The Sunset Sessions

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

▲ HAPPY NEW YEAR! ▲

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for following The Sunset Sessions!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are excited about the upcoming adventures, experiences and opportunities which await you in 2013.

Your support is greatly appreciated and I hope you've enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) what The Sunset Sessions has to offer from both a product offering and content standpoint.

The last 5 months which the brand & online site has been active has been very busy and incredibly exciting. The vintage leathergoods and swimwear have thus far been the most popular items in store; several more rare and one-of-a-kind vintage leather items are being added to the store over the next couple weeks. Additionally, we're continuing the non-profit donation program on a permanent basis—which means 10% of all sunset-sessions.com store sales will be donated to a different social cause, organization each month. "SheJumps.org"—An organization which aims to help increase female participation in outdoor activities—has been selected to be the recipient of the donation consisting of 10% of Jan 2013 store sales.

Finally, I'm VERY excited to note that we'll soon be offering a special line of The Sunset Sessions' custom designed, branded merchandise! Stay tuned!!!

Thank you again for your interest in The Sunset Sessions; please feel free to share comments or email in any questions, concerns or general comments, suggestions anytime! :)

Best wishes to you for a fabulous, healthy and adventurous 2013!!!

Friday, December 28, 2012

▲ FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE ▲

Johnny Abegg is a photographer based in Byron Bay, Australia who shoots rather lovely, natural images for fashion lookbooks, professional surfers and general lifestyle assignments. He has been shooting the lookbooks and ethereal, beautiful shoots filled with bohemian, wanderlust spirit for amazing accessories & clothing line Spell & The Gypsy Collective. Recently, Johnny shot Spell's Spring-Summer 12/13 lookbooks and I've just completely in love with how the art direction and styling turned out in these images from the latest Spell collection.

Spell Spring Summer 12/13:
Photographer Johnny Abegg
Model Matilda Price @ Priscillas
Art Direction and Styling Isabella & Elizabeth Briedis of Spell
Hair & Makeup Luciana Briedis

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

▲ INSPIRING LIGHTING ▲

Absolutely love the natural sunlight & really simple yet beautiful swimwear shoot from

LA-based fashion photographer Kesler Tran

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

▲ STOKED OUT IN OAHU ▲

Billabong Pipe Masters & a little aloha spirit from a magical island...

Josh Kerr x Kelly Slater

Dane Reynolds

Billy Kemper

Gabriel Medina

John John Florence

Pipe Dreams

Solo Mission

The Sunset Sessions

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to spend this December in the Hawaiian Islands for both personal and work purposes this year. Although having been born in and spent most of my years growing up in California, I've had lifelong deep connections with Hawaii—with extended family living on different islands, as well as the fortune to have been included in numerous island vacations with my parents living in California.

Hawaii has become somewhat of a second home for me; a place I've consistently visited 1-2 times/year nearly the last two decades. Although there's absolutely no question I'm a California native, I do feel a special connection in my heart for Hawaii and I'd honestly split my working, living year 50/50 in between both locations if I had the ability to do so. There's a peace and energy in the Hawaiian environment which is indescribable and the people whom I've been blessed to connect with here (family or friends) have all graciously opened their homes and hearts in completely transparent, un-superficial, nonjudgmental ways which I have found to be a rarity while living on the mainland.

When people talk about spreading the "Aloha spirit" and stoke, I truly believe this is what they are talking about. The value of connecting with family (whether blood-related or not), friends, and positive-minded people to share life experiences and the beauty (whether physically surrounding or spiritually inside) of valuable moments in time...it doesn't matter if that's spent on a board in the ocean, watching an outstanding sunset amidst dark silhouetted palm trees on a beach, or enjoying a fantastic home-cooked meal with gracious people—I honestly feel the individuals who call these islands "home" really, truly know how to live and appreciate the value of life each day.

Yes, I ventured out to these islands to surf some epic waves, photograph amazing moments in life and enjoy warm sunny days on beaches in stylish swimsuits I can't ever wear back home in chilly 50 degree waters—but the most magical parts of being here, truly experiencing Hawaii and the spirit of aloha with family—I just can't describe in a blog post or capture in a photograph. You'll have to just get over here to experience it firsthand for yourself. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

All photos above taken by: Graphicsdiva http://graphicsdiva.com/