Interview with Nausicaa Yami & Tezz Tran

This is a transcript of a conversation I had with Nausicaa Yami (Elena) and Tezz and her boyfriend Giona, recorded over dinner at the end of a three-day shoot in Italy. What started as a simple chat turned into just over an hour, gossiping about their unique connection, how each of them found their way into modelling, and the experience of having books dedicated entirely to their work, and why those books matter. It was part serious, part silly: one minute we were talking about trust and vulnerability, the next laughing about worms in the water, taking me to a hospital and how they enjoyed sharing a bedroom together. Pull up a chair and join us at the table for a chat.

Prefer listening? Hit play below and hear the full interview.

Elena and Tezz share a unique bond

Sam: So, I'm going to ask you a few questions.

Sam: You guys have not shot together before?

Elena: No.

Sam: You've been in the same shooting environments? You've been in the same studios or the same locations? But you've not physically shot side by side before?

Elena: We shot together very briefly during an event in Gran Canaria. 

Tezz: We did that event. And then we were in Bali, but did we pose together? All of us three together? With Clara? No.

Elena: Yeah, we were together… but we didn’t pose together.

Tezz: We didn't have a chance, a proper chance, to shoot together like this.

Sam: But you had a kind of connection in Bali, didn't you? That was your first formative…

Elena: I think it was a bit more connected, but still, because we didn't share the rooms like here [they enjoyed sharing bedrooms in Italy].

Tezz: Yeah, but the thing is, we were by heart already connected, for a long time. Yeah. Like, we loved each other already.

Elena: I remember when I met her the first time in Gran Canaria. We were talking, but we never managed to meet, until then.

This is the kitchen table in our apartment in Tuscany where this chat happened

Table talk

Tezz: Yeah, but it wasn't just talking, like casual talking. We knew that we had feelings for each other. 

Elena: And I hugged her, and I felt like I knew her for a long time. And I had just met her physically.

Tezz: [Grinning] Same for me!

Sam: So, what's really interesting is, if this really is your first shoot together, It’s only been three days. But it feels like it's been longer than that.

Elena: Yeah, I told you, if you wake up super early in the morning, then you go back to bed, it's like two days in one day.

Sam: Yeah. I think that's fair.

Tezz: Exactly. So we've been together for five days.

Sam: Okay. But that's still not a lifetime or two years or something. Watching the two of you together, from my perspective it feels like you've known each other for much longer.

Tezz: For me, I feel I have her for a lifetime.

Sam: Gosh. A lifetime?

Tezz: Mm-hmm.

Sam: And does that help… when you're shooting together, does that feeling that you've known her for a lifetime help?

10 min reading time from here

Like sisters

Elena: You just feel it. She said when we were on the rocks earlier [our second location], laying down, she was like, just attaching you, like, it makes me forget completely about the harsh floor and the pain. Because I can feel your skin. And that was the same for me.

Tezz: Yeah.

Sam: So that connection it allows you to push through a harsh environment like today?

Tezz: Not even push. It's just overpowering, the softness. When she touched me, I just felt… it felt so good, you know? It's the hurt of the … like, I felt my hip, I felt my side getting scratched. But when she came to me, I was focusing only on the warmth of her body and the soft touch, and it felt so good.

Sam: So because you're connected, it helps you push through those pains and the hard part of working in the environment, but also it must add to how you then pose together, because you can be a bit more symbiotic. Is that true?

Tezz & Elena: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Sam: So that's what I've witnessed, photographing you both in the last couple of days, but is that normal?

Tezz: No. It doesn't happen often. This is, I think, something you feel. I felt it, from afar, and I could feel before even I met her that we're gonna have a connection, and I felt that this is somebody that I'm gonna be compatible to move with, through life, through feelings, through posing. I think the posing is just a cherry.

Sam: That's really beautiful. If this has been something that you guys have found relatively recently in the context of your working careers, does that mean there's a reason to continue trying to work together?

Tezz & Elena: Yes. Absolutely!

Elena: But for sure, I think we want to keep doing stuff with people who matter, and creating stuff that matters to us.

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Becoming an art model

Sam: Let me then switch the dynamic a little bit. Some of the obvious questions that one has to ask. You're both art models, and to the uninitiated, like some of the people who were in the background of our shoot today, they might be like, oh, it's just taking pictures of naked people.

How do you know what the difference is between nude and art nude? How are you able to demonstrate that?

Elena: What you express, and also who's capturing. It's both sides. Because sometimes we can see that the other photographer is just not appreciating, and not following what's happening. It happens so many times, that you're giving so much, and it’s like they're looking somewhere else.

Tezz: They don't see the potential. They don't see what you offer. But then it also depends on the taste and level of the photographer.

Sam: That's really interesting. Does that make you get more selective about who you shoot with?

Tezz: Absolutely.

Sam: So how do you filter? You must get lots of requests from people. How do you filter the person so that the images reflect who you are?

Tezz: Yes, exactly. So you go to the portfolio, and you kind of… it's like if you read a book. And I think if you do this for some time, and you travel, and you meet new people all the time, and you're kind of alone, you need to develop this sense of intuition to feel, to tune in. So from the conversation I can already sense if you are our person.

Sam: Right. Just the messages and DMs?

