Published on QP Magazine

This fashion project was done in the heart of Los Angeles, Jewellery District. We had a very challenging day with the smoke from California wild fires covering the entire Greater Los Angeles Area. 12pm seemed like 4pm in winter.

We changed the vibe of this photoshoot to a darker tone, with black and white wardrobe. The model Rachel Starr was exceptional in portraying the high fashion look we had with a spin of noir. The LA streets provided the perfect backdrop of old buildings with stories, streets and crowd.

Photography Challenge

Due to the lighting, or the lack of it, we had to seek for spots with the best lighting that expose the model’s face and body well, because having flashes or strobes is just not an option in the streets in downtown LA.

With editing, I opted for a dark editing moulding the light into a 7pm lighting, even though the photos were shot 2-4pm.

The goal is to create a story that shows a beautiful lady getting ready for the night lives in a metropolis.

Makeup, Hair and Styling

We opted for a casual hairstyle (a lot of people think they can get away with not styling the hair at all, if they are shooting for casual, which is a big misconception), editorial makeup, as well as a high fashion styling. They look really off in real life, if you were to observe the model at work in front of you, in the streets where a lot of people are just going about their business.

But it really worked on camera, which has the magic of shielding off unwanted elements.

The Result

The result of this shoot can be found here. We were able to achieve the look and feel we wanted, in adverse environments and with limitations. A big thanks to the team and QP Magazine, who commissioned this shoot.

Photographer Dali Ma

Model Rachel Starr

Stylist Michelle Wu

MUA Joanne Kim

Hair Chloe Ho

Schedule your photoshoot via the form below