Every once in a while you work with someone who just makes your job so easy and effortless, that it serves a reminder as to why you fell in love with gripping a camera in the first place; capturing the effortless beauty surrounding you. Meet Sonica! This Canadian beauty was harnessing some major bohemian vibes. You can truly see her passion for modeling emanate through the photographs. Super pumped about how the styling came through to enhance the scene and vibe.
Sonica comes from the West coast of Canada (Vancouver), arguably one of the most beautiful corners on this planet. Vancouver also happens to be the home of my best friend Christian Nambayan which got me thinking. What if I introduced Sonica to Christian and let them collaborate on a project. I liked the idea, one model, two locations, two photographers. I had recently watched a YouTube video where three photographers all shot the same model and I thought it would be an excellent exercise to share with Christian. I believe the different results will show how we’ve evolved photographically over the past decade and show how we each deal with the challenges facing photographers in sunny Florida and cloudy Vancouver. I look forward to the results they produce!
While setting up all the details of this shoot, I was having a hard time selecting a location. I’m still new to the Coral Gables area, but am slowly discovering some amazing shooting spots! Being an on-location photographer, moving somewhere new is always a challenge,; as you have to rebuild your repertoire of sets and locations. Asking for location suggestions from area photographers has sadly not lead to any real recommendations, as we have noticed a sense of propriety over the real gems in Florida. It has been hard to find some compatriot photographers that believe in community over competition here in South Florida, so if you are a like-minded enthusiast or pro, looking to develop a strong community, please comment below and let’s connect!
The location we honed in on is the beautiful and historic Coral Gables library. The stunning building facade made of coral and surrounding greenery evoke a botanical garden. I was in awe of the beauty of the library, I wish every library could be so visually stimulating and lush.
To wrap things up, I would like to thank Sonica for braving the vicious geckos, feral cats and mosquitos and many thanks to Monica and Sandeep for helping assist with the shoot! May the next time we meet be in Vancouver! Cheers.
Adorned in:
DRESS: Slip from free People | KIMONO: Vintage |
MODEL: Sonica Sandhu| STYLIST: Sea+Ink | PHOTOGRAPHER: Sea+Ink Photo
