This story begins back in September last year. I was wrapping up a shoot with Elena and Tezz in Tuscany, Italy. The three of us had visited some incredible locations and had a great time taking pictures together. It was a true Italian photographic adventure, one that included a bonus visit to a hospital for me to get some stitches. Elena is a close friend but I hadn’t met Tezz prior to this trip. Not that it was needed as these two are thick as thieves, sisters separated at birth. A quality that had expedited our rapport and made the images more impactful.

Our final meal was a lot of fun, and it was agreed we should do this again. Tezz proposed that we visit her favourite island; Ibiza, a place she called home for nine years. She had spoken about the island so passionately, her descriptions were almost spiritual. It was also somewhere that promised a variety of otherworldly locations.

I had ceded any semblance of control when I left the hospital with a bandaged leg. They had been in charge since that moment and I had learned it was better to say yes. Besides, Tezz is one of those people who seems to have their own gravity, the ability to drag you into their orbit whether you like it or not. That evening we agreed some rough dates in May whilst finishing off the last of the Limoncello.

*Elena and Tezz, cherubs on Mars (Day 3 in Ibiza)*

The landing in Ibiza was anything but smooth. The island was shrouded in thick rain clouds that blurred the view from the plane windows. My first photo here was of a rainy runway, a means to share with my wife that she was right about the weather forecast. Elena had arrived just before me and met me in the waiting area and we were soon greeted by Tezz and Dave who were already on the island. Tezz and Elena hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years, Dave and I hugged but it had been less than a week since I’d seen him in France so we discussed the weather whilst waiting for them to finish. Is that a British or Canadian trait?

Our villa was half an hour away and by the time we arrived the rain had stopped and the sky had shrugged off the clouds. The building was a number of perfect white boxes that connected around a swimming pool and a patio that overlooked the sea. Dave had created a list of options and this place had a unanimous vote, the view had won us over. We all wanted to experience it and were soon outside, feet getting wet from the last of the rain as we breathed in the vista. It was a good spot, Dave had done well.

*Tezz capturing the light between the palm trees with her Richo*

Home For The Week

I should clarify that last year Dave and I spent two weeks together in France taking photos, so this trip was meant to be a repeat and the second half essentially. But some last minute changes to the schedule meant that France happened a week earlier and I had to go home to celebrate my own orbit around the sun in between. Dave would argue he was only invited to be the driver, but the fact is you can only do these sort of intense trips with friends and that was what we all were, friends.
We had ambitions of going out and having a meal together, but there was something about the villa that made you want to stay and just chat. So our first night was a very casual meal of cheese, salami, bread and local wine. A staple for Dave and I and something Tezz and Elena dressed up with a salad. We used the time to review 120 pages of a PDF Tezz had created that showcased her island. Each page a beautiful image of her against a different location. There had been so much talking and it was getting late so we let her choose a place that would be a good way to ease into the week ahead.

Day One

My alarm went off at 5:45am but I was already holding my phone. I find the act of setting an alarm usually sees me wake up beforehand, usually. Tezz was in the small kitchen making her matcha, her ritual I was now familiar with but still viewed as witchcraft, especially at this hour. The car journey to the coast wasn’t long, but it was the walk to the end of the peninsula that added an extra half an hour and by the time we got there the soft morning light was beginning to wane. We’d expected this, an agreement to come here and recce as much as photograph.

The place was indeed magnificent and packed with a variety of places to shoot. We traced the edges of the rugged surface that stretched out toward the sea, it was a place that would look amazing from above, with a drone. Dave and I stood on top of a natural sea wall and took in the space, each of us considering where to start, basically somewhere with shade as the sun was higher now.

An Unexpected Wave

Tezz and Dave found a spot under a cliff and Elena and I went back to the same sea wall. I'd seen a small cave that reminded me of a place in Lanzarote we had both shot in two years ago (had it really been two years??). There was no need for words, Elena was instinctive. I took one photo but then the sudden sound of a wave crashing against the wall stopped time. Elena was drenched and in her surprise she stood up, away from the cover of the cave. A second wave swept her off her feet and onto the rough surface. Just as quickly the sea was quiet again and Elena was curled on the floor, holding her leg.

