Emily Hayes // Brooklyn, NY

For the past few years, every time I go to NYC, I visit the same bagel shop in Brooklyn, and then walk down to Pebble Beach and enjoy the views and eats: honey walnut cream cheese on cinnamon raisin. Sitting on the rocks and watching the bustle of the city from afar offers a uniquely peaceful reprise amidst the busiest city in the world; not to mention, a bagel-y treat always hits the spot. 

On this particular trip, Emily was my first shoot, just a mere 3 hours after landing at Newark. We had planned to meet on Brooklyn Bridge, and I hoped to make a few images using the iconic background… without it looking too touristy.

After finishing the first half of the shoot on the Bridge, I was ready for a second location, and knew that I would want to head to Pebble Beach, though I didn’t know exactly how to reach it. We meandered on over in the general direction, with the conversation revolving around our mutual love for food, and Emily’s YouTube channel dedicated to food. Every few moments, we would stop in front of a photogenic background, make a photo, and continue with the food-dominated conversation.  

Once we arrived at Pebble Beach, I asked Emily to carefully make her way down the slippery black rocks, laying down in repose. Ironically, she told me the last time she had worn these tights was for a photo shoot for The Ballerina Project, one of my initial inspirations for this project. I felt like I was experiencing history in the making. Perhaps one day in the distant future, Emily will be shooting with another photographer and tell them the story of how the last time she wore these tights was with Hasselblad Ballet - but who am I kidding, totally getting ahead of myself. 

September 9, 2021