Shadow Play started when my friend and makeup artist Josiah and I decided to push ourselves creatively. We were both inspired by the sculptural and moody worlds of Rick Owens and Alexander McQueen and wanted to explore the theme of duality through light, styling, and casting.
With models Jeordon and Jo each styled in two contrasting looks, and stylist Cassidy joining to bring an avant garde edge, we spent a full day experimenting with texture and form. What began as a simple test shoot ended up featured in Goji Magazine and became one of my favorite editorial projects.
The Problem
I had been in a comfortable cycle with test shoots and wanted to make something more daring and editorial. The idea was to explore duality in both styling and light, but in a way that still felt cohesive. The challenge was to take a concept that could easily feel overdone and make it personal to my team and my shooting style.
We had about three weeks to plan, a four hour shoot, and a small crew. I handled photography and creative direction, Josiah led makeup and grooming, Cassidy styled, and Jeordon and Jo modeled. We wanted to keep it minimal, just enough wardrobe and lighting to let the contrast shine.
Concept and Planning
Josiah came to me wanting to do something out of the box. He was thinking of dark glamour and sculptural looks inspired by Rick Owens and Alexander McQueen. From that, the concept of duality came to life. We cast one male and one female model to play off each other’s energy, leaning into both harmony and tension.
Jo’s makeup in this image is actually a low fidelity sketch Josiah came up with in pre-production.
Styling and Prep
I usually handle styling myself, but this shoot needed someone who really understood shape and avant garde detail. Cassidy was the perfect person for it. We met up and spent a night laying out outfits across her apartment floor, mixing fabrics and silhouettes until we had four strong looks — two for each model in black and white.
Cass and I sat on her kitchen floor pairing wardrobe pieces for hours.
Shoot Day
We shot at Void Studios, my go-to space for creative tests. Josiah and his assistant handled hair and makeup, going for sleek, high contrast finishes that matched the tone. I used what I learned during my mentorship with Garrick Wong as the foundation for my setup but made a few changes. The main light was a hard beauty dish to sculpt shape and highlight texture, balanced with a soft fill for the duo shots to keep the tones even. I placed black v flats on either side of the models to deepen the contrast along their faces and maintain that dramatic edge.
For Jeordon’s solo portraits, I cut the background light entirely to create a dark, focused frame. For Jo’s, I brought the background light back to open up the scene and add a sense of depth. We made a few on set adjustments since I had forgotten to bring the tulle and black ribbon, but improvising ended up giving us stronger, more organic compositions.
Luckily, the studio happened to have black tulle and streamers that we added to the shots last minute.
Editing and Output
Editing took about two months. I wanted every frame to feel deliberate and graphic. We shared the final images online, and soon after, they were picked up by Goji Magazine.
The Result
The final series showed me what can happen when I let go of my usual formula and trust a team. It felt cinematic, sculptural, and raw, the kind of work I want to keep building toward.
Going Forward
If I did this again, I would plan out prop styling more carefully and test a few extra lighting setups to expand the range. But overall, Shadow Play reminded me that test shoots can be transformative when everyone on set brings equal creative energy. I am proud of how this project turned out and grateful for Josiah, Cassidy, Jeordon, and Jo for making the vision come alive.