When Natalia called me to share her personal project, I could immediately sense how much it meant to her. She described a storyboard focused on her morning ritual of preparing for a day at the beach while connecting with God. Her vision was to capture the full spectrum of emotions—grief, joy, pain, and healing—and portray what this time in her life truly represented. As she spoke, I was moved to tears and, with a humble heart, agreed to help.

This project sparked a deeper connection for me with personal storytelling. We curated four different scenes for the project:
Scene 1: “Wait... before you go... I...??”
Scene 2: “Dance me into grief, dance me into laughter”
Scene 3: “Before the waves crash over me”
Scene 4: “Purely human, purely 70% water”

Despite the limited time, what we managed to capture in just a few hours was breathtaking, stunning, and deeply moving. The location in Hallandale Beach had a California vibe that I loved. Being able to park by the beach and get these shots was a joy, even though we faced challenges from nearby construction and poles. I enjoyed working around these obstacles to find new sources of inspiration.

Working with Natalia, a screenwriter with a deep love for storytelling, was an incredible experience. Her poetic mind and passion for humanity and God enriched the project. Her confidence, perspective, and creativity helped bring the vision to life in a truly stunning way. Having experienced grief myself, I connected with her concept more profoundly than with any previous work. Natalia and I are long-time friends who had collaborated before, but this was our first project together after a six-year estrangement. Her return and this project felt like a full-circle moment.

The project was raw and poetic, bringing a healing energy that felt almost divine. The story we captured was both powerful and romantic. We woke up at 4 a.m. to photograph the sunrise in Miami, and the experience was nothing short of magical. Initially, I was frustrated by a motorcycle in the background of some shots. However, by incorporating it into the foreground, I ended up with some of my favorite images. The motorcycle’s owner, who was incredibly kind, even gave us fresh coconut water after the shoot—a refreshing treat after a sweaty morning.

Later, we headed back to Natalia’s house to capture Natalia in a more intimate setting as she journaled, wrote from her soul, and reflected on the words on the page, letting them penetrate her heart. She took a few moments to reflect on the year she had—wanting to embrace the wholeness of the pain, healing, love, joy, and growth she was beginning to experience.

Truly a poetic experience.