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This was one of my pre-cosplay costumes, meaning at the time I didn’t even realize that what I was doing was considered costume play. All I knew was that normal fashion photography and modeling didn’t really interest me, so I latched onto any project that seemed a bit out of the ordinary.
Mike O'Halloran's Body Painting Work
This concept was brought up by one of my friends/favorite photographers Mike O’Halloran. At that point (we shot this costume several years back) we had only worked together once before. Since then we have done much more work together – including shooting my wedding and my family portraits.
The concept was easy enough; Mike wanted to explore fantasy work and body painting. I had my choice of lots of themes, but we settled on one inspired by and Ice Queen – a Shiva of sorts. He had already done some other fantasy shoots involving body paint, and I liked what I saw.
Mike O'Halloran's Body Painting Work
The costume was taken care of by Mike. He made a simple bikini and boot covers out of fur and leather cord. I have to admit, considering how much work I put into my costumes now, it was pretty nice to have this one taken care of for me.
The body painting was the toughest part and it took several hours. Let me tell you…body painting is a great way to get to know someone. Mike did my legs, arms and face, and his wife took the more…uncomfortable areas…after Mike excused himself. The whole experience was fun, despite not being able to touch anything for an entire day.
Mike O'Halloran's Body Painting Work
We shot inside his studio on a backdrop covered in fake snow, complete with props including a wicked axe Mike borrowed from a friend. After getting our fill in the studio, we ventured outside. Cold can’t describe how uncomfortable it was, but I managed to suck it up long enough to get the job done. The most bizarre part was the looks I got as I wondered half naked through a park in Minneapolis. Our last few shots were taken on a rock jutting out of the Mississippi, which I fell into up to my knees after trying to jump back to shore. We decided to call it a day then, not wanting to risk frostbite from my wet feet.
All and all the shoot went fantastic and I had a ton of fun. Funny enough, walking back to my busy apartment I actually made a guy scream out of fear when he saw me painted all silver. Then there was trying to get all the paint off…that took two hours of scrubbing in the shower. Thank god for an unlimited water heater.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
