It's been a while since I've submitted an editorial, but here we are with my last editorial of 2017, Crimson Peak, published in Surreal Beauty Mag.

The idea for this shoot all began with me wanting to use a red backdrop, but I didn't want the red to come out looking flat; I still wanted to create some dimension. So when Andrew, a fantastic wardrobe stylist who I've worked with before, sent me some ideas for wardrobe I knew our concepts were going to blend well together. Plus, he was all for the red backdrop.

For a few days, I went back and forth with the lighting. I couldn't decide whether I actually wanted a flat red or more of a moodier burgundy color. Decisions! Eventually, it came down to which modifier I wanted to use and since Dondee's friend Jeff had graciously let us borrow the Broncolor FB Parabolic with the ringflash, it was apparent I was going to use it. When I did my tests, the parabolic umbrella gave me the perfect balance between the bright red and the mysterious feeling I wanted. All I had to do was turn the massive modifier off to the side of my subject, which gave off a strong vignette while still keeping the intensity of the red backdrop intact.

The wardrobe was insane! I mean, Andrew sent me a few images on Instagram but seeing it up close gave me a new appreciation for Xuan Couture's designs. Xuan Bui, the designer for all of the wardrobe used in the shoot, had woven tightly coiled ropes together creating an intricate masterpiece with structure and curves. The hardest part was going to make sure that the detail didn't get lost in the full-length shots.

Hollie and Amy, of course, did a beautiful job with hair and makeup and the beauty shots ended up being some of my favorites. Brianna, the model, was on point as she flew through the poses and gave me her best. There were a few times that I had to tell myself to stop shooting since I had already gotten "the shot" five to ten clicks in. Let's just say culling this shoot proved to be very difficult since I ended up with a lot of favorites.

Hair: Hollie Berry

Makeup: Amy Richardson

Styling: Andrew Philip Ng & Hien Phan

Behind The Scenes by Andrew