Anyone would react quickly under these circumstances. But Elena is someone important to me so I think there was an additional paternal instinct that kicked in. That and the fact that there was suddenly a strong sense of Deja vu about all of this. I walked her back to our base camp by some stone steps and we inspected her leg. As I wrapped my hoody around her shoulders she looked up at me and smiled. The cuts and scratches on her legs were not good, but they didn’t need stitches thankfully.

Regardless she was visibly shaken, the shock of it all had filled her body with adrenaline. I didn’t say it to her, but that was going to be helpful, we had to walk back to the car, pronto.

The walk back was slow as she protected her left leg. I distracted her with a large bunch of wild rosemary to smell and music from my phone, selecting songs that were naturally happy. Who knew that Nausicaa Yami doesn’t like Bob Marley! An almost unbelievable fact, but like the adrenaline was helpful at getting us to the end of the walk. Dave and Tezz returned a little while later and we were soon all back in the apartment. Tezz was once again on her haunches disinfecting a leg with a yellow bottle of red fluid. This was all eerily familiar. A lesson to all. If you are to have an accident, do it with friends like these.

Early mornings meant our days would always be divided by sleep, but this time the sleep was also recuperation and Elena was charged with sleeping as much as possible. The evening before Tezz had said that Ibiza takes as much as it gives. Her words cautioning us to how you feel when exposed to the hot sun and wind for long periods of time. But right now the same words had a very different meaning.

The Black Backdrop

Thankfully the schedule was our own, there was no rigid plan to follow and we slowed the tempo down accordingly. That being said, when Elena awoke she had a show-must-go-on attitude about her. There was no need to go searching for a location, we’d shoot around our fabulous villa and I knew exactly what to do.

On our first day in Italy I had hung my black backdrop against the wall of our villa and took some shots of Elena and Tezz that we all agreed were some of our favourites. I found a similar shady wall and secured my backdrop. I knew this would be a nice way to ease back into it. An almost medicinal means of creating once more.

That evening Tezz and I made supper. Chicken and vegetables roasted in the oven and seasoned with the wild rosemary that had escorted Elena back to the car. The food was welcome, but a distraction from the ritual of reviewing the day's photos and just chatting together. If experiences like this are sent to test you, I think it’s fair to say that we’d passed the test with flying colours.

Day Two

Our original plan was to break up our five days with a rest day in the middle, four days of shooting, and a mini holiday in between. Nice and simple. But we wanted to give Elena more time to rest up, so we hatched a new plan to divide our rest day into two halves.

Today we’d enjoy a lie-in and lazy lunch at the villa and then head out to shoot in the late afternoon when the light was softer. This idea was formed last night and enthusiastically agreed. Dave occupied his time by working through his huge backlog of images to edit. I should have done similar, but I wanted to try out our pool. The girls found the roof of our villa and sunbathed. They’d both later congratulate each other on a much improved tan.

*This BTS image would later inspire a set of photos.*

Square Shapes

It wasn’t until 5pm that we left the villa, the goal being to go back to the same location for about 6pm. Arguably this was like going back to the scene of the crime, but we all agreed it was a lovely part of the island and one that needed to be fully exploited. This time we spent more time viewing the coast from the little cliff above. Tezz pointed to another area I hadn’t seen before, a section of the coast with curious square shapes cut out of the stone and flooded by sea water. I was fixated, it looked like an old chess board and the shallow water rippling above it only made me want to go and explore it more.

Tezz and I headed that way together whilst Dave and Elena found a drier location under the cliff edge. The sheer limestone wall was taller here and was casting a shadow over the water. This was ideal for a drone shot so that is how we started. Tezz made shapes amongst the square rocks and I found compositions to suit. We later followed up with some portraits, a way to personify the contextual images taken from above. As the light got softer we found another part of the same stone surface that had been eaten into by the waves. It’s texture was incredible to look at, but also fiercely sharp. It would make an incredible image, but it would need complex placement to make it work and was easier to move on. But Tezz had another plan, she strategically placed her two rubber flips flops on the ground and carefully inserted herself into position.
Her poses carried a grace that I’m sure was fabricated, but it’s hard to tell with Tezz as she does have a wild side to her. That is meant to be a compliment as I have an affinity for anyone who naturally connects with their environment like this. It’s that, or Tezz was just being very nice to me as she’d seen my face when we came across this pattern in the rock.

