If you need a little positivity today, our new series featuring Sophia Benz might be just what you need. Because her smile is simply contagious. Photographed by Ben Everden on a sunny day in Miami, the series is full of warmth, spontaneity, and those little moments that make life beautiful.
“Sophia and I first connected through social media. It had been a while since I’d shot anything purely to be creative rather than commissioned work, and Sophia was down.” What followed was a relaxed afternoon by the ocean, with Ben’s wife joining the shoot and their little dog making sure nobody took things too seriously.
“My wife came along to help, and we brought our little dog Barbara, who ran around the beach like a lunatic for most of the shoot. She made the whole afternoon so much fun that bringing her along may be our new normal. We were also lucky to get a bit of a breeze, which made the insane Miami heat slightly more bearable.”
And sometimes getting the perfect shot means getting a little adventurous. In Ben’s case, that involved a ladder, the ocean, and a slightly questionable idea.
“For some of the water images, I dragged a ladder into the ocean so I could shoot from above. It almost tipped over with me and my giant camera on it, which was exactly as stupid as it sounds.” But in the end, it was the easy atmosphere, the conversations, and Sophia’s natural presence in front of the camera that made the afternoon so special. “Between the three of us chatting, we nearly let the light get away from us. This was one of Sophia’s first proper shoots, but she was such a natural, and I really love how the series came together.”
Photographer: Ben Everden @decentcrop
Muse: Sophia Benz @sophiaebenz
