Tribal Fusion Bellydance Test Photos December 2011 - 001

These are just a few test frames, when I was playing with the lighting and exposure for my camera.

Tribal Fusion Bellydance 2011
Vintage 2004 Arden B. purple shrug.
Vintage tribal silver, coin bra, feather earrings by Charlotte Russe

The Paper Indian Star Lamp in my Kimono Robe

My Vintage "Shirley of Hollywood" Kimono Robes
 (Made in USA 2000)

So, my robes have kinda been a thing with me for years, but I had hadn't felt the jazziness with them, so for a long long time, I wouldn't wear them in photos. But, when I was cold, I'd worn them in a few cellphone photos, or a few of my videos. And, because the robes are so old, in my head I thought people would tease me about them, but the opposite happened.

Several people asked me about the robes. I have one that is magenta, and the other that is blue. They are by Shirley of Hollywood and are vintage 2000, which I purchased online in 2001 after I graduated from college. It was the first time I'd ever purchased something online using credit that was my own money, from a "check card" which is just called "debits" today.
Also, in 2001 people were mostly afraid of using credit cards online, or buying things online... but, I'd already many times gotten gift cards, or other things since 1998 with no problems nor troubles.

Anyways, in 2013 I'd tried some experiments with the robes. Since, I liked the whole Boho Chic (which isn't actually anything new at all) I just went with it.

So, I've used these robes in several photo shoots.

These are from last summer in 2014.

The Paper Indian Lamp

 I've had a store from about 2009-2012 (and have had my own businesses several times over) and one of the items my spouse insisted on selling were these paper lamps from India. I wasn't as crazy about them as he was, maybe because they seem like a kind of old Chinese paper artform... I was surprised how jazzed he was about them because they were not cheap, when they first came out of retail sale way back in the Bush Era, and didn't sell that well when he first got some, plus he's not very enthusiastic about anything from India, at all... ever... In Chinese, Indians are called "Yingdu" or "Ashan". Altho' it's not a derogatory, per se, many people in China call Indians "Ashan" in a not very nice tone. It's not something I can understand, because much Chinese ideas originated from India or Nepal which in Chinese is often called "The Western Heaven".

Anyways, the samples we had of these were rather nice. I used one for a long time that was blue, until we opened the store front, and he wanted a nice sample lamp. It actually sold, and so, we had many colors of these...

The only ones left, once we closed the store, were a few other ones, and several of the red ones... but, trying to hang them up, several ripped, which was strange because they are very sturdy. But, these red ones are really nice! They give off an orange red light, and are dim compared to the other lamps. Laos, this one is lined with yellow colored tissue paper, the others just have perforated decorative punched holes in them.

So, they give off a unique wash of color.

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Summer Afternoon Gypset 002

I can't remember if I shot these in  2013, or 2014

Makeup:
Definitely Urban Decay's NAKED2 palette and Too Faced "Natural Eye" palette.
Blush by MAC


Accessories:
Antique/vintage tribal silver beaded necklace, and the hand beaded necklace of freshwater black pearls in indigo, deep green, and purples.

Clothing:
Bought the shrug at the Gallery Mall in near the subway in Center city Philadelphia
The top was a gift from Pirate Pebbs

Summer Afternoon Gypset 001

Summer Afternoon Gypset

I can't even keep track of which year I shot these things anymore. I think it was either 2012 or 2013.
DSLR CANON + vintage 55mm VIVITAR Orange Filter