Tezz: Yes. And also the portfolio. If there is something that speaks to me, if it's something interesting, something I like.

Elena: I have to say that sometimes it helps. I would say 70% of the time. Because sometimes they have an amazing portfolio, and then you go and shoot, and there's… nothing. It's just like a huge ego. The pictures can be amazing. But I personally don't feel anything, so I won't shoot again, or I don't remember it as a fulfilling situation.

I'd rather shoot with someone who shares my creativity. Whilst the photos are important, for me the process can be so fulfilling, that sometimes it is more important than the final result. That process, a deep connection. That is so important to me.

Tezz: The connection. The thing that you also said, that this is for you more than just a model–photographer connection, that we are your friends. And this is, for example, for me, the most important. I could not keep doing this for five years if I would not have the relationships. I need to feel a personal touch in the work.

And people who want to keep it, they call it professional, but for me it's just cold. Not cold, but if there is a barrier, then I know, okay, maybe for the money, they have great work, but I know that I would never choose them as…

Elena: For a personal project?

Tezz: For a personal project, but also a person that I will call when I have something I want to work on. It will never be a person I will call.

Sam: So does that happen? You have an idea, a photograph you want to take, and you reach out to a photographer, knowing that they will help you achieve that?

Tezz: If I want to do a special project and I have something that I want to do, then I look for a suitable photographer, of course. But I also need to feel good with them. The trust is always for me in the first place.

It's not the level. Because exactly what Elena said, there are great, great photographers, but they are assholes. And I'm not going to put up with assholes. I think my mental state is much more valuable.

Sam: That makes perfect sense. So if those are your benchmarks, let’s go back in time a bit. You've both experienced good and bad. But there must have been a point when you decided to get into modelling. What was the initial moment that made you say to yourself, “I want to model”? And importantly, not just a model, but an art model. What was the defining moment there?

Elena: It's a long thing for me to say. It's a long story.

Tezz: Well, I'll start. I was a dancer in Ibiza, and I just wanted to have a nice portfolio. But I was into photography since I was a teenager. I was a photographer myself. And so with this portfolio, I already knew that I'm super selective about photographers. So I just joined a Facebook group and said I'm open for modelling, and that photographers can reach out to me.

And from there I selected people with whom I wanted to work. And I think I put the level very high in the beginning. I started to shoot but the pandemic happened, so I could not go back to my old work. But that wasn't the reason. I actually started to meet very interesting people that could go deep with me on my expression, emotionally. And that's what won me over. I always knew that I loved art, and I loved dancing very, very much because I could express my body in a way and through music. But the society around it in Ibiza, they are beautiful people, but they are not… I need something deep. I need brutal. I need to be able to express the intensity, and I need the person who's witnessing it to not be afraid of it.

So that actually took me completely into photography. And I found that it's what I should be doing.

Sam: So it sounds like you had quite a strong charisma, personality, and perspective initially. From the outset.

Tezz: I knew. I knew who I was.

Sam: Do you think the dancing, the fact you used to performing for people, do you think that was beneficial?

Tezz: Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely. And I think I've never been very shy because of my family. So that helped a lot.

Tezz: My family, they are naked people. So I think I will explain it that way. They are naked people, so I am naked too. For me, nudity is not… I don't feel exposed.

[Laughing]

Sam: So, Elena, are your family naked people?

Elena: I don't know. It's funny because when I was a kid or younger, they were probably more “naked” than me. I hated my body. I hated to be nude, to show myself, especially the breasts. When I was a teenager, I was wearing baggy clothes to cover my body, especially the breasts, I’d wear a compression bra.

And I felt ashamed, probably because when I was growing up, it felt… like the other kids, because when you go through puberty and some women, some kids develop earlier, and they start to say, like, “oh, this is disgusting. Why is it happening to your body?” And I started to feel ashamed. And then growing up, they're like, “oh, no, but this is nice.” But my head was still like, “no, this is disgusting.” So I felt disgusted for a long time. And even in my first sexual experiences, I would have sex, but with a bra. The breasts for me were the worst thing ever. I hated them.

And then when I started shooting, this feeling kind of fell away. It wasn't about being pretty or anything. I started to see the beauty. By the time I did my first nude shoot I hated my feet, so I shot nude, but wearing socks. Because I hated my feet.

Elena: And then you start to see how the other person sees you. You see angles that you don't see in the mirror. And I started to appreciate myself more and more.

My personality was always very shy, but I could now see that I could speak up. I felt so empowered. So I used photography to be empowered, be more myself. Maybe other people don't recognize me as a model because I'm not super pretty.

Tezz: Same!

Elena: I'm not a person where people are like, “oh, my God, she is so beautiful.” But I know that there's so much more inside this skin. I know that it's there.

Then the thing of being nude, I associate it to being free and natural. I don't have much taste in wearing clothes. So for me to be nude was the best way. And you learn how to shape yourself. And it's like always wearing your best dress of yourself. Because you know every muscle and how to always look great.

Sam: When Elena and I were shooting in Lanzarote last year, we spent five days there shooting in the wild landscape for a project of mine. She also brought all of these clothes. A huge suitcase filled with beautiful outfits and boots and just lots of things. It was really hot, and she’s got a long velvet evening dress, in my head we had to use these outfits.

