Photographer Nicoline Aagesen and model Karla Maria first met in the summer of 2022 at Marqi, nestled in the mystical hills of Sintra, Portugal. Drawn to its rugged landscapes, wild ocean, and golden sun, they both found something sacred in this place.
Karla moved to Portugal, hoping to build a new foundation—one that didn’t take root. Instead, the journey shaped her in unexpected ways, teaching her tough but invaluable lessons. Through it all, the cliffs remained her sanctuary, mirroring the roughness of those times, holding space for solitude, resilience, and renewal. These images capture the final days of her twenties, celebrating the quiet transition from maiden to woman, set against a landscape woven with memory.
Shot in Portugal 2025.
Nicoline Aagesen contributes a wonderful series to our newly released Volume 39 – which is a love letter to the simple joys, the human warmth, the in-between moments that often go unnoticed.
Photographer: Nicoline Aagesen
Model: Karla Maria
