Marea suave, a soft tide. The commercial brief loosened by salt air; Fifi at the water’s edge, between takes and entirely at ease.

We had a black chiffon thing that wanted to be a sail, and a wind that agreed. I kept asking her to hold still and the fabric kept refusing, throwing itself sideways across the whole frame like it had somewhere to be. Eventually I stopped fighting it. You can’t direct that much fabric and a breeze at the same time, so I just waited for the gust and the gesture to land together.

This one is the take where they did. Arms out, chin up, the water that flat unreal turquoise behind her, gold sand sticking to her shins. Nothing about it is precious. She is barefoot in the surf, blowing a kiss at the sea like the two of them are old friends, and the dark silk is doing all the drama so she doesn’t have to.

I love that the most commercial day on the calendar turned into the loosest set of the year. Salt air does that. It softens everybody, the client included.