Amy Dunn, Houston Photographer Blog » Asian model

Fashion Shoot with Zara

amydunn — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:27:59 +0000

New photos (finally) posted in the fashion section. You won’t want to miss these! Let me know what you think of my photoshoot with Asian model sensation–and possibly my new muse–Zara.

Cara Dulce Studios
Houston, TX 2010

Photographer: Amy Dunn
Hair/Makeup Artist: Sara Eudy
Assistant: Krystyn Lea
Model: Zara

Gear: Canon 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-70 mm

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A Shout-Out in Flavour Magazine

amydunn — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:28:36 +0000

His weapon of choice is the imagination before the camera. His colorful photos look like virtual eye candy, and if a photo says a thousand words, his photos rival an entire Shakespearean sonnet. Meet FrizzyCube, one of the world’s most renowned digital artists–and my #1 homeslice.

I met Neil “FrizzyCube” Nakahara in 2005 when Myspace was still an acceptable form of social networking. Before the website got filled with creepy stalkers, I befriended Neil through some pleasant exchanges, and we set up a shoot. We chatted on the phone and talked for hours–I had not done that since junior high, back when I loved to prank call people and obviously before *67 and *69. Neil explained his “Toasty Hot” photo shoot concept to me and scooped me up for a shoot shortly thereafter.

Neil’s assistant at the time had full access to this amazing steel factory outside of Manhattan. After a few hours of set-up and shooting, I noticed that the strobes kept moving. One time I looked over, the softbox slowly slid from one side to the other. No drafts, no A/C…just an empty, dark, cold and creepy steel mill. I pointed it out to Neil, and as we both watched the light move from left to right, he said the light had moved five or six meters away from where he originally placed it. Zoiks!

Neil mentioned this experience in the latest issue of Flavour Magazine, this really fabulous e-zine based in the UK. With printed magazines going out of business left and right, it looks like e-zines represent the wave of our future–and Flavour easily takes the cake as a pioneer. Check out the cool interface. I enjoyed sitting in front of my computer, flipping through its pages.

I got the warm fuzzies AND cold chills when I read pp. 68-69. First of all, how cool is it to get a shout-out by one of the most sought-after digital artists/photographers out there? I have some of his big-wow PSD’s sitting on my desktop, and I marvel at the level of skill, time and effort he puts into one single piece of artwork. Any Photoshop geek would appreciate the layers upon layers of tips and tricks in a single FrizzyCube PSD file.

Neil spent countless hours teaching me Photoshop. Every time I get stumped with a retouching problem, he comes up with an easy fix. I want to start something new on my blog next year where I interview photographers that have greatly influenced my work. If you have any interview questions for Neil, please post them in the comment section below. In the meantime, take a gander at FrizzyCube’s dreamy photos (www.frizzycube.com) and show some love!

I Am… Amy Fierce

amydunn — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:14:04 +0000

Just kidding! I’m not that conceited.

But my alter ego is.

Just kidding again!

Whenever I’m not shooting, I like to get on the other side of the camera just so I can relate to the models that work with me. I raided Alice’s closet since she’s a former fashion designer and found all the trendiest items this season: sequins, feathers and furs. Stephen has a whole supply of beauty products at his studio, so I futzed with my own hair and applied my own makeup for a low-profile shoot. Diana Manzanares stopped by later in the day to polish my application.

Posing is a skill, and most models–including me–need some time to warm up. Stephen and I are obviously friends, so we have great rapport when we shoot. Even though most models/photographers do not have that luxury for the first time, it is important to make the model feel comfortable. I always tell the model to “have a thought,” something that conveys the mood. A mood board helps, but some of the newer models need direction from start to finish.

When I show a new model how to pose, I start with the feet at 10:00 and 2:00. I tell her to give me something different with every pop of the flash–hand on the hip, look off, smile, eyes towards the camera, hands in the pockets–but not too different that I have to change my lighting. I once had a girl start off standing, and then she squatted. Then, she stood up again, and then sat down. She exhausted me after only a dozen shots.

If a model needs help with expression, I instruct her to cite the vowels:

A to look cool.

E for a great smile.

I for mystery.

O for a little surprise.

U for sensuality.

Even when I get stuck on poses, I cite my vowels. Can you guess which ones I’m citing here?

New York City, 2009

Photographer: Stephen Eastwood
Makeup artist: Diana Manzanares
Model: Amy Dunn

The Model Photographer

Amy — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:26:10 +0000

Many people have asked how I started shooting. Truthfully, I started off on the other side of the camera and learned a great deal about lighting and giving/receiving direction. I worked as a model for a solid decade, having posed in international publications of Vogue, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolian–and countless ads in the United States, Asia and Europe. I feel extraordinarily privileged, and believe me, there is not a hint of arrogance when I list my credentials. I simply listed them to give you an idea about my background and inspiration.

Here is a video for Metro 7 produced by ImaginAsian TV that highlights one of my last forays in the beautiful world of modeling. It shows a typical day “on set” and gives you an idea of how modeling sparked my love for photography.