a pensive wilderness 

model + stylist: johnny gutierrez

creative directed and shot by maia feruzi

Tuesday May 30th 2023 2:00pm

📍Quincy, Boston MA

shot on: canon eos rebel t3i 18-24mm 75-300mm

concept

I had a dried bouquet of lavender and a vision. Something soft(a theme present in many of my shoots), romantic, dark, longing, and thoughtful. Johnny had free time and a car and so we set off to a nearby beach. It was thankfully completely empty and we were able to truly channel the loneliness and desire I was looking for. I wanted to focus on the strength of his body(honed with years in dance) and juxtapose it with the quiet darkness in his mind. In movies and music videos solitary walks along the beach often follow heartbreak or the pain of loss. Finding peace in the sound of crashing waves and realizing the triviality of ones problems in the face of an endless ocean were two emotions I wanted to come across.

When posing Johnny I became fascinated with capturing three elements: symmetry, asymmetry, and the elements of nature. I asked him for stances strong, powerful, and still like that of rock. Fluid and graceful like that of water. Fragile and light like that of air. I really wanted an embodiment of the way our settings made me feel reflected in his body. I also went a completely different route with editing than usual, finding the magic in extremely saturated and highly contrasted images while focusing on three colors: green, blue, and black. I wanted the photos to really speak for themselves and push the raw but quiet power of nature we were surrounded by.