“I met Juliette Pocovi for this warm, colorful shoot a few weeks ago during a trip to Saint Martin. We had discussed a few options in advance and settled on an early morning shoot.
The island was all but asleep as I packed the car. The air smelled fresh, as though it might have rained in the night. It was a short drive to the beach; the road, narrow and fretted with speed bumps enough to slow me down, even though I was late leaving the house and rushing to make up for lost time. I pulled into the empty gravel parking lot, switched off the engine, and slung my bags on my shoulder.
I’ve done shoots like this too many times to count, and still there is a buzz of anticipation every time. We plan, of course, but there are always variables left to chance, especially in nature. What will the light do today? How will the landscape look in this weather? How will the model and I work together?
I used to worry about these details. In some ways, I still do. But I’ve come to enjoy the open questions, too. In improvised music like jazz, we need to keep some open spaces in the composition for spontaneity. Room to experiment. Room to be surprised.
Towering palm trees rustled in the wind on either side of the lot. Ahead, in the foggy darkness, the leeward tide crashed against the stones. I checked my messages. “I am here,” Juliette had written. “On the other side of the beach.”
“On my way,” I replied. A floodlight illuminated the path down to the beach. I had visited Saint Martin before, but this was my first sunrise. It was beautiful.”
Photography and words by: Dustin Scott Martin
Model: Juliette Pocovi
