Some people cross your path only once — fleeting, like a train ride shared with a stranger, or a quick exchange before the doors close and everyone moves on.
And then there are the rare ones who return. You meet again — not by plan, but with a quiet sense of familiarity. As if the time in between had never really stretched that far. As if an invisible thread had been there all along, loosely tying your lives together across places, jobs, and years.
“I shot Donika a while back just outside her hometown, Sölvesborg. We’d worked together a few years ago and were both really happy with the results, so we stayed in touch,” photographer Simon Gustavsson tells us about the story behind this new series. “Donika has spent the past few years travelling — modelling and working on commercial shoots.
She’s back in Sweden now, working as a café manager at one of the best spots in the south — Ritz. I was still on vacation, doing a bit of a road trip: catching up with friends, riding BMX, and shooting. So when she finished her shift and I was passing through on my bike, we met up to shoot again.
I always love shooting by the sea, and the east coast of Sweden has more sandy beaches compared to the rocky ones we have here in Gothenburg. That’s something I wanted to capture. I also wanted to try more on-camera flash work — and as the sun began to set, I think the results turned out beautifully.
Donika is one of the best models I’ve worked with — incredibly easygoing and fun to shoot. I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump recently, not really enjoying photography as much. But this shoot felt like a real blessing. I’m truly happy with the images we created. Hopefully, this marks a turning point for me.”
We also had an interview with Simon Gustavsson about his love for analog photography, his creative process, and the stories behind his images.
The full interview can be found in our sold out C-Heads Print Issue Vol. 38, The Art of Slowing Down — available anytime as a digital issue. A chance to revisit the full story. ♥ Digital issue — available here.
Model: Donika Seferi @Donikaseferi
Photographer: Simon Gustavsson @Simon__Gustavsson
Location: Hällevik, east coast of Sweden
Shot on: Canon AE-1, EOS 3, Mamiya 645AFD and Olympus mju II
Film: Colurplus 200 and Portra 160