Sam: But one of the things she said on that trip was, “I hate wearing clothes.” I'm like, this room really doesn't reflect the fact that. In the end we actually shot some cool fashion stuff despite not wanting to wear clothes. It was great fun!

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Two books

Sam: Something that's unique about both of you is lots of models have had their photographs printed, and some models have had their photographs put into books. But you guys are unique in that you both had books completely dedicated to you. One photographer taking hundreds of pictures of you and then dedicating a publication specifically to you.

Let’s talk about the process… I'm going to start with you, Elena. Roberto and you produced the book Intimate. So what is the meaning behind that book and can you describe the process of taking the pictures, and what does it feel like to hold the book at the end?

Initimate

Elena: Well it started the first time that I shot with him. It's a funny story which is written in the book. Basically I shot with a photographer and I was looking at the beginning for contacts with people to do collaborations and this guy told me, “oh, there's this guy from Florence who’s really nice.”

“Oh, I know that he's from Florence.” So I sent him a very nice email and his wife was like, “oh, just how she wrote this email, you have to shoot her because she's so nice.” And he said, okay, let's do it. And then something happened at the moment with his actual job and he was in a very bad mood, maybe, “I'm going to cancel.” And his wife was like, “no, just go, maybe you're going to think about something else, it's going to be nice.” So I arrived. I show up dressed as a kid with this huge backpack, he looked at me and he thought “Madonna che giornata di merda” which means, “what a fucking shit day. What the fuck!”

So we started to shoot and then I realised I didn't feel super comfortable, and I was like, can I wet my hair? And said, yeah, go ahead. And when I came back he said, wow—like something changed—this was a completely different person that came back in the room. And we started to shoot and it was such a great connection. We had never shot before, but he was thinking something and I was doing it straight away.

We had a great connection from our first shoot together. And then we did a workshop together and after that he took a break, but he wanted to do this project of nude in nature. So he proposed to me to do this after, like, six months that we never shot again and we went to Matera and put this project together.

Initimate can be ordered here

Elena: But while we were there, there was this hotel room with a beautiful texture on the walls and we decided to do some shots that were very natural and spontaneous. Like we're just on the bed looking at the light and I was thinking, this is nice, but should I wear some jeans? So we just started like this and the stuff that came out was amazing. It was so real, so true. I was just doing things, being myself and he was just capturing me.

There was no talking. This was an intimate connection without talking. And it was beautiful, so we decided to keep going.

Sam: And what about when you held the book for the first time, when you held it in your hands?

Elena: It was beautiful.

Sam: It must be an epiphany moment to see all of your work.

Elena: I just wish that we did something better to celebrate because we never did—how do you say—no opening, or launch event, or anything, it just appeared on the internet. There was nothing physical to see the work. This is something that I am hoping we can do with the second book.

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Sam: So if I may, can I ask you, Tezz, the same question? The process, the name behind the book—which I think is very obvious—and what it must feel like to hold a book of you?

Tezz: I feel kind of nervous now.

Tezz: Do you know that you left the best part? [Looking at Sam’s plate of unfinished porchetta]

Sam: Okay, I'm sorry. I'm going to eat this. [Laughing] You tell us your story.

Tezz

Tezz: So I think it was a very similar situation to what Elena has with Roberto. It was the first moment when I shot with Stefan. It happened in Ibiza and when we started to shoot, we had never met before. We were in my home, let's say, in a very, very special place called Atlantis.

Elena: Why was he there? 

Tezz: He wanted to take the trip and there was another model based there, Rubia. She's before us, a blonde girl from Belgium, and they were in touch and he came there to shoot with her, but she ghosted him and left for Dubai. So he knew that I was there. We talked, but I was gone to Germany for a workshop. So he waited. He prolonged the stay to shoot with me because otherwise he was cooked, because the model he was supposed to shoot with just disappeared on him.

So I gave him some contacts of other girls, dancers that I knew, but they are commercial dancers. I didn't know Stefan. I didn't know what he was looking for completely. But then we met and I discovered that the contacts I gave him—the girls are dancers—so they perform and they are doing it for people. They are smiling and move very elegantly and everything, and he is not this kind of person, but I discovered that later.

Tezz can be ordered here

Tezz: So he asked me first thing: are you good with hiking? I'm like, yeah, sure. I love hikes. I love to move. I love to put effort when I do something. And he suggested Atlantis, which is a super special location in Ibiza and it's hard to reach.

And we went there. We started to shoot. It was 6 in the morning and I was a bit nervous because I knew his level. I knew that he was a great photographer. And I knew that we had a talk before we started to shoot. And he told me, I'm not looking for perfect pictures. I'm looking for the in-between. So I kind of knew that I had to stop thinking about posing—that I'm not posing anymore.

Tezz: So I think it was a very similar situation to what Elena has with Roberto. It was the first moment when I shot with Stefan. It happened in Ibiza and when we started to shoot, we had never met before. We were in my home, let's say, in a very, very special place called Atlantis.

Elena: Why was he there? 

