References for Shaun Solent

Joel Hicks

What can I say about Carl?! I've worked with CG on several occasions now, and the man is THE master of light manipulation... and we're not talking about someone who corrects or adjusts his lighting in post - he gets it bang on through the lens. He's a perfectionist, yes... but isn't that what we're all striving for when we either pick up a camera or stand in front of it?!

If I was to shoot with anyone and wanted to be sure that I'd been lit correctly, with the bits on show that I wanted, but with the bits hidden that go beyond my levels, then without doubt CG would be my first call. Don't shoot frontal? CG will hide it... Don't shoot open leg? CG will shadow it... Concerned about being exposed on a bum shot? CG will fully respect you and light you accordingly...

In an age when every model has to have her guard up when it comes to level pushing and the 'sneaky shot' which captures more than it should, I have to say I TRUST THIS MAN 100% AND WOULD FULLY ENDORSE HIM TO ANY FEMALE MODEL (or male).

Always a pleasure to work with... and Carl - you'll be happy to know my new lights KICK ASS! ;)

Keira Lavelle

Carl is by far one of the most talented, artistic minded, lighting geniuses on the face of the earth!! Every time I work with him we have a ball and he knows exactly how to kick-ass visually when he lights the models he shoots with such epic skill. I always look forward to our shoots and go into overdrive when posing because the back of the camera alone is enough to make you screw mountains over and stretch every last tendon to get that look as a superb team. :D

AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Wavepower

Carl ran one of his 1-2-1 workshops for me themed on 'lighting the human body' with the amazing Freespirit as our model. Quite the most fun and instructive thing I have done while behind a camera.

Carl greets you with a big smile. This and his delightfully relaxed, enthusiastic manner is infectious and seems to know no bounds. He is the perfect gentleman host.

He is simply the master of lighting and producing amazing, imaginative, arresting, distinct and incredibly well constructed images. His purpose comes through everything he does - to enjoy photography, and to have fun doing it. His techniques are precise and his explanations clear, descriptive and tailored to your own understanding - so it is easy to understand both what he does and the reasons why he does it.

Carl has put together the most amazing studio, I am in awe of what he has assembled - all fabulously well thought through and focused on providing those special images.

Carl, Thank you for an amazing half day. I am keen to do more.

Recommended? - unreservedly.

Soria

I had another few days working with Carl, and it was once again one of the best shoots!

We covered a wide range of themes, starting from aerial silks to rolling on the floor on potato sacks, to playing the violin on the pole! He's super creative, very talented and knows exactly how to achieve top quality pictures. He gives directions well, and has an exceptional skill for lighting. The photos, as expected, we're the absolutely best you ever find - he simply can't take a bad photo, all his work is top quality!

Highly recommended :)

Rinnyface

I've done make-up for Carl a couple of times now and always look forward to working with him. The studio is an amazing environment and I am always welcomed with a smile and a cuppa. It's clear to see that Carl produces stunning results and I hope to work with him many times in future.

Rachelle Summers

Another shoot with this absolute legend of a photographer!

This time I got to see his new studio for the first time, which was just beyond spectacular! We didn't even scratch the surface of what could of been done!

As always the whole day was just a whirlwind of epic lighting, even more epic photos, and more creativity than you can shake a stick at!

Shooting with Carl never disappoints and if you haven't done so already then you should probably go crawl into a corner and cry, because you are seriously missing out!

He is the absolute king of bodyscapes, and can make your body look the best you have ever ever seen it! His lighting skills are second to none, and the enthusiasm for his work will bring out the best of your modelling :)

Obviously recommended by me and look forward to working with him again :D

Rachelle Summers

I have worked with Carl several times now over the last few years, the most recent being at his studio on my last trip down to the southern coast.

We started with a half day duo shoot with my partner in crime Tillie, followed by a half day shooting for his new project. The images created over the 2 shoots were simply sublime, not that it wasn't to be expected, as I genuinely have never worked with him and came away with images anywhere short of incredible!

He is a master in lighting and will make your body look the best it ever has- that can be guaranteed!

I 100% recommend him, every model should get the chance to work with him, he is truly and inspiration and the creative process of working with him is second to none :)

freespirit

After almost 2 years of shooting together, Carl embarked upon a road trip with me to France. My sole regret is that it was far too brief (due unfortunately to other work commitments on my part).

I had Carl up at 5 am for consecutive sunrise shoots. Although we didn’t have much of a sunrise, he/we still managed to get great shots- and the early starts were worth doing early, considering the number of tourists who turned up at the end. Days were exhausting, but worth it, we made beautiful images. Carl’s energy and stamina are legendary, with reason. The only downside to working with Carl is that he is such a great photographer and such a lovely man we models all have to share him...

I’ve learned innumerable valuable lessons from working with Carl- this time I saw again how he rises to a challenge. He’ll quickly assess a given environment in terms of the lighting and background. If it’s viable, he may try different ways to make it work. He won’t waste time- his own or anyone else’s.

I used to think Helmut Newton was my favourite erotic photographer, but I had to change my mind. Now it’s definitely Carl Grim.

