“I developed her portfolio across six, maybe seven sessions. Interestingly, of all those shoots, only one took place on location. Unlike many of the models whose portfolios I’ve cultivated, our work together never extended beyond New York City. And yet, I often imagined how extraordinary she would have been in the Caribbean or along the shores of Hawaii.

She possesses delicate, almost ethereal features, paired with a vivacious energy she intentionally tempers on set. I’ve always been drawn to that juxtaposition — softness restrained by inner fire — and I leaned into it whenever she stood before me.

There is another model with a remarkably similar look, and that parallel became a challenge for me. Each time we worked together, I pushed her beyond the perceived boundaries of that resemblance, urging her into territory that was distinctly her own.” -SHAMAYIM