Elena The Photographer

By now the sun was closer to the sea, Tezz and I crossed over to the other side of the peninsula to find Dave and Elena who had followed the light. We’d lost track of time but we all wanted to use the last of what I was realising was a longer than usual golden hour. Elena and I scouted the small inlets and shot amongst the bizarre rock formations that had been crafted by years of tidal activity. Our shoot together was brief but productive, it was good to see Elena back to her creative self as she moved deftly amongst the strange shapes.

One of my favourite photos of the evening is of Elena lying on the floor and photographing Tezz with her old Olympus film camera. In order to get the shot she had contorted herself into a curious shape, one that was in stark contrast to her polished poses seen just a few moments before. If you know Elena, you will be familiar with that side of her, the side that is happiest being the fool. This part of her is important enough to warrant a collection of story highlights on her Instagram entitled “Yes, but” and my phone is filled with corroborating evidence.

We walked back along the beach, our steps slower as the hot sand pulled at our feet. That evening we ate at a traditional Spanish restaurant that was on our way home. Our belated meal was much needed. A time to rest and share our separate adventures. We also used the time to plan the next day. It was becoming clear that our location shooting would be either early mornings or late in the afternoon and that would mean late to bed - like tonight. One of the locations stood out to all of us, another coastal spot that served as a natural harbour many years ago.

There was no risk of getting wet as we’d be high above the sea, but it had to be a morning shoot as the place would be full of tourists during the day and especially at sunset. Given the fact that we didn’t have many mornings left we chose to go to this location next. Perhaps renewed by the meal, we also decided to treat tomorrow as a full day and Tezz promised to take us to Mars for sunset. I was sold!

Day Three

I’m what you’d call a morning person, but even with that outlook when morning starts and it's dark outside (in the summer) you have to question what you are doing. I slid open the sliding door of my room and was greeted by Tezz and Elena who were busy in the kitchen making their matcha and coffee. By rights they could have had grumpy faces, but they didn’t, they both beamed back at me like it was just another day. None of this was new, photography does tend to demand that your days start at odd hours, but it really helps when you are surrounded by positive energy.

By now the morning journeys were familiar, make-up was bravely applied in the moving car and music was played to keep the driver awake. We arrived at an unremarkable cliff edge and parked the car. Tezz led us down a dirt path that got narrower and narrower before opening on to the sea. Tezz pointed to the right and led us away from the small cove, through a stone arch and out onto a giant plateau of flat rock that stretched around the coast and out to sea. Directly above us was a wall of rock the colour of bronze. It consisted of hundreds of rectangular wedges of rock that seemed to be resting on top of each other like a terrifying game of jenga. The place was stunning and absolutely worth the early start. We were also alone somehow. The sun was behind the cliff meaning the flat rock was in shade, something we had planned for.

But it would be like that for a couple of hours, so Elena and I started shooting at the tip of the plateau. It jutted out above the water and was visible from many parts of the shore line, including the low hills to the right of us where the sun was rising from. Elena stood there in the half light making shapes against the backdrop of the sea and sky. Very slowly the sun started to rise and a band of light travelled up her body with the quality of a studio light that was carefully focused on her from a distance. It was obvious to both of us what to do and Elena mastered the opportunity perfectly. I love these images for a number of reasons, but most of all because they were created without words, it was instinctive. I also love that the RAW files look like finished edits (the image below has yet to make its way in to Photoshop).

A Giant Game Of Jenga

Dave and Tezz leveraged the shade, but soon found their way into the same light. Its warm hues against the gold rock were mesmerizing. This location was incredible. It was visually so impressive, but equally the guaranteed shade meant that we all felt less pressured and could shoot at a slower pace which was a welcome change. Elena and I finished with a wardrobe set, clothes she had brought with a colour pallette that seemed in perfect harmony with the colour of the rock. Tezz and I took some drone shots and then married them with portraits in the same location.

