the highlands and catching up with some lovely friends including marieceleste and Fozzie. Sadly I won't be at this upcoming Whitby Goth Weekend, so this was possibly my only chance to see them this year. As you'd expect I took hundreds of photos of ruined abbeys, crumbling castles and all the other things you've come to expect in my images. So loads of those will be turning up in my work in the coming months.

Today's posting is from a shoot I did with thevioletraven portraying one of her favourite super villain characters; Poison Ivy. I'm so proud of what thevioletraven has achieved in the two years I've known her. She's worked with some of the best photographers around and created some wonderful images, so I feel it a real honour that she comes back to work with me time and time again. Thank you Raven!

This weekend I'll be in London for my "Children of the Labyrinth" shoot. An event with a truly international feel, but I'll explain more when I next post.

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Current Mood: impressed
Current Music: Blutengel - Lucifer

"The Entertainer", "Rag Doll Two" and "Mask"
I couldn't have been more pleased with the reception my "Rag Doll" images with Luxuriaa received last Friday. Thank you to all of you that took the time to give me feedback, I'll put some of it up on my website when I update on May 1st. Today I'm posting a few more from the set, when Luxuriaa was made up in the full "Rag Doll" make-up. I've tried to make her look more like a doll in these ones but kept the cloud background, which incidentally I took in few years ago in Canada.

I'll be taking a short break from posting images for the next two weeks while I'm in Scotland doing more landscape photography. I'll be back on April 24th with some images from a recent shoot with

thevioletraven and her interpretation of one of her favourite super villains! So see you then!

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Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Type O Negative - My Girlfriend's Girlfriend

The "Hellfire Consortium" shoot
Six months ago I started planning yesterday's "Hellfire Consortium" Steampunk shoot and I can't believe it's all come and gone so quickly! The "Hellfire Consortium" story resolved around a group of evil scientists who were using their skills to prolong their lives.

demondaz,

thevioletraven and

enlyyl were the evil scientists, while

belle_fille1982 and

giselle_bour were their innocent victims. The shoot also involved several incredible steampunk props made by Paul Smith and some gorgeous jewellery designed by

enlyyl, and thank you to them for making the weekend extra special!

Under the cut, you'll find Paul's original designs for the "Hellfire Chair" and how it turned out in real life.

The full team left to right: Me, Violet Raven, Ravenstar, Giselle Bourignon, Enlyyl and the reverend Demondaz

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Current Mood: excited

"A message to Heaven","Rag Doll One", "Rag Doll Three" and "Three Black Roses"
In 2007 I decided that some of the "Declinegothica" style that I'd become known for, was too restrictive. I decided to stop using the distinctive borders and produce images that relied less on photoshop gimmickry and more on my photography skills. Two years on and I thought I'd had my break, so why not play with some of that old style again? So here we are in February 2009 with my "Rag Doll" shoot with Luxuriaa. New images, but they have a very strong retro feel for me. For those of you that haven't come across Luxuriaa yet, she's a talented Birmingham model. She's quite new to her game but she's already worked with Admirion and

catherineday, so she's working with the right people.

This coming weekend is my biggest shoot of the year, the Steampunk opus that is the "Hellfire Consortium". The madness starts on Saturday night and goes on until late Sunday afternoon, so I'll post some behind the scenes photos as soon as possible!

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Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Music: Devildriver - Ripped apart

"Steampunk Pirate", "Complex" and "The Poisoned Garden"
Next weekend I have the biggest event of the Declinegothica year, with my "Hellfire Consortium" steampunk shoot. When we started doing prop sketches and creating character profiles, it seemed a long way off and it's exciting to think it's nearly here! One of the team for this shoot is the gorgeous

giselle_bour, who does steampunk with a flare all of her own! Today I'm posting a couple of images I shot with

giselle_bour a few weeks ago. The first image; "Steam Pirate", is a good indication of where I'll be going with this shoot, very dark and sinister with a layer of old engine diagrams over the top.

I'll be back next week with some behind the scenes photos, some in-process shots of Paul Smith's props and a preview of the all important costumes!

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Current Mood: sore
Current Music: Doro - Legends never Die

The Spirit of Winter
Where I live in the middle of England, we saw an unusual amount of snow fall this Winter. The worst of the days kept a lot of people off work and my friend's lists were filled with photographers and models taking advantage of the beautiful white backdrop. My own chance at Winter photography came much later when most of the snow had disappeared. Model Aimee L'amour and myself went down to a local church just as the sun was setting and shot this set with two of my SB-600 flashguns softened with shoot-thru brollies. As with all this type of location photography, you're always fighting against the clock and I didn't get nearly enough shots before the sun completely set but we're both reasonably pleased with half an hour's shooting! Aimee L'amour came up with a great idea and outfit and think you'll agree, she looked pretty darn amazing!

Thanks very much to Jaded Jazz for helping me with my lighting gear on this shoot and for going back the next day to find one of my brollies, that we'd lost on the walk home!

and Happy Birthday wishes to mistress

satanicangel666 for this weekend, hope you have a great day Sunday!

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Current Mood: sick
Current Music: After Forever - Black Tomb

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