French director and photographer Julien Carlier is well-known for working with the world's biggest fashion and luxury brands. Coming all the way from France to Macau to photograph the new hotel, Morpheus at City of Dreams Macau, click on the gallery below to discover what inspired each of his photos for our exclusive shoot:
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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Looking up

The main challenge of shooting at Morpheus was to get the right angle. Zaha Hadid created a very unique piece of architecture, which is modern and solid as well as abstract and soft.

Placing Alison (the model) and the camera in the right place was not always easy as so many angles look great, but I had to choose one and many times I ended up lying on the floor or shooting from above to capture as much as possible.

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Riding the lifts

For this shot, I stood on a ladder and we went up and down the lifts for 20 minutes just to get the right shot with the right light and background. Below, you can see the main lobby of Morpheus. With the flashlight above us in such a confined space, you can bet that we were breaking a sweat.

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Mystery and glamour

Here, I aimed for something more glamorous and mysterious, as if Alison was in symbiosis with the abstract animal-like shapes of the Morpheus atrium. 

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Geometric shapes

For this shot, we went for something more powerful. The geometrical dress and her attitude were combined to enhance the sense of what The Design Museum described as "the highly expressive, sweeping fluid forms of multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry that evoke the chaos and flux of modern life".       

 

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Lifting off

From this angle, you can see the lifts going up and down. It's almost as if Morpheus is a human machine controlled by its own artificial intelligence.

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Window watching

Morpheus seems to take control, even over Alison, as you can see how she is fixed and frozen like a display mannequin behind the window. 

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Independent woman

Here, she regains her confidence and strikes a pose as a glamorous, independent woman. 

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Pure seduction

Clad in a classy evening dress and statement jewellery, Alison uses her seduction to highlight the architecture, as if we are recreating a scene from Beauty & The Beast.

 

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Rooftop beauty

Here, Alison tilts her head back to look up, and what a view it was. Located on the 40th floor of Morpheus, the sky pool is a stunning spot to take in the sights.

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Above Photo: Julien Carlier

Mermaid vibes

The colours of Alison's outfit match perfectly with the water in the Morpheus sky pool. Paired with shades, she is giving off major mermaid vibes.

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