“Moody Blues”

When I first started shooting body-painted models back in the year 2011, I was converting my Bangkok hotel room into a make-shift photo studio by flipping the bed up against the wall to make room for backdrop stands, soft box lighting gear, my tripod, and the crew. This series focused on capturing the passion of highly professional models styled by Southeast Asia’s premier makeup artist, the Norwegian-born Hilde Marie Johansen.

The radially-spoked background was actually a giant six-foot-wide umbrella I had purchased at the humongous Chatuchak Weekend Market located on the outskirts of Bangkok. It was originally intended to cast shade over an outdoor picnic table but was re-purposed and painted blue to match Hilde’s body-painting color of choice that day.

Model: Thailand’s wild-driven, Nardia, wearing only a giant red necklace to express her zeal and modesty.