Jewel || 18th Birthday

This is not your typical 18th Birthday kind of shoot

"Lean in to what makes you different."

That has always been a main go-to mantra for all the shoots that I do. I always try to make photos that have to say something - be it an emotion, a sort of deviance from the norm, or just plain "hi, I'm here. I exist." kind of photos.

So when Jewel came to me, sharing her own ideas of what her 18th birthday photos should look like, I got stoked. Really stoked !

Right from the get go, she knew what she wanted and it's not the typical 18th birthday photos we've come to know.

No, we're not saying that those are wrong. It's just that, it's always fun and refreshing to show a different perspective on something that's become common.

And when the streets were involved, that got things a bit more interesting. It was definitely a run-and-gun kind of shoot, chasing cars, lights, and pedestrian lanes.

Initially it was supposed to be a simple more mature look kind of set for an 18th birthfay shoot but when you've got great artists for hair and make-up, things get a little bit more exciting than is expected.

Emotions in motion are some of those things that I keep an eye out when making portraits.

Most of the time, we have this certain candid expressions that we never thought we make because it only lasts for some microseconds.

It is those fleeting moments when all our guards are down and it's just the genuine moment that shines.