Tezz: He wanted to take the trip and there was another model based there, Rubia. She's before us, a blonde girl from Belgium, and they were in touch and he came there to shoot with her, but she ghosted him and left for Dubai. So he knew that I was there. We talked, but I was gone to Germany for a workshop. So he waited. He prolonged the stay to shoot with me because otherwise he was cooked, because the model he was supposed to shoot with just disappeared on him.

So I gave him some contacts of other girls, dancers that I knew, but they are commercial dancers. I didn't know Stefan. I didn't know what he was looking for completely. But then we met and I discovered that the contacts I gave him—the girls are dancers—so they perform and they are doing it for people. They are smiling and move very elegantly and everything, and he is not this kind of person, but I discovered that later.

So he asked me first thing: are you good with hiking? I'm like, yeah, sure. I love hikes. I love to move. I love to put effort when I do something. And he suggested Atlantis, which is a super special location in Ibiza and it's hard to reach.

And we went there. We started to shoot. It was 6 in the morning and I was a bit nervous because I knew his level. I knew that he was a great photographer. And I knew that we had a talk before we started to shoot. And he told me, I'm not looking for perfect pictures. I'm looking for the in-between. So I kind of knew that I had to stop thinking about posing—that I'm not posing anymore.

And that for me was huge. He was the catalysation for opening a door in me that had to be opened. And that helped me become the model I am today, I think.

Like, I stopped posing. I'm still posing, but in a way that it's me more. I want to move more fluidly and more aligned with who I am. And that is what happened there. And when I was moving, I was working with the element and he was just circling around me. And we felt this connection.

We felt that we reached a point—even on the first shoot—that we felt so deep that I felt he could take everything I offered. Like, every slight movement or emotion that I gave, he was there with me, feeling it. And we just felt that we are so compatible. And I think this just showed us that we are great together.

Also we later discovered that we are very similar as people in certain aspects. So we are very compatible. We can go for long road trips that are not comfortable, but that we enjoy very much. And then we also taught together a masterclass with another photographer. There were two photographic styles and Stefan wanted to have me there.

We were shooting so much, at some point I just said jokingly, “oh, we have so much great material now, let's make a book.” But I think he had this idea a long time before me. And I was like, okay, so now we are taking it seriously. Now it's not just for us.. And from that point—Tenerife, the second time we met—we started to wake up every day at five, to go even before the workshop… that was additional; the main reason we came was to shoot in Teide and to gather material for the book.

And then we intensively started to work on it and we went to South Africa and Normandy and we went through so much together. I think we both grew together. A lot. Because it was so fast to find what works when we shoot together. We have it now within a few seconds, and because of who we are, we are like, okay, this works!

So we said, yeah, let's push—let's push the situation slightly. And we tried to bring a different emotion, even if I don't feel completely… not open… but like I feel that I have a boundary there—it's something new. I know that I can trust him, because I can feel so safe with him that I can observe my emotion and express it through my body. That, to me, was very interesting.

I could really safely let go of emotions, of boundaries that I would have as a limit with others. This made me grow a lot. And I think he did as well. And yeah, then we did the book, we actually did the launch event, the signing, and then we did the exhibition, which I'm so happy about. But it was hard because there were so many people, all focused on you.

And at the end I was… I was so exhausted from it. It wasn't pleasant for me at all because…

Elena: I know, but this is something necessary, that you had an opening event, especially if you have lots of people coming.

Tezz: Yeah.

Elena: It's important to publish and share the work, to set it free. 

Tezz: Yeah. And it can fade away. I think what you transmit—the depth of the meaning of what you did—was exactly to spread it between people and to share the story and to create the book physically.

We worked on it for one year [laying out the book]. It taught me a lot of self-discipline. I wrote the text for it, when I had all of them completed, there were only six of them, and I sent them. And I thought, okay, it's finished. No—the text came back to me so many times. “Oh, we think people would not get this.” “Oh, we need another text.” “Oh, can you write the presentation?” So I was writing the whole year while working on the book, additionally touring and working on my regular shooting tours.

It was hardcore. And we did the layout like 16 times, I think. The first time we had the book at 330 pages and we had to go down to about 150, and it was impossible without outside help because for every picture I can tell you a story. For every picture that we ever took, I can tell you how I felt, what was happening. It was so sentimental, I could not do it. He's much better at it than me—taking out photos—but we needed somebody from outside who could help to cut down the material, but who also feels us. We had calls with everyone who worked on the book, so they knew who we were. We wanted them to do as authentic a job as possible for what we are trying to share. In the beginning we had some people that didn't get it, but eventually we found the right people. There were so many decisions to make. It took a really long time.

Then there was the crowdfunding—we collected money for the publishing. And we were scared ourselves because we didn't know if we would get the money, because it was so much money. We were nervous and we sweat blood and we cried. We wanted to give up. When I wanted to give up, he was there and was saying, “no, you are great, you can write, you can do it. Just whatever it is, it's you.” And when he wanted to give up, I was there for him. I was like, “no, no, no. We’ve come so far. We have great work.”

So we put it out. And the first time I had it in my hands, I was like, I don't want to see it. It was a bittersweet feeling. I could not look and go through the book without feeling the pain that we put in it. We could not wait to finish with this—like, “oh my God, I'm fed up.” It was exciting to see it physically the first time, but you also felt there was still so much active stress and anxiety in it that I think I needed like one year to see it now with joy and pride, and to kind of realize—to settle—that we did something like that. But I learned so much. And I saw what you said is so important, Elena, that the message has to be brought up many times. The project has to be shared, because there is so much to it, the meaning of it, I think, is much bigger than even the book itself.

