London Test Shoot: Maria

I was so excited to set this test shoot up in London last week with Irish model, Maria. I had gathered some simple looks with autumn and feminine vibes, which I felt suited Maria's beautiful features. With no specific locations in mind, we started shooting around the block of my hotel in Knightsbridge. We found this old stone church darkened with age (and probably pollution) which gave us a great start for the rest of the shoot. I was thrilled with the lighting conditions and Maria's effortless posing.

For the second look, I knew I wanted to use the reflection pond inside the Victoria & Albert museum which I had visited the day before to see the Balenciaga exhibit. The wood "skating shelters" in the courtyard provided a really awesome backdrop with warm tones to balance out the cool colors of the second outfit. If I lived in London, this place would definitely be my go-to reading/relaxing hideaway.

I always like to bring in some "girliness" into my test shoots, (whether that means pastels or skirts or tulle) because I tend to edit with lots of contrast and darkness. So for the last look, we went to Hyde Park and paired this beautiful rose skirt and sheer pink top with my go-to Burberry trench. I didn't have to worry about too much "green" because the park was entirely gold and red with Fall leaves.