VANESSA-MAE CHRONICLE 2011, # 7

On choosing photographs for the second annual Vanessa-Mae calendar 2012

(Yes, my friends, there was a 2011 Vanessa-Mae Calendar. It was conceived in mid December, 2010, and was only sent to the few Fans I regularly correspond with.) Now, this year I have started early. The first few copies have arrived from the printer.
That said, this article is really about my reasons for choosing the illustrations for the 2012 calendar.

First, the photographs must be of very high quality, otherwise, when printed, they will pixilate, and therefore be unacceptable. That was a problem I encountered last year. I was able to use about 2/3rds of my downloaded images, but the others came from the extensive collection her eat VMSPOS. You see, I did not have any actual photographs in my own collection. I have rectified that situation by purchasing about 550 excellent, professional color 8x10’s since January of this year. Still I have relied on the generosity of VMSPOS in allowing me to use several of the beautiful photos shown in the various photo galleries.

	cover photo
January photo	February photo	March photo	April photo
May photo	June photo	July photo	August photo
September photo	October photo	November photo	December photo

Now, the cover shot for 2012 calendar is of Vanessa-Mae’s profile with her ZETA electric violin. This is special to me. It was the wallpaper photo I used on my 1000 photo slide show running on my workplace computer. So now it is the new calendars cover photo and also the image for Vanessa’s birth month of October. The photo was made by VMSPOS at Vanessa-Mae's concert in Hamburg on July 2, 2007.

Now, for January, we have two portraits of Vanessa-Mae. One is when she cut her hair short and had blue highlights. This photo was made at a photo shoot in 1999. It’s companion is another photo with longer hair and a blouse with Chinese collar and piping. Two photos I really love.
 

For February, I picked a photo of Vanessa and Lionel in formal evening wear. The cloths and background are all black. This went nicely with the artistic black & white portrait of Vanessa-Mae contemplating some music she is writing. I have this photo framed and hanging on the wall of my Library at the right side of my desk.

For March, I found a beautiful tight ¾ right side view of Vanessa, nicely made up with red lipstick and faultless complexion. It too has a completely black background. Now one of the things that caught my eye, was her hair. It is very shiny and appears to be of a coarse quality, as most Asian’s. (I know this to be a fact, because of my 40 year marriage to an Asian woman.)
 

April, has two vertical photos again. The first one has a black background with Vanessa wearing a dress with the hem cut high in the front and long in the back. It is the dress I once remarked as having the Gustav Klimt look. It is lit from above which gives her an ethereal bluish glow. The other photo , I chose is one I have always liked. Vanessa is wearing one of her low cut beautifully patterned silk dresses in mostly a greenish yellow. This is one of the few photos I have seen of her since childhood in which she looks completely Chinese!
 

May, has again, two vertical photos, both taken at the Classical Brit Awards, in the year 2004, the left one at the formal evening in May the other one at the nomination launch 1 month before. In the first one Vanessa has her hair divided into thirds, pulled tightly back and braded into a high riding ponytail. She is looking more mature in this photo. The other one is one of my favourites. ( Of course they are ALL my favourites.) This has the blue, verging on purple, sequined top and the beautiful flower necklace.
 

For June, it’s double again. Vanessa is wearing a Chinese, yellow silk blouse and a silk jacket, and it is one of the favourite photos here at VMSPOS. Both photos are stunning! The second photo has a white background and shows Vanessa’s glistening black hair and her dark brown, almost black eyes…..Flawless….wearing purple, her favourite color.

For July, I picked a photo of Vanessa at the Michael Jackson benefit show in Korea in 1999. She has short hair with the blue accents. Since I frequently watch this video, I love her looks and energy….and I love this photo. I tried to use it last year, but I did not have a good enough copy.
 

August, has a double. The first one is another favourite at VMSPOS, Vanessa-Mae with a white cap, long black hair, beautiful smile and showing her dimple, while exposing her midriff. It’s companion photos one I like. Vanessa has a red top, and blue jeans , looking across her left shoulder with her Ted Brewer acrylic violin. Nice smile again.

I chose the September photos for Vanessa’s brilliant red dress in one and white crocheted top and jeans in the other. Very, very nice photos.

October, as mentioned before is the same as the cover photo.

November, is unusual in that it has three photos, one vertical and two horizontal. All three are stunning photos of Vanessa. The vertical has Vanessa in a white two piece with a low cut top and trousers. A great photo. I chose the next one, because I just had to have another photo of Vanessa with short hair and the blue highlights that comes from the same session in 1999 as on the left in the January photo. This is a very tight close-up. The last one for November was chosen for everything that is Vanessa: colourful backgrounds, beautiful makeup and complexion, clear Ted Brewer violin. And wearing the Gustav Klimt style dress. I cannot say any more.

Now the final month, December. This is the beginning of the Sabre Dance, standing on the rock under a full Moon. When I chose this photo. I knew it would by my December, image.

That should give you some idea why I chose the images I did….for color, balance and the beauty of Vanessa. And “I” like every one of them! See the enclosed photos that accompany this article.

John…CX, AKA CarrollTowerCX, member of the Vanessa-Mae Fans Forum (VMF)

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The team of the VMSPOS website

See the following link to find a list of all Vanessa-Mae Chronicles previously issued at VMSPOS.

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