Elena: Yeah.

Tezz: And I didn't choose the name. He chose the name. I think he chose the name because my writings are inside. Something happened that none of us expected with this book. We saw it after a year that the book was out—we opened a channel in photography where people, women and artists—not just models—can be themselves. And people reach out back to him, to me, and they want to feel this same freedom.

Tezz: [Crying]

Sam: So this is obviously quite emotional.

Tezz: It’s just beautiful.

Sam: I hope those are tears of joy.

Tezz: Yeah. It's just beautiful, the things that happened after the book was released. 

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Favourite photograph?

Sam: Okay. Well, let me again switch the dynamic. Is there a single photo in the book that makes you go, “damn, I made that”? There's a photo that just really resonates with you—a moment, a photo, the way in which it's captured, a memory.

Tezz: I think I don't have a personality that reacts this way. I'm not a proud person. No. I think it took me a very long time to feel proud of the book. But I think I have my favorites. Yeah. The ones I like the most are when you cannot see it's me.

[Laughter]

Sam: There's an irony to that.

Tezz: Yeah. This is exactly what I mean. It's not like, “wow, I made that.”

Sam: It's quite empowering that somebody whose whole job is about showing themselves and the ones that you think are the best…

Tezz: I think my face, I know that it screams when I pose or when I do things with my face. I know that I am transmitting the intensity that is inside of me and wants to be spoken up. But my favorite picture from the book, from Stefan's work we ever did—is the one where you don't see me. You don't see my face. You see me from behind and you don't even see my body. I'm just turned like this and it's in the water.

Sam: Cool. That's really cool. So Elena, going back to your book, what is the photo that makes you go, “damn, I made that”?

Elena: I don't know. I don't really see the work we've done as, like, “oh, I love this one picture.” It's more like the emotion—what we had, what we created. As I said before, for me, it's not the final picture. It's what we had together. It's the connection.

Because of course, as a viewer, you see just a photo, which is a summary of a little detail of so much more. So it’s hard to tell you which one is my favorite. I saw so many beautiful photos—strong ones. Speaking personally, it's more like I'm adding this little brick of something that I didn't know that I have. And it makes me grow. It makes me feel empowered. It makes me so happy. Like… like steps on a staircase going up and up.

Sam: So it's funny, you both have the same answer, which is “the process.” So I think the lessons we've learned is that the process is important. Shout about the book, have a celebration and have a glass of wine.

And to quote Stefan, “just fucking live life.”

Tezz: It's: “Do what makes you fucking happy.”

Sam: Do what makes you fucking happy. Okay. I have to say, I really like that expression.

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Boyfriends and art nude photography

Alright. Just a couple more questions and I promise we'll wrap this up. When Elena and I first shot together, we shot in a little studio. It was the coldest studio on this planet in January.

Tezz: In England?

Elena: I wouldn't say the coldest, but it was cold.

Sam: It was epically cold. We had those little tiny fan heaters, like four or five of them going at the same time.

Elena: Yeah, but the one that you use for the house, for a little room like this.

Sam: It was doing nothing to the room. Elena was incredible. I had not met her before. I was there because I met my friend Dave and we had a really good time. The three of us had a great shoot together. And that led me to wanting to shoot with Elena and go on a bit of what I call photographic adventures like we're on here in Italy.

And I was quite surprised because I was going from spending three or four hours with somebody to saying, “can you come away for a week in Lanzarote to work on my project?” And she didn't say no, which I couldn’t quite believe given we’d just met.

Her boyfriend, Mark, came along. We shot together. We had an awesome time and we came away with—I think—some great pictures.

Elena: That was one of my favorite trips, ever.

Elena: What I liked is that it was a paid job. But I worked as if it was my project. And I remember that at the start it was hard to get those connected photos. Like we were saying before, some people cannot see you—they're so focused on their idea, they cannot see what you’re offering. And this happened at the beginning. And then I gave you everything, it was Wednesday. You got it. You saw it. And I'm like, this is what you need. And you saw it—you saw it. So that's what made this trip so amazing, because I was fulfilled. I was happy because you saw me deep inside and I gave everything. I was not posing. I was myself. I was shouting. And you saw it and you captured it.

Sam: It's funny you mentioned those shots because that was what I was going to say next. I didn't know how that moment resonated with you. You can’t really appreciate the power of an image until later, especially when you have to get back in the car and drive. It was only in a bar back in London that Elena shared that story with me. I felt honored when you said that.

Elena: Well, you deserve it.

Sam: And look, Giona’s here, Tezz’s boyfriend. One of the things that was interesting about this shoot with Elena in Lanzarote is Mark, her boyfriend, came along and he was fantastic. He did tons of things. He did groceries. He did BTS. He was also just a nice guy to hang out with. We had such a great time. Oh, and importantly, he's the first male nude I've photographed. So that was interesting too.

