Helen Saunders

2026

Reference images for n black and white can really help with identifying shadows, light, and tone.

Happy New Year

Hoping that 2026 is your best year yet.

I’m looking forward to getting out on some exciting shoots this year.

Portrait study

If you’re looking to draw a profile with plenty of hair texture, this is the reference image for you.

Splish splash

Shades of green and brown from an idyllic location during lockdown.

?

I’m still deciding which parkrun to do on New Year’s Day……

Sat still

It’s bitterly cold at the moment, as one would expect for this time of year, and I’m wearing as many layers as I can fit under my coat.

Happy Christmas

I realise it’s not at all festive, but if you’re in Australia then perhaps this is perfect Christmas weather?

Thank you all so much for your support. I appreciate each and every one of you xxx

Happy Christmas Eve

I hope all tire final preparations for tomorrow are underway and that you’re all ready to celebrate Christmas.

Statuesque

I still have so much more to share from this shoot dating back to lockdown. Unseen images finally seeing the light of day.

Summertime

Winter in well and truly here, but occasionally the sun shines and it reminds me of the warmth of summer.

These are more as yet unseen images from our beach shoot in Folkestone. Originally intended to go on BentBox, changes to their set up means I won’t be uploading any new images there, so they’ll all coming here. Bit by bit I’ll post everything we took on that day.

Seen from a different angle

I still have the lingerie and the fabric, but the boots are no more unfortunately.

The answer my friend……

Please tell me you know this song, otherwise my title is meaningless.

An image similar to these is due to be published in Guru Shots magazine, which is a huge honour as the images are chosen by photographers, so it’s a compliment to be selected.

These date back to just after lockdown (remember those crazy times?!) and are edits that have not been posted anywhere before.

Vintage Art Nude

I love the grainy effect produced by shooting in low light.

Vintage

Ffrom a vintage inspired photoshoot using a Kodak Eastman analog camera.

She stands alone

I’m itching to get out and do an art nude shoot in nature, but it’s become very cold here and the coward in me is holding me back 🥶

Similar but not identical

There ought to be noticeable differences between each if these images in terms of poses. This particular stretch of beach remains open while further along the coast there are major sea defence works being carried out.

Lounging

Making shapes by the sea. What looks relaxing is a case of balance and muscle control.

The Breeze

I love how the wind just picked up this satin and produced different shapes for every shot.

I find it hard to believe that this was four years ago. My hair is a little greyer (which I love), I’m carrying a little more body fat (which I don’t mind), I have a few scars on my belly from last year’s surgery (which I’m very proud of as that surgery saved my life), but other than that I’m still the same person I was in 2021. I’m still happy, I’m still strong, I’m still relaxe...

Hold on tight

It’s always great to have something structural to pose with, and it’s always fun to try to mimic the shapes.

Silky smooth

Editing some as yet unseen images from a shoot in the New Forest in 2021. I was still lean from lockdown (lots of running) with a good level of definition in my delts.

All that’s missing is the hammock

It looks comfortable, but it wasn’t.

It’s always good to find something architectural to pose on or against, and this giant piece of driftwood was perfect. A week or so earlier we had seen it in the exact same spot but in an upright position, so I can only assume that a storm had changed its orientation, as it’s a heavy piece of timber that only a huge force would have been able to shift. The upright position was aesthetically more interesting, much harder to pose on (I contempla...

Lazy by the sea

Sunshine and shadows. Textures both in the foreground and background. All combine to make for interesting reference images.

Happy

Put a smile on someone’s face today.

Sitting on a rock in the bay

Sitting atop a rock, as you do, enjoying the late summer sunshine at Folkestone beach.

Natural

Natural poses walking along the beach. More images from this set coming soon; ideal for drawing studies.

On top of the world

I’m not great with heights, so climbing onto this rock felt quite an achievement for me.

Sign of the Times

At the end of the summer I did a photo shoot on Folkestone beach, and whilst I have been able to share a few images from the shoot, most of them have largely gone unpublished. However, I’ve managed to start editing them and now have some to share with you. Editing is minimal (highlights, contrast, cropping); I don’t edit my physical appearance, so what you see is how I look in real life.

The poses are designed to appeal to artists. Shot in natural daylight, there are shadows and hi...

Riverside

I’ve been away but I’m catching up.

Previously unpublished lockdown images this time, but more recent images currently being edited and on their way soon…..

Coy

I like the coy nature of an off the shoulder pose.

More unseen shots from lockdown, which seems like a lifetime ago.

Same, but different

Subtle differences can alter the atmosphere of an image, so it’s often interesting to compare.