KareKare Beach, New Zealand - October 2019

What inspired this photoshoot?

5 years ago I visited New Zealand for the first time. I was in a much different place in life. I was searching for a lot of answers and not finding what I was wanting to know. I placed a lot of expectations on New Zealand and wished it would change my life.

What I didn’t know at the time is that it was; it was planting seeds for my future.

During my trip I visited KareKare Beach, a stunning black sand beach about an hour outside of Auckland. I was so drawn to the dramatic contrast between the blue skies and black sand.

I etched it in my memory.

5 years later I returned to New Zealand. I was in a much different space from when I visited in 2014 and ready to create new experiences. I flew across the world to attend 7in7, a conference for nomads and people living location independent lifestyles. The conference takes place across all 7 continents over the span of 7 years. Last year’s conference inspired my photoshoot in Colombia and this year inspired New Zealand.

I took my etched memory from visiting the black sand beaches and brought it to reality during this adventurous photoshoot.

How did you find your outfit?

While in Auckland, I was staying near Ponseby, a popular shopping area with lots of local boutiques and shops. I was crossing the street and saw this beautiful light blue dress hanging in the window. Its simplicity drew me in. When I entered Wixii, I was greeted by the most welcoming team. I told them that I was a model on a mission to do photoshoots in countries all over the world. They were inspired by my mission and told me that I had come to the right place. I learned of Wixii’s own mission of creating progressive in-house designed clothing in beautiful natural dyed fabrics. Wixii is a family run and independent business based in New Zealand, and perfectly fits my value of wearing local sustainable clothing. Wixii partners with small family companies they know and trust to make their fabrics and garments from the ground up.

I loved the versatility of this dress—you can interchange the design from front to back and it has pockets! The dress flowed beautifully in the ocean breeze.

How did you feel during and after the photoshoot?

This photoshoot was unlike any I have done to date. It was very playful and adventurous. I felt like a free spirit dancing along the black sand beach and allowing the wind to move me. My hair was wild and perfectly matched the flow of the dress. This photoshoot embodied authenticity and created a more natural essence.

Photoshoot Credit

Photographer: Rachael Lorraine Grosz Jones, Soulquestt

I only had about a week or so notice for my photoshoot. I made the decision to go to New Zealand just 2 weeks before the conference. I started looking on Airbnb Experiences to see who I could find in the area. I came across Rachael’s offering and became very intrigued. I sent her a message and told her about my mission. She was very inspired and happened to have an opening when I was in town.

Rachael is an Engineer by trade and artful photographer on the side. She grew up in Miami, Florida and came to NZ with her husband several years ago. Rachael and I completely connected over shared experiences from studying abroad and a love for adventure and travel.

Rachael has a true knack for drawing out personality and allowing each person she works with to be authentically seen. Several times during the photoshoot she would ask me to bring to mind a happy memory and invited me to fully tap into the feeling. She grabbed her camera and worked her magic as I was sharing my memories. She really captured my personality and allowed my more authentic side to shine.

To learn more about Rachael and to hire her, visit her Instagram or website. She has several options for half day, full day, and weekend photoshoot adventures.

Hair + Makeup: Robin

For this photoshoot, I wanted to be more natural. I fixed my own hair and makeup so that I could keep my essence and focus more on the experience than the look.