Mark

Elena: But it was really hard for him because that was the first time that he saw me in this environment and after a few days he was like, “I need some time for myself. I cannot keep up. He didn’t understand how we could do it,” because you were so thirsty. You wanted to know more. For normal people, I guess it's like, okay, I do this and then I go back home and do things and talk about other stuff. But we were together all the time, talking. You wanted to know so much more about me [looking at Tezz] now that he had seen how to capture me.

Sam: It's fair, we had a very intense five days.

Elena: I'm happy that he [Mark] witnessed what we went through and he did it with a nice person. And again, I met him [Sam] for like a few hours and then he proposed this project, and he's the only person that I thought Mark could join because I felt that you're a super nice person, you want to just enjoy the process. Not, “oh, she's bringing another person, that's gonna destroy the relationship between us,” blah, blah, blah, all this bullshit that many photographers get. Also, Mark is not one of these boyfriends that is there to judge.

Every time since he joined other shoots, people ask him how he feels when someone else—especially a man—is shooting your girlfriend naked. He’d say, at first I thought that I would feel uncomfortable, but then you see that there's nothing sexual—just energy flowing between them—and it's amazing to witness.

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Tezz: Yeah, and there are so many things that are happening. You have to focus on that.

Sam: So with that in mind, Giona is here and he has witnessed his first experience watching his girlfriend, Tezz, shooting nude in front of other people. Well, in fairness, Elena was nude as well. But that dynamic—and especially the last set of photos—how did you feel watching Tezz shoot?

Giona

Completely normal in that sense. If the idea is the uncomfortableness of seeing someone else naked, like Elena, for the first time and seeing her being shot by someone else or this dynamic, I feel it doesn't exist. At first when I met her, the only idea I had was if she ever felt—or would have met—somebody who she felt uncomfortable with, like a photographer or someone else that, I don't know, behaved weirdly or slimy or something like that.

That was my concern as a man knowing men in general. That was my concern. But knowing her and what she does and getting to know her, I never felt it. She always was very comfortable. She always met lovely people. I met some of them—you included—and you are just such lovely, beautiful people.

And I never felt like it's an uncomfortableness or jealousy or that kind of dynamic—it doesn't exist. It's not even a question of if it ever comes or how you can be good with it. It just doesn't exist as a realm of things to talk about. It's what she does. She's great at what she does and I trust her completely. So if she's comfortable doing a shoot with this person, I know that she’s guaranteed it for me.

Sam: Was a little bit of you proud today?

Giona: Oh, incredibly. This is all the negative stuff that doesn't exist. On the positive side, I'm just so happy. I feel so incredibly proud. When we were talking and I didn't want to interrupt, I showed her a message [holding up his phone] “I love you so much. I'm very proud of you.”

Tezz: [Laughs] Yeah, yeah.

Sam: Oh, that was the message you shared with Tezz, on the phone?

Tezz: Yeah, it was on the phone, the sentence he wrote.

Giona: I didn't want to interrupt you.

Tezz: It said, “I'm so incredibly in love with you. I'm so proud of you.”

Giona: Also because I was thinking about when you were talking about the book. I have it at home because she gave one copy to me. To this day, I still feel like I have to wear gloves when I go through it. I feel so, I'm so much outside of this. I'm just a stable boy in this. I feel like, oh my God, this person who I love the most in the world did this. And I have this incredible achievement and I have this and I can go through it, all the experiences—and it's amazing.

Sam: Oh, I'm really glad you're here Giona because both of these two—they've said nice things about their books. But you and I are like - I own both of these books - we think their work is incredible. I love them. I haven't quite got around to putting gloves on to open the books. But I do love looking through the pages.

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Okay, final, final question!

So, the same question for both of you. We've wrapped up three days of shooting here in Italy. What was the best moment or photo? And what was the worst moment or situation, or even photo? You go first, Elena.

Elena: I think my favourite moment was in front of the black backdrop. Because Tezz and I really connected. When you are shooting with the drone, we are not as “together”. But while Tezz and I were against the backdrop and we were touching each other, I was like, “okay, this felt great”. That's how I felt. I'm just going to move and she was moving and moving and moving. We just moved together. And then I shouted, “just put your hand on my mouth!” [referring to one of their favourite photos from that set]

We were not thinking, not thinking about the pose. And that was actually, honestly, the first time that I had this type of connection. Because I shot with other models, they're good friends and amazing people, amazing artists. But it's always about how we look. But this was just the feeling with you [Tezz]. It was much more important or much more powerful. I didn't really think about what Sam was shooting. I just did it, I just went with the flow. And then I made this! It made me feel good. I loved sleeping with you and I was so happy that finally we had this very close moment. [The first apartment only had two bedrooms so Elena and Tezz shared a room.]

Because I needed your energy, I needed to, you know, share it. And I needed to be with you alone and close together. And that's what has helped everything else coming after. And I think that this afternoon was also amazing. Again, it was just doing things. And we didn't check them yet, but I'm sure there are many, many beautiful pictures.

Tezz: You have a worst moment? I know your worst moment!