At one point she had to stand in the sun, the shade was good for the soft light, but meant the rock was cold on bare skin. She wrapped up in her cardigan and faced the sun that was now higher in the sky. My drone was still in the air so for fun I switched to video and filmed her standing in this dramatic location. As she watched what was happening I heard her distant voice (I was out of shot) saying “wait, I want to do this nude” and she flung her cardigan away. I was too far away to relay instructions, besides this was her moment not mine. So I just followed her movements, guiding the drone manually as she spun around in the sun. Eventually she lay down on the rock which must have started to warm up. A fun little video of a time and place that I think we’d all remember fondly (press play below to see it).

We headed home via breakfast. A restaurant on the edge of a port and one that served a lavish menu. It felt very wrong being in a foreign country and having an English breakfast, but at the same time, the food was definitely needed. I think we ordered one of everything and all felt the excess afterwards, our reward for such an early start. We returned home after a brief stop for Tezz to buy some large fish and two huge bags of salt. Her plans for supper would have to wait, we all needed some sleep.

Mars

By 5:30pm we were back on the road. This time our destination was an hour away. Sunset was not for a while, but we needed to arrive ahead of time to get to know this new location. Dave parked the car at the end of a dirt road and then Tezz led us through a maze of juniper bushes and pine trees. We could hear the sea far below us, but it felt out of reach as the hot sun loomed above. Eventually the pine trees parted and we were suddenly greeted by the sight and sound of the coast.

Roughly one hundred feet below us was a broad apron of iron-stained limestone, pockmarked with irregular round holes carved by centuries of wind and salt. Beyond that was the sea that caressed the edges of the course surface. This place was incredible. Behind me there was a chorus of “this is a Sam location” from Tezz and Dave. Elena just looked at me and smiled.

Seaweed Couture

We traced a narrow dirt path down to sea level and made room for three tourists who were heading up the same path. Their departure left us alone in a space that must have been at least as long as two football pitches. The walk had been short, but the hot sun was unforgiving so we dropped our bags and knowing we had time we all relaxed.

Tezz pulled Elena to one side to show her how to find calcite crystals that seemed to grow out of the rocks whilst Dave and I strode about the barren landscape looking for angles. Neither of us said it, but we were both looking for shade, something that was in short supply here. A little while later we all accepted that this would be a hard light shoot whilst we waited for the sun to get closer to the sea. Elena and I went left, I’d seen a rock I thought would make for a nice pedestal.

Her poses were beautiful and statuesque, but we both felt there was something missing. As the wind picked up Elena grabbed a large handful of dry sea weed and let it float in the wind around her body. This energised us both, I helped find more dry seaweed and Elena started to fashion it into a bikini or ruff, each time letting the wind pull at the edges of her temporary garment. Suddenly this was a fashion shoot despite the unusual location and the rather unlikely couture.

I’d come to this location to take a very different image, but I really loved this set. Elena looked amazing in the images, but it was the spontaneity of it all that I enjoyed the most.

We moved back over to the warmer stone behind us, by now the sun was lower and the light was truly golden. I took a handful of shots of Elena standing amongst the moon-like surface, the idea being to create a portrait that would complement a drone shot I planned to take here later, when the light was softer. But we were soon interrupted by Tezz who had just finished shooting with Dave. She squealed with delight and ran over to Elena, wrapping her arms around her waist. Apparently this was going to be a duo shot! No doubt this probably reads as some sort of male fantasy, but honestly, I’m not accomplished when it comes to shooting two or more people, nude or not.

So my first thoughts are of composition and am I in the right place and of course I now have the wrong lens. I swapped my camera body for the one with my wider lens (I find it safer to have two bodies with different lenses) and lay down on the sharp stone. These two have a sisterly bond that meant none of their poses felt forced, they looked like two people who were soaking in the last of the sun at the end of a long but fun day. The images that followed were genuine and reminded me of the first time I photographed the pair of them back in Italy. It only works because it is real (this one is an outtake, of course).

