Mini-Session

Sheila was one of my first photoshoots after moving to Milan. She reached out to me to do a mini-session near Fondazione Prada, where she was working the time. I had never explored this corner of the city and was blown away by the impressive architecture, particularly at the Fastweb Headquarters, where most of these images were taken.

We did this photoshoot in the summer of 2020, when Milan was hot and empty, from a combination of COVID-19 closures and Italian summer where the city empties out even during a normal year. Because of this, we had this entire space to ourselves and didn’t need to dodge and duck other people.

Sheila is a gorgeous and kind-hearted person who I ended up bonding with more when we both adopted dogs around the same time a few months after this photoshoot. We spent many Saturday afternoons drinking coffee and eating panini (paninos? paninis?) in the gigantic dog park inside Parco Sempione watching my overly-social and hyperactive dog harass every newcomer and her socially awkward and shy greyhound try to not get too close to anyone. I eventually ended up moving to Munich, her hometown where her family still lives, so we are able to continue our friendship and occasional dog dates during her visits home.

Despite her appearances, Sheila is not a professional model, although I am sure she would kill it if she ever decided to go down that career path! She chose this dress because it was a gift from a friend of hers, and she thought it would be a good way to show appreciation. For a few of the photos she used a Prada handbag as a nod to her job at the fashion house.

Body: Canon 70D
Lens: Sigma Art 1.4 30mm
Location: Fastweb Headquarters, Milan, Italy