A Romantic Garden Shoot for Salt-Water Sandals
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to work on a dream brief: a multi-location campaign shoot for Salt-Water Sandals—a heritage American brand known for their durable, waterproof leather sandals. Their designs are so timeless—pieces you can wear from city to seaside with ease.
The three campaigns were shot in three different locations, but the images you're seeing here were created in one of my favourite spots of the day: a lush garden-meets-greenhouse setting. The vibe we were going for was quite fresh and feminine, with an English country garden twist. Think romantic dresses, soft sunlight, and plenty of greenery, with a wardrobe that seamlessly complemented the sandals.
I managed the production end-to-end, which meant planning every detail in advance. I sourced both the location and model options, organised the team, led the shoot and oversaw all the post-production. It’s the kind of all-in-one job I love: bringing a brand’s story to life visually, but also strategically making sure each piece of content created serves a purpose—whether it’s campaign imagery or social media content. The client had a really clear and inspired vision of what they wanted which really helped to refine down what we needed to capture on the day.
Stylist Tui Sang helped bring the vision to life with some beautiful looks that perfectly reflected the relaxed, spring feel of the shoot. Our model Zinovia was a dream to work with—she had that slightly European, classic look we were after and a calm presence that translated so well on camera. Everyone brought such good energy on set!
Of course, as any creative knows, even the most lovely shoot locations have their challenges. Despite our early start, the garden and greenhouse turned into a bit of a sun trap by late morning, and the heat was no joke! But thankfully you’d never have known it from the photos. Everyone stayed cool (in spirit, at least!) and gave their all to bring the concept to life.
It’s always a reminder of how much effort goes into making images feel effortless!
One of the biggest takeaways from this shoot for me was how crucial proper prep work is—especially when you’re working across multiple locations, managing a larger team, and dealing with tropical weather. Things always move faster than you expect on the day, so having a clear vision, tight schedule, and backup plans is essential. That said, there’s also magic in being open to the unexpected. Sometimes the best shots can come from small, spontaneous moments that aren’t on the shot list!
These are just a few selects from the final gallery, but they capture the mood and story we aimed to tell: classic, wearable style in everyday moments, elevated by good light, great casting, and thoughtful styling.
It was such a joy to create this shoot, and to collaborate with a brand that trusted me to bring their vision to life. More final shots from the campaign below. What’s your favourite?
CREDITS:
Photography & Direction: Susannah Jaffer
Videography: Surya Wisnawa
Model: Zinovia Borta
Hair & Makeup: Luvita
Styling: Tui Sang