[Laughter]

Elena: Oh yeah, my worst moment. It was when I saw them, but I thought it was just like stuff in the water [thermal pools]. And I was like, “oh, there's a lot of red worms”… and from there, I fucking hated being in that water. And Sam was like, “are you okay?” And I was like, “Hm-hmm”. [shaking her head]

Tezz: You know, I did a lot of calculations before I said it. Because I did calculations like, should I let her discover by herself? Or will it be better if I kind of carefully share this information? I know that you're not going to like it. But I also was like, it's fine, you know, it's fine they’re not going to hurt you. And you did amazing. So I decided that it's less painful—after some calculations—to tell you, instead of you laying down and having them next to your face.

Elena: But you know me with the fucking worms. You [Sam] already had this experience in Lanzarote. And at some point we were shooting in the pool, like next to the volcano—remember that? And there were these little thingies crawling there. And I was like, what is it doing in my hair, in my ears? I felt super uncomfortable. But the pictures looked amazing. So I said, I'm peaceful. I'm just going to close my eyes and pretend that they're not here. And I just shut my sphincter. [laughter] So they cannot go inside. G’ah! That was my response.

[Lots of laughter]

Sam: Okay! Well, that's really detailed. Thank you.

Elena: Don't write it.

Sam: Okay.

Elena: Or maybe do, so other people understand it. If they book me and they're like, okay, I'm not going to bring her to places like that. Because again, I do this—especially outdoor stuff, with people that I trust. And I feel that I can stop if I feel overwhelmed. Because I'm sure that there are some people, most of the people, that, whether it’s a paid job or collaboration, it doesn't matter. You're there and they're demanding. “You have to do it.” 

Tezz: Yeah.

Elena: So I always carefully choose people to be with in this situation. Well, first of all, because safety and trust. So I know that I have a boundary. And if I know that you're going to—if you see me uncomfortable and you [Sam] keep asking, “are you okay?” I'm like, okay, I can do more. Because he's asking—he cares.

If I work with another photographer who’s pushing me, it's like, okay, I want to stop right now. Because you don't give me the trust. You're showing me that you don't fucking care.

Tezz: My well-being is not your concern. So you really don't care about the picture. For me, it's the same way. Yeah. As a human being, you feel degraded.

Elena: Yes. On a human level. Sometimes it's about how the other person communicates. You're an amazing communicator [pointing at Sam].

Tezz: Yes.

Elena: You always make other people super comfortable and safe. And that's what makes you so great. So everyone is super at ease.

Tezz: Yeah. I think, yeah, that's true. You're always worried if we are comfortable. And this is something reassuring for us—that we will be safe with you.

Sam: I would like to think anybody wants other humans to be comfortable.

Elena: No. You would be surprised how many don't. This is the thing.

Tezz: For us, probably it was also normal before. And then you have these experiences with people and you can't even believe your eyes, you know? So, yeah. Like, “oh, but you are paid for it.” I got a comment that said, “oh, but you are paid for that.”

Elena: Yeah, but I'm paying for a full day, so you have to do it.

Tezz: Like, I'm going to stay here in shit because you paid me? What the fuck? Yeah.

Sam: Okay. So, final thing. Tezz, what was your best and worst moment?

Tezz: I think my best, the first thing that popped in my head, was this beautiful moment when you [Elena] hugged me today and suddenly nothing else existed. She hugged me when we were laying down on the floor with the sharp rocks and I just felt the warmth. Every time we are close to each other, it's crazy because it just radiates love. And you don't think about it because you're focusing on doing something, today’s location was hostile. And then suddenly it just comes and you feel it and you can't deny that it's not there because it takes you whole.

So, that was my favorite moment. Also, the connection that you said—I love it. And I just wanted to comment on it [to Elena]: I think we can go even deeper. Much deeper. I feel that we need time for that because I see that we have a very similar personality and that we step softly towards the same things. I think we love through respect a lot. So, yeah, that was my moment—when she hugged me and I just felt warmth, softness and love. And I felt that we are great. I felt it—I didn't see it [the photos being taken], I had my face in dirt. But I felt that we are doing something beautiful. It felt beautiful.

And the worst moment—oh, when I got my period. When she visited us—I think that was just a pain. It's just something that happened that you wish, if you could control, would not happen. But it's just life. So I don't have a worse moment. Or maybe worse is how it affects my head when I have self-doubt and that kind of stuff.

Oh, maybe when you [Sam] fell. First, I thought it was a beautiful fall because I saw that your camera is safe, you know? But I didn't know that you hurt yourself so badly. Then I would be very concerned. And then I got concerned. But not concerned in, like, mama way. Concerned in knowing that you need to go to hospital. You know? So, that's it.

Sam: It's been quite an intense three days.

Elena: No, I appreciate it. Like, I admire a lot how you behaved.

Tezz: Yes. Fucking hell. Wow.

Elena: I don't know. I saw you as a kind of soft guy, as your way of expression. But, like, this thing—my God—showed that you're so fucking tough. That you're like, “yeah, whatever. I have a hole in my leg. Okay, doesn't matter.” Like, “I'm just enjoying shooting. This is more important.”

Tezz: I didn't have a clue that you injured yourself at all. I thought that maybe you scratched yourself a little bit, you know? But I thought that you just fell. I didn't recognize at all that this is what happened. I was shocked. I was shocked. Do you need to remake it [asking if she needs to change Sam’s bandage]?

Sam: It's fine. I think the stitches will be fine.

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Sam’s best and worst moments

Giona: What was your best and worst moment Sam?

