Amy Dunn, Houston Photographer Blog » Mandarin dress http://www.amydunn.com/blog Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:52:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Peony Red for the Hoildays http://www.amydunn.com/blog/peony-red-for-the-hoildays/ http://www.amydunn.com/blog/peony-red-for-the-hoildays/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:22:29 +0000 amydunn http://www.amydunn.com/blog/?p=2654 If you are looking for unique Asian-inspired clothing or gift ideas, go to Peony Red. I discovered this cute little shop when I got booked to shoot its latest merchandise. I wandered into the rainbow-colored store, and my eyes feasted on all the wonderful gems and designs. I already loved the place, but then I met the owner, Yanna, and fell in love with it even more.

Yanna is top-notch when it comes to customer service, and she even helped the producer and me set up the shoot. I traveled from Texas to do the shoot, so I did not have all of my lighting gear. She supplemented my lighting with two Excalibur strobes – fun, nifty lights that reminded me of my AlienBees. I lit the white seamless background with two lights, and to make the models stand out from the background, I added two rim lights. I used one broad light source for the main light, a white umbrella.

I worked with some of the original crew from Dex Studios, so the atmosphere felt comfortable and fun. Peony Red booked Lisa Ramos as one of the models, and if anyone watched this season’s America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 13), you may remember Lisa as one of the contenders. How can anyone forget her! The models looked amazing in the traditional Mandarin dresses, and Yanna expertly accessorized the dresses with these beautiful bangles and cuffs on display at Peony Red.

I want. Gimme. :)

I ended up falling in love with the citrus-colored qi pao shown below, so I now have a similar one in my closet–ready for a self-portrait. Some accessories would greatly enhance the dress, and I know to look no further than Peony Red. It’s okay to buy myself a Christmas present…right?

Photographer: Amy Dunn
Makeup artist: Alice An for Candifiend Studios
Hair stylist: Naomi Porto
Clothing: Peony Red
Model: Lisa Ramos

New York City, 2009

Gear: Canon 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens

© Amy Dunn
All rights reserved

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