Last Updated on 05/14/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by Sonia Szóstak. Used with Creative Commons permission.
In a previous feature, we saw Paris-based Sonia Szóstak immersed in the hues, textures, and shapes of Bolivia and Peru, which are among the best places to study color composition. This time, we’re following her around the streets of Havana for another color-centric body of work. The city in itself is a favorite of many street and travel photographers for its old world charm, but Sonia also saw it as an interesting playground for fashion photography.
For her set of fashion snaps, Sonia made sure that colors would be the centerpiece of her work. Whether it’s with the contrast of the outfits themselves or their colors popping against the background, each shot draws our eyes towards her muse. Since the outfits were also satin, the material made her color play even more eye-catching during the sunny day shoot.
It’s also worth noting how Sonia worked with the location to give the fashion pieces an everyday local flavor. There’s none of that high-brow, luxury-themed imagery. Instead, her muse and the styling blended seamlessly into the surroundings, in the same way Thiago Botelho shot his vision of “ghetto” street style. I especially love how her muse would be so integrated in the scenes that it’s almost like Sonia just chanced upon her out in the streets and started taking photos.
Casual, relaxed, and infused with a beautiful mood, Sonia’s snaps make fine examples of simple yet effective fashion photography. Locations don’t have to be fancy either, but they work wonders into an editorial when they complement both the theme and the mood or personality of the collection.
Don’t forget to check out Sonia Szóstak’s website and Behance portfolio to see more more of her Havana fashion snaps as well as her other works.