Styled by Nik Stewart
When I think about this day I think about the alignment I felt. The day we captured these images Tony simply asked, “What is your story? Why are we here?”
The question is one I often ponder because of the nature of my goals but it was almost a shock to have him ask. I said something like, “love in the age of Corona.” A millennial love story if you will.
Woman posts viral TikTok, man stumbles upon said post and begins to see the beauty also has a voice. They connect deeply and the rest is, as they say, history. We’ve been building a life together since the initial DM slide, traveling and setting up our home bases in Jamaica, Los Angeles, and New York.
The truly exciting bit is Matai is actually making history on the cutting edge of blockchain tech and I have made it my life’s work to make mindfulness a staple in child rearing and leadership in Jamaica. As we grow in these roles we are also modeling and acting. We are now signed to multiple agencies in the US and we only hope to grow in our ability to spread the message of mindfulness, sustainability, and decentralized banking. The Journey we are on is one for the ages and this was the most epic way we thought to kick it off upon our return to the States.
We wanted to do our first shoot in LA with someone we felt could capture us genuinely and push us out of our comfort zones.
That is exactly what Tony Did, and then some as he encouraged us to bring more dynamic characters to life.
Love working with Maria
This shoot was like a homecoming for the me . The magic and organic flow of this shoot alongside Wade, April, & KZK Clothing of Kingston Jamaica felt like a foreshadowing on so many levels. A few of the images were used in a campaign for Bottega Gold and were displayed in the Kingston Airport’s Duty Free Store.
I asked Nancy a.k.a. Goblin what intention she set before we started and her answer was, “I want to capture your essence.” Lo and behold the divine feminine did not come to play with us! This set is just as much GQ as it is VOGUE Honey!
:: Snaps Fingers in a Z formation, twirl, death drop ::
If you’ve been following me for a while you know I come alive in front of Chris’s camera. I always feel I can let go with him and as a result we always create magic.
View Sweet Love by Preach Jacobs and shot by Chris Charles below
The first direction Aaron gave me was…” Imagine you’re a statue.” The entire shoot felt like what Imagine it used to feel like to be immortalized in a painting. I felt, seen. And after looking at what he’s sent back so far I feel Captured.
It is amazing to be seen but it is everything to see yourself
I love working with this amazing soul
Don’t mind me, just doing my best to live my dreams out loud.
“Hue”
Publication• @ladygunn
Creative-Art Dir• @eye_van02
Photographer• @photogduck
Model• @zoyayaseka
Stylist• @theetiffmarie
Make-Up• @cachegold
Hair• @braidedglory
Company• @iientertainment
It is wonderful to be seen by those you see. It is even more wonderful and filling to see yourself and realize your ability to attract that. This shoot with Caydie McCumber embodied that. I could not have asked for a better team or shooting partner in Model Amber.
Sometimes, society stifles your ability to see yourself because it highlights everything but that. The first step is embracing everything that makes you feel as though you do not belong. Instead of ignorning what you are and focusing on what you are not get comfortable with everything you can be with what you have been given.
In a world full of curation, the greatest and most filling feat is simply being in order to let your light shine through. Finding people who remind you of the you you wish to be is an important step forward on this journey. Do not take it for granted when you are faced with yourself. Embrace it and grow. Take it and allow yourself to be, nothing less than you as you are meant.