Carl's constant positive creative energy is simply unbeatable. Highly recommended, of course, as always. :) Thank You again, Carl, and I can't wait for Namibia- it's going to be fantastic. :) x

Keira Lavelle

WOW, WOW and treble WOW!!!

I have just recently returned from arguably the best location photoshoot road-trip I will probably ever do - I have just seen the last batch of edits that the amazing Carl Grim worked on at supersonic level to complete and I literally have to pick my jaw up off my computer desk! This was our latest shoot (1 full week in Iceland) and we are going to have some serious work on our hands topping it - I have lost count of the number of times I have shot with Carl but we just get better, and better, and better as we work together as a really electric creative team. He is such a fantastic photographer and looking at the images on the back of the camera is like an infectious bug that turns you into this super-powered posing machine! :D

I have always enjoyed our shoots together: as a model you are just driven more by the efforts of a photographer to nail the lighting and technicalities down to the very last millimetre. You push yourself to within a wince of your tendons snapping because you know they have your back to try and achieve the best possible art - that is exactly what a shoot with Carl is like. He is so incredibly passionate and focused with perfection that your adrenaline just goes for it as you work together to nail the image; we were quite honestly on a high every day that we spent in Iceland and it was literally switch-off once we knew our work here was done in the evenings. The pair of us were just in creative-mission mode all week and it was truly amazing... there reached a point when we didn't need to communicate instructions/suggestions to each other anymore because we were reading each others mind with what to do next. We worked so efficiently putting one set in the bad after another, never dawdled at a location or reached a point where we didn't know where to go next. We just went for it and made spectacular photographs!

I cannot stress enough how good a photographer Carl is: he refuses to entertain a shot which involves a model being cold/uncomfortable if he does not think it's possible to work the light to get an image that screams at you. He assesses light conditions so quickly and knows his work off to a tee, I have never met someone so agile with lighting as Carl is; he never spends too long thinking about it, he just goes! Natural light or controlled; it doesn't matter because he is always on the ball with composition. I have him a few frights at times doing all my climbing around but I just couldn't help myself because I knew full well that Carl would get himself on some uneven rock-face somewhere opposite doing the craziest dance himself to nail the angles and the result would be a fantastic image! I did keep telling him: "if you want me to stop climbing around and scaring you, stop taking amazing images" but he got used to me by the last day so we just went with the flow. :D

A lot of people where intrigued at how we would survive a full week without getting under each others feet in a tiny little campervan: we didn't at any point in time! We figured out each others routine and worked around each other so well! There isn't a lot of people I could safely say I could live on the road/rough it up with for a full week without any real personal space but I feel so comfortable with Carl: he is such a respectful, practical and easy to get on with gentleman that I don't think anything could have caused a tension. We had all manner of little technical/supply problems arise throughout the course of the week that deprived us of creature-comforts occasionally but we just got on with it! Carl was also so helpful and kind enough to let me use his mobile device to sort out all my social media throughout the trip after my own decided to fail on me. We made an ideal team, not only where image-making was concerned but by getting by each day living like we did and just leaping at the opportunity to snap into creative action when the chances occurred.

It is so wonderful as well working with someone who is so brilliantly organised as Carl is: he never leaves a single stone unturned in the process of booking everything/arranging everything and his research for location work is out of this world! I had a number of places in mind which I was able to suggest to Carl that we should do but he just totally went for it and planned our travels perfectly. He chose the perfect vehicle to allow us to get around to all the best places and was alert at all times as to our direction and where we were heading. Sometimes we played it by ear if we saw somewhere that looked rather interesting but for the rest of the time, Carl had us on schedule around the island perfectly. And boy did we see some amazing sites! The whole week seemed to go so quickly and I was still buzzing by the end of it - that is saying something.

I cannot comprehend just how much I recommend Carl - he's a superb photographer and a terrific friend too. We have such a laugh and were keeping ourselves entertained in the most ridiculous of manners which typically involved lots of laughing, shouting and cheering. The more lush an image looked during a shoot patch, the more chance there was of hearing us shout about it from deep in the mountains! What a road trip! I am genuinely still in awe as I look through all the different days; location work is tricky at the best of times and to say that, of all the shoots we have had together, Carl and I have not been outdoors much at all - we made such a success of it and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We came to Iceland with a view to conquer volcanoes, glaciers, sulphur vents, freezing water, cooled lava, mountains, ash and more... and we did just that. No doubt about it: the best location adventure I have had!

THANK YOU SO MUCH CARL! IT WAS FFT AS ALWAYS!!!!!!

freespirit

I love working with Carl. It is a unique shooting experience. I'm so grateful for the opportunities he's given me for rare and exceptional shoots- for example underwater, and on his yacht, and with his vintage Jaguar, and conscious that I've been fortunate that he has been so kind as to give me regular work. I feel as though I've waited my whole life to finally meet such a kindred spirit, a creative collaborator I get along with so well.

Of course Carl's superb handling of light is much admired, and his massive talent and enthusiasm are well known, but I think his treatment of people is equally impressive. He is highly skilled at building a working relationship built on trust and communication. And there is no one like him for bringing out a model's inner goddess, as Natural Happy Girl said.

