Last weekend, I got to spend two days with photographer Tyson Vick.  Besides being amazing with a camera, he’s also a fabulous costumer!  I’m still in awe of his recreation (embroidery and all) of this historical outfit.  Tyson and I have been talking costuming and steampunk online for awhile now, so it was wonderful to finally meet him in person.

He had an idea for a steampunk photoshoot based around the Opium Wars, and wanted to use my costumes for the lady models.  We went to Fort Casey, WA for the first day, and used the WWII bunkers for our background.  Lovely Meilyn was our evil steampunk villain, and Christopher our hero-in-distress.

I can’t share any of the actual pictures Tyson took until they are published (which will be next summer) but I brought my camera and took a few to give you the idea of what we did.  Tyson’s will be MUCH better!  :)

It was quite odd to see my costumes on another woman; when her back was turned it was almost like I was standing next to myself!  An eerie-cool feeling!  This one is, of course, my Steampunk Geisha.  The wig was made by Tyson…another of his many talents!

Christopher was genuinely terrorized by Meilyn’s long metal fingertips!

I helped Tyson’s friend and assistant, Lizzie, with light reflection.

The other costume of mine we used on this day was my pirate coat (given a steampunk twist with the addition of a bustled skirt and modded shotgun.)

The models enjoyed the steampunk props.  Meilyn told me that this was the longest shoot she’d worked on…but the most fun!

Besides being fun, it was just slightly death-defying – at least to this height-phobic costumer!  ;)

This was my first photoshoot, and I had a blast.  Tyson’s a great guy, and easy to work with, and the models were high-energy and fun.

Sunday we went to Gasworks Park, in Seattle.

This was particularly fun for me, because while I’d driven past this park several times, I’d never actually been.  And it’s so STEAMPUNK!   It also has amazing views of the city, including the Space Needle.  (Why did they paint the top orange???  That’s just weird!)

This time model Christopher was joined by the heroine, Jadi.  Jadi wore my “Airship Pirate” pirate outfit.

Jadi is more blessed with curves than I am, so I had an opportunity to test-drive my corset, by lacing her in quite a bit harder than I normally would.  She actually had to hold onto the car, while Tyson and I yanked the laces!   And then, we made her jump, run, and climb.  Proving, once again, that it’s possible to do things like that in a corset!  ;)

Love this next shot…I don’t know what’s going on, but Christopher seems to be having a stare-down with Tyson!

Everyone loved playing with the guns!  I’m kinda surprised the police didn’t show up to arrest us, with all the guns, swords, and knives we were packin’.

I have a great fondness for that costume…it was the very first steampunk outfit I ever made!

Tyson, demonstrating how to climb the side of an airship while shooting.

After we finished the Great Pirate Battle at Gasworks, we went to another Seattle location, Kerry park.  It was very small, but it did have an interesting sculpture…and lots of milling tourists!

For this shoot, Jadi wore my Ottoman outfit.

The models shared some tender moments…. (lookit how pretty the beetlewing embroidery is on that jacket!!!)

….but this happened too!

That feathers on her turban were very unruly in the wind….as were the before-mentioned tourists!

Time out for feather-fixing…and a little key-wrangling.

Then I came home and unpacked the car and put everything away.  GAH.