Spending the summer of 2023 in New York, it struck me that a positive energy was circulating through the city, touching everyone and everything that it encountered. The faces of those I glanced upon were unmistakably present, seemingly free. You could hear the distant roar of block parties, of groups congregating and eating good food. I felt certain that I wanted to capture this moment. And so it went that within days I was ready to shoot.

The all-woman team I assembled hadn’t met before (myself included) and yet the infectious hustle of the city paid off. As we started shooting in a tiny Brooklyn apartment, it became apparent that the vibrancy and optimism that identifies my work was showing up organically as a result of the camaraderie between us all. On set, our glam team Remy and Monica cleansed the energy in the space with Palo Santo (a traditional native American sacred wood renowned for its healing properties). Soon, we were sitting on the floor eating ramen, discussing love and our spiritual journeys. We worked collectively, sharing ideas and I couldn’t help but reflect on how refreshing it was that ego had made way for free-flowing creativity.

Each model brought her own strong and unique beauty – Mahogony’s freckles, Zoe’s beauty spot, Alex’s eyes and Rhaya’s lips – and together cultivated a perfect mix of individuality and community. And then we took to the streets, guided by intuition with no real plan, and were able to channel a vibe that couldn’t be replicated anywhere other than New York in the summertime. As a Londoner, I’ve visited New York many times but this shoot made a difference to how I view it. I’m not sure I’ve ever loved the city so much. I’ll be back, and I don’t expect to achieve the same level of organic harmony between my feelings, setting and outcome (such an intersection is incredibly rare) but I do hope to enjoy and just be. Thank you, NYC.