Elena: Let’s talk about you!

Giona: Let's switch.

Sam: My best and worst moments. Sooo, I said this before: I don't shoot that often. I think people look at my portfolio and they think I shoot every day. Or at least once a week or something, because I post fairly regularly. And I really don't. I shoot once a month or maybe every four to six weeks.

And the shoots that matter, really, really matter, for me are these adventures. These, what I call photographic adventures. Disappearing off to some wild locations and shooting with amazing people.

I'm trying to put my own little book together. I haven't really got the same backing that these two have [Sam talking to Giona]. But I hope to achieve it.

But to answer the question, I had a clear objective: I set out to shoot in two locations, which are part of a project called Elemental, which is quite simply the beauty of the human form in otherworldly locations. Places that, when you look at the image, you're like, this can't be on this planet. And that's actually quite hard to find on this planet, right? By design. But we managed to complete that here in Italy in the space of three days. I've done these trips quite a few times now. What we did is hard—but we did it! So this has been incredibly fulfilling, replenishing—just completing that aspiration. Getting on a plane and coming here to do these two things. 

But the thing that I like the most is actually their dynamic [to Giona], watching these two collaborate and shoot and be bonkers together. I shared a photo of the two of them yesterday. I talked about how they were lovely hooligans. And I think that's the nicest way I can describe them. Because that's who they are. They're reactive and they are wonderful. And they are brilliant together. So that was a lovely surprise.

Because this—what you see here—wasn’t planned. Elena and I had this trip booked. It was going to be just the two of us going to do these two locations. The idea of Tezz joining was relatively recent in the process. Elena had mentioned it. I trust Elena. Elena and I are great friends. So if Elena says it's a good idea, it's going to be a good idea. But I wanted to know…

Elena: I'm always right. Even when I'm wrong, I'm right.

Tezz: I think he can confirm that.

Sam: But I was like, I'm not just signing up to Elena being right. I wanted to be sure myself. So Tezz and I had a call and saw each other on video—just to see the whites of each other's eyes. Only then did I know that this was going to work.

I'm going round in circles. But to actually answer the question—it's nice to validate that thesis. A photographic adventure with not one, but two wonderful people. I haven't even gone through the afternoon's pictures, but I know that there are some great shots in there—we went to some amazing places—and their dynamic has been really impactful. I spent an extra 70 euros so that these guys could have their own separate room here in this apartment. And they chose not to use it because they wanted to sleep together.

[Laughter]

Elena & Tezz: The cat loved it though. Yeah, the cat loved it.

Elena: Yesterday we were checking the rooms and we were like, this room has a weird energy.

Sam: This feels like a made-up excuse!

Tezz: It was real.

Elena: She understood that I wanted to be in the room. I was like, can you stay with me?

Tezz: I was like, sure.

Elena: That's why yesterday, [when you were on the phone sorting out the extra room] I was like, we don't need two rooms. We just need one!

Tezz: I loved it too. I was so much looking forward to spending more time together. And I think Giona can confirm how much I fucking love you. The connection, even from afar. This is something in photography I love so much. It brought me to my people. And I'm going to have them forever. For eternity, really. Clara too.

Tezz: Sorry, but what is your worst moment?

Sam: Well, it would be…

Tezz: Wait, what was the best moment?

Sam: What we just said—witnessing this dynamic that the two of you have. Not a moment, it's like a three-day rollercoaster. I'd be remiss not to say that my worst moment was the fact that we had to take time out of the busy shooting schedule to go to hospital and get stitches.

Tezz: You were thinking, that's not that bad—maybe just some band-aid. It's fine. “I need a plaster.” We didn't even have any disinfectant. I was like, there is a hole in your leg. Let me call Stefi.

Elena: He was saying, okay, let me check ChatGPT. And it was like: “I'm not a doctor, Sam, but that looks really bad, you have to go to the hospital.”

Tezz: And Stefi also said, oh, it's deep. There can be infection.

Sam: You guys were pretty insistent.

Elena: But I know that because you're so excited, it's so hard to keep you down. No, okay, we're going to be mommy now. Go to the hospital, yeah? I love you, but… I'll bring you nice pastries, but go let's go to the hospital!

Sam: But if I knew that I was going to get a gash in my leg, I was going to need some stitches, but the end result was that I was going to have this great time and take some, I think, quite special pictures, I would absolutely sign up for having a visit to the hospital.

Elena: And we didn't lose time.

Sam: That was incredibly efficient.

Tezz: It was really fast. They were very nice. It was, wow.

Sam: Okay, on that note, I'm going to say thank you for the time. Thank you, Tezz. Thank you, Elena, and thank you, Giona, for participating in our story. You all make for great conversation!

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Summary

Looking back, what struck me most wasn’t just the images we created, but the dynamic between Elena and Tezz, the way trust, silliness, and a unique connection intertwined over three days in Italy. This wasn’t just another shoot; it was a reminder of why I call these “photographic adventures.” They’re not only about chasing light or finding locations, but about the people who bring them to life. I left Tuscany with many new pictures, of course, but more importantly with the sense that I’d witnessed — and been part of — a connection that lives far beyond the camera.

Well done for making it this far! If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy my blog post about the same trip.