Within moments of being on set with Tina Chang, it’s clear we’re working with a pro. At Poppy Barley, we’ve worked with incredibly talented photographers, but we’ve never seen anyone work like this.Her movements around the camera are slight, albeit deliberate, as are the model’s under Tina’s direction. When we select the final photos, we choose based on the details, like the model’s upper-body positioning, the hint of a smile, the way a strand of hair blows across her face (the fan is directed with precision). On set, there’s not a crease in the backdrop. If the props are too distracting, they’re cut.

Tina Chang on set with Poppy Barley in Edmonton
The make-up doesn't just have to look right, it has to "feel" right. The feet, our shoes, stay in the same spot with each look (because they are carefully placed that way), as does the lighting. The lighting is perfect, because she spends the time to make it so. Perhaps, a painstaking amount of time when you're on a deadline; but it’s worth it. Sometimes, you have to respect the time, and you must always, always respect the artist.

Al Baniyas Island, Abu Dhabi



Al Baniyas Island, Abu Dhabi



Tina Chang shooting Dior on location in Paris

Tina Chang shooting for Harper's Bazaar Arabia

Tina Chang shoots in the desert for Luxury Magazine
But pushing through the discomfort and culture shock was, arguably, the best thing Tina did. She worked overseas for six years, travelling across the United Arab Emirates, to India, and on location in Paris and New York, shooting luxury fashion brands like Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Tiffany & Co., and editorials for magazines like Grazia, Harpers Bazaar Arabia, Luxury, L'Officiel India, Marie Claire Middle East, and Rolling Stone Middle East. “There are lots of amazing things that I experienced during that time that will always be dear to me,” she says. “There are certain things I love about being in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the fashion work is amazing. It was fun, it's still fun, and it's getting bigger.”
Tina Chang shoots for Grazia



Tina Chang shoots at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi



Tina Chang shoots on location in India
Tina's return to Edmonton was met with rampant excitement from the local fashion community, although perhaps she was unaware. At Poppy Barley, we jumped at the chance to see our shoes through her eyes. As she spends time with family and begins to feel the return of her old self, she's also been reminded of the challenges in making fashion happen here. "Being back is frustrating; I can't get this, I can't get that. There's not a ton of stylists with the same passion. People just don't have the same connections. It makes it really hard," she admits. "It's quite different when it comes to a stylist and fashion director in Dubai, because they have the resources and maybe they can actually get the resources, or find the resources. They can never say no. They just say, 'Why not?' And I love that attitude. When people go, 'Why not?' instead of, I can't do this, I can't do that. It's already done. When you say 'I can't', you're already not seeing the possibility of what can be done." "I'm adjusting," she continues. "I'm not saying I'm not. And I'm not saying I won't go back. <...> But at this point, I think I contributed something to the Middle East as far as the Dubai and Abu Dhabi fashion scenes go. I was probably one of the few doing fashion when I was there. So, according to people who were in the industry, I'd started this fashion thing. I'm not taking all the credit, but I know I did something that kind of triggered something else. Now, there are more people going there, and more people asking, 'Why not?'" Why not. Because you have to start somewhere.