Summer Is For Lovers

For some time now, I’ve challenged myself to think larger and more creatively to implement concepts into my work more frequently. Concepts that not only speak to the eyes of the audience but also draw your soul into the art as well. As an aspiring commercial lifestyle and editorial photographer, being able to visually sell a feeling is essential in the process of selling products to consumers. The part that I have long struggled to accomplish is infusing my own unique style to the art of selling emotion and this series, is my first success at it.

When I first began photography, I was immediately drawn to work by @VanStyles (Stephen Vanasco). He shot mostly boudoir style but from a more candid perspective than I had ever seen. As I learned more, I grew to truly appreciate the simplicity of the work that Terry Richardson made Supreme famous with. After a few years under my belt, my focus shifted to the work of Peter Lindbergh, who seems to have mastered a raw, unfiltered image that draws the eye into the barren scene that he has created. All of these shooters, and many more have shaped my understanding of the impact of having a unique style that resonates through all of your work.

For me, I have noticed a few underlying themes from my work as well. Intimacy, Vulnerability & a Simplistic Freedom. With those themes, I want to fully explore the extent of them from all angles, expanding each concept further and further while still remaining simplistic enough for the audience to feel it.

This specific series was inspired by a personal feeling, one that makes Summer days feel warmer and summer nights feel like they’ll never end. The same feeling that I get from exploring a new place for the first time or hearing a new song that electrifies your body. With these series, that electricity is what I wanted to resonate through each image and there were no better models to select than CJ & Nas.

I met them both a year ago in Miami where I shot with CJ & Nas came to the shoot as a stylist. I had already been following her, so I knew how good of a model she was and working with CJ for the first time set the bar high for my expectations of him further (that shoot can be seen HERE). So when I came up with this idea, I already had them both in mind and was excited to execute it.

I sent them this mood board and told them that I wanted to channel this energy of freedom, of passion but most importantly wanting to keep that same semblance of passion. As you can see from both the board and the full set of images, they knocked this one out the park. I initially wanted to capture different vibes from different sets of models but after reviewing the images that I got from CJ & Nas, it was clear that less is more.

Check out the full set of images at the tab below. Share this photo story with friends, family or just your instagram followers if you will. Like & Comment below

~Life & Love