CREATIVE EDITORIAL

My photography as featured in the Avenue, Northeastern’s fashion and lifestyle magazine.

Bite

SIPS OF SELF

FLIP THROUGH BITE

WRITER ZOE WEINSTEIN

PHOTOGRAPHER MAYA SOLANKI
STYLIST AVA ROGNLIEN
MAKEUP MADI MOORE
MODELS JOURDEN FENNER, MULAN OZEKI, ABIGAIL WILSON-KAGENI, VICTORIA CRABB
DESIGN VALENTINA RIERA

AS PART OF THE AVENUE’S FW23 ISSUE BITE, I CONCEPTED, COORDINATED, AND PHOTOGRAPHED A SHOOT TO COMPLIMENT AN ARTICLE TITLED SIPS OF SELF, A REFLECTIVE PIECE REGARDING THE WRITER’S PAST RELATIONSHIPS. THE SHOOT CONCEPT WAS AN EMOTIONAL CAT AND MOUSE GAME, REPRESENTED PHYSICALLY IN A HEDGE MAZE WITH FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE PURSUING EACH OTHER. THEY STRUGGLE WITH THE PUSH AND PULL OF VULNERABILITY VS IMPENETRABILITY WITH THE OTHER PARTY. THEY START AS A BLANK SLATE, STRUGGLING WITH A SENSE OF SELF, CAUSING THEM TO LOOK FOR THEMSELVES IN OTHERS, WHILE ALSO PICKING UP CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE OTHERS OR DESPERATELY CONSUMING PARTS OF THEM IN ORDER TO PIECE THEMSELVES TOGETHER. THEY YEARN FOR CONNECTION, BUT THEY INSTINCTIVELY CAVE INTO THEIR BANAL TENDENCIES TO RUN.

Play

WELCOME TO
GIRL-OUROBOROS

FLIP THROUGH PLAY

WRITER MALAIKA BESAME

PHOTOGRAPHER MAYA SOLANKI
SET DESIGN JENNA ORY
STYLIST HAYLEN WEHR
MAKEUP MOLLY LANE
MODEL GINNY WILLIAMS
DESIGN GINNY WILLIAMS

FOR THE AVENUE’S SS24 ISSUE THEMED PLAY, I PHOTOGRAPHED A CONCEPT SHOOT TO ACCOMPANY THE ARTICLE WELCOME TO GIRL-OUROBOROS. THE PIECE EXPLORES THE PHENOMENON OF YOUNG GIRLS RUSHING TOWARD MATURITY WHILE WOMEN ARE INCREASINGLY GRASPING FOR THEIR YOUTH. TO AVOID INFANTILIZING THE MODEL OR EVOKING A LOLITA-ESQUE TONE, WE SOUGHT A BALANCED APPROACH TO PORTRAYING A WOMAN’S NOSTALGIA FOR HER YOUTH. USING VIBRANT PRIMARY COLORS AND PLAYFUL PROPS LIKE PAPER AIRPLANES, WE CREATED A VISUAL NARRATIVE THAT SUBTLY CAPTURES THE TENSION BETWEEN INNOCENCE AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME.

Please

THE CHEMISTRY OF ATTRACTION

WRITER ARKIN SAWHNEY

PHOTOGRAPHERS MAYA SOLANKI & SIENA LUM
SET TEAM NATASHA SORTLAND & ZULA WESTENDORF
MAKEUP KAYDENCE LIN
MODELS HILARY NANA ADJEI & GRETA MANGENDATZ
DESIGN ANA URRUTIA

AS PART OF THE AVENUE’S SS25 ISSUE PLEASE, WE CONCEPTED, COORDINATED, AND PHOTOGRAPHED A SHOOT TO COMPLIMENT AN ARTICLE TITLED THE CHEMISTRY OF ATTRACTION, WHICH EXPLORED THE SCIENCE AND ALLURE OF PHEROMONE PERFUMES. WE CONCEPTED A VISUAL NARRATIVE CENTERED ON A QUEER COUPLE, CAPTURING INTIMATE, SKIN-FORWARD MOMENTS THAT BLURRED THE LINE BETWEEN SENSUALITY AND DISCOMFORT. INSPIRED BY THE BIOLOGICAL REALITY THAT PHEROMONES ARE SECRETED THROUGH BODILY FLUIDS, WE INTENTIONALLY LEANED INTO A DAMP, STICKY AESTHETIC—USING ELEMENTS LIKE HONEYCOMB AND GLOSS TO EVOKE SWEAT, SALIVA, AND DESIRE. THE GOAL WAS TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE THAT FELT BOTH MAGNETIC AND SLIGHTLY OFF-PUTTING, MIRRORING THE RAW PHYSICALITY OF ATTRACTION AT ITS MOST PRIMAL.

Maya Solanki

Maya
Solanki