The sun was getting lower, it was almost time for a drone shot. The light was too hard in the centre so Tezz and I walked to a shady spot by the water. The stone was black here and would make for a nice contrast against Tezz’s skin. She traced the surface, her legs and arms outstretched as she tested the texture, much of which was too sharp to lie on. Tezz eventually found a length of stone that was softer, smoothed by the sea and lay down. There we took a number of shots that displayed her on the edge of the rugged rock and adjacent to the water that crashed harmlessly below her.

Two Cherubs

By now it was getting late. It was 8:45pm and the sun was getting closer to the water in the distance. The long shadows were almost gone and the light on the surface was getting softer. We’d all been used to its heat, but suddenly it started to feel cold. It was time to take the image that I’d had in my head all day. I’d found the spot when we arrived, an ovoid in the rock, surrounded by a few other misshapen circles. By now this was an unspoken team effort, they both knew what to do.

The first pose was beautiful, reminiscent of two cherubs in a renaissance painting. Time was fleeting, the stone surface was cold and I knew everyone was tired. I asked them to change their pose for one last image, this time a more symbolic yin and yang pose that framed the rock. Five minutes for each pose. I didn’t need more, we’d done it. Today had been an exceptional day!

Dave drove us back in the dark and we all listened to a podcast that I enjoy; Bella Freud talking to cool people. In this case Kate Moss. We got home exhausted but happy. It had been a long but productive day and best of all we had the morning off. We’d saved up that half day and so could enjoy a lie in. It was probably this knowledge that meant we stayed up longer than usual to have a late supper whilst reviewing the day's work.

Day Four

I think Dave was awake first, busy editing his photos. The man’s a machine, editing and posting his work daily. I envy that focus, but equally I know I rather edit in a controlled environment, one that doesn't have direct light on the screen. It was so bright in our villa that we both had to go in the dark of the bathroom to check any final edits. It was bad enough that I had erected my black backdrop indoors to help mitigate the vivid light. Regardless of these concerns, I was excited about the images from the night before and edited some of the two cherubs.

With that task done, I suddenly had the urge to swim in the sea and Tezz wanted to join me. There weren't exactly any road signs to tell us how to get there, but we could see the beach from our patio and Google maps suggested there was a path down there. It turned out to be very simple and five minutes later we were on the shore. It’s funny, we’d all been here in Ibiza for several days now. The very name was synonymous with being on holiday.

But it was only now, lying on my towel on the hard pebbly beach did I feel I could relax. These photographic adventures must look glamorous and trust me they are a lot of fun, but you do work hard and the long hours and exposure to the elements take their toll on you. Which was exactly why I wanted to swim in the sea, a place that my mind knows I am truly on holiday. I dived in and swam underwater for as far as I could go. Tezz took more time to be convinced about the temperature, it was only mid May (what do I know, I’m British). I would dive down, looking for shells whilst Tezz swam on the surface to keep her hair dry - not something I have to worry about…

We spent long enough on the beach that the sun was becoming too hot. Tezz made me wear one of her sarongs which was suddenly very welcome and a sign we needed to head back. In a couple of hours we were due to leave for our pre-evening shoot. But I’d spotted a beautiful shadow cast by the palm trees that was interacting with the pool and Tezz was kind enough to slip into the cold water and take up position amongst the dappled light. It was just a few minutes but that spontaneity made for some beautiful shots. It reminded me of a casual snapshot that I’d taken of Elena and Tezz sunbathing on the roof of our villa two days before, but now that image was suddenly ingrained in my head.

I was given a book by Helmut Newton a couple of weeks ago by my parents called Newton Riviera. As the name suggests it was a collection of photographs taken on the French Riviera and included his signature style but with more palm trees and somehow the heat of the place added to the evocative nature of the images. I’ve always loved his work, the bravado and strength is something I find compelling. But it was that single snapshot of Elena and Tezz lying on the sunbed, a pair of black shoes next to them that made me think of the book. Perhaps there was a chance to capture a sliver of that Riviera bravado. Something to try tomorrow, if we could.