Best boss I've ever had. :)

Highly recommended, of course. :)

Sophia.

Had a great time staying with Carl. It was my first tour so far down south and he made me feel completely welcome and safe throughout.

We went on a trip around the isle of wight with his lovely crew. It was amazing, the weather was perfect and we got some stunning shots!

The second day we shot in the studio doing erotic art nude. His lighting set up's are so creative, catching all my curves in the right places to look really sexy.

If you want a good bum shot, Work with carl!!

Cant wait to work together again and see the final edits

Good luck with your surgery!

100% recommended!

S A S H A

I had a pleasure of working with Carl and I was inspired by his energy and enthusiasm. Carl is a very passionate and a professional artist. He is very clear at what he wants and is one of the hardest working people I know. Carl was very accomodating and respectful of what we agreed prior to the shoot.

I would highly recommend Carl and his work. I am hoping to work with him on new exciting ideas in the near future.

Regards,

Mr Sasha

beckilouise

Well what can I say, this man is a very very creative and hard working photographer . he gets ever pose spot on! And those 2° angles work ;) I enjoyed every minute of it, hard work well achieved great photos. Very easy and laid back guy, felt comfortable straight away , highly recommend . one of the beat togs iv worked with :) hope to shoot again soon!! X

Artisan Dance

Recently worked with Carl for the first time at his home studio.

Very impressed with this guy.

Great pictures, fun day.

The studio is really well thought out.

An enthusiastic photographer who is also down to earth and easy to talk to.

Looking forward to our next shoot :)

Jynx

I messaged Carl about a shoot and was very happy when he could squeeze me in!

Not sure I can add anything different to the already wonderfully positive comments, but Carl is a splendid host, excellent pre-shoot comms and his lighting skills just blow you away! He is an incredibly skilled photographer, I loved the 'back of camera' shots and cannot wait to see the edits! Got to try his new shower installation, aswell as some nude, erotic and fetish work. If you havent had a shoot with him already, book yourself in now!! :)

Samantha Siren

I had the best shoot with Carl last week. I was the first to try out its new wet stage and the result he got from the moving water was incredible.

As a person you cannot get a nicer chap than Carl. He's is friendly, welcoming and his enthusiasm during the shoot kept me smiling whole time I was there. The images are stunning and I cannot wait to see the finished product.

I would highly recommend Carl to anyone who is looking to get some truly breathtaking images. Looking forward to working with him again.

Soria

I had a shoot with Carl this weekend, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience :)

He is very friendly, knows well what he wants to achieve and works hard to get the best images. He helps with posing and makes sure that every detail is perfect, makes you work hard but it's worth it :)

It was a great shoot and I really enjoyed it, looking forward for the next :)

Very highly recommended!

freespirit

I am conscious that it is a privilege to work with Carl, that I am lucky, and I don’t take it lightly or for granted. Photoshoots with Carl are often like adventures- he’s given me opportunities to shoot in locations and situations which are rare, and beyond my wildest dreams. I always endeavour to make the utmost of every given opportunity.

Carl is highly skilled in knowing how to get the best out of his employees. He could write a textbook in how to build up trust with the model. The model knows he will never embarrass her- he always verifies the propriety of any image with the model prior to publication. This is crucial, in establishing a working relationship based on trust. The model is treated as a thinking creative entity in her/his own right. Carl doesn’t waste time, his own, or anyone else’s.

Having worked in a day job which does not do this- and having experienced the dispiriting, deadening effect of employers who merely take advantage of their employees, without ever realizing anything like their full creative potential- I realize how lucky I’ve been in having Carl as a boss. He works you hard, but he gives you opportunities which are challenging, to really stretch yourself- you end up exhausted, but in a good way- you’ve come somewhere close to maximising your potential, and that’s, overall, a really good feeling, it’s life- enhancing.

Best boss I’ve ever had, in a long term, regular working relationship.

Highly recommended, of course. :) xx

Freya

I finally managed to model for Carl and I wish I had done it sooner. Carl picked me up from the station and he was so chatty and very happy. When we got back to his house he showed me around his studio which is an old barn that has some lovely old features :)

Me and Carl produced such awesome shots together. I even got to wear a really cool chain mail coif that Carl had on hand mixed with some of my funky fetish gear :) We got through quite a few sets after we managed to pull some things out of the way with a block and tackle. Carl was so enthusiastic through out the shoot and really got his lights precise for each and every shot. Both of us are perfectionists and I think it shows in the shots we did together.

100% recommended and I can not wait to shoot with Carl again. I need to have a go in that awesome shower glass set yet. Wooooooo!

Monsieur E

This was my first shoot with Carl and it was brilliant.

Full of different ideas and poses he wanted me and freespirit to execute.

This was quite a daring shoot because a lot of the poses that we were aiming to achieve are not the type of poses most models would attempt as they require a very flexible person, a very strong person and the courage to attempt technically difficult poses.

Because Carl is very encouraging it helped most certainly when it came to trying certain poses and even if we did not execute it exactly as we wanted, at times we created better poses than intended.

Puts in his shift of work in and very specific with angles, lighting and that why he achieves the effects he does.

Highly recommended by me and I look forward to working together again hopefully!