👩‍🎤 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

Meet Shaye Babb: Photographer. Muse. Dreamer. One of our absolute favorite artists to work with. Everything she makes is magic, regardless of being in front or behind the lens. ABOVE: A face so stunning it feels like Michelangelo could have sculpted it himself. Shaye shares a self portrait done in her Florida Studio.

FROM - Jupiter, Florida

HOBBIES - Skateboarding, art projects, reading, tennis, having dance parties in the kitchen (if you consider that a hobby.)

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT - Music, good coffee, friendship, purpose, passion.

CAN’T SHOOT WITHOUT - Good light & good vibes!

WILDEST DREAM - That I lived in the mall and got to have whatever I wanted for free!

FONDEST MEMORY - Spending my birthday week in Mexico with 15 creatives shooting a campaign for Pura Vida Bracelets. We had a mini lantern festival, played games until midnight, went sailing, had a blast shooting and were outside from sunrise to sunset. I met new lifelong friends on the trip & felt incredibly loved on my birthday. It was a trip I will never forget!

BIGGEST CHALLENGE - Letting go of comparing myself to others. I have to constantly work on being kinder to myself and enjoying every step of this beautiful journey of life.

FAVORITE BEACH - A deserted island/beach that a friend and I paddle boarded to in Belize. It was pure white sand, calm waters & covered in palm trees. Wild puppies were running around just to top it all off, truly a dream.

FAVORITE TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Portraiture. I am in love with capturing people, places and things that I find beautiful.

FAVORITE CAMERA SETUP - Canon 5D Mark IV with a 24-70mm or 85mm lens.

FAVORITE/BEST PICTURE YOU FEEL YOU’VE EVER TAKEN, AND WHY? Tough question! I have so many favorites. This whole campaign is one of my all time favorites, though. It was beyond fulfilling to shoot photos for the launch of this swimwear line and bring the clients vision to life. I love the styling and think Chelcie (the model) totally nailed the look we were going for.

ABOVE: Some shots from said campaign. Done with Heart of Sun Swim.

WHO’S SOMEONE YOU'D LOVE TO SHOOT? - Taylor LaShae, she has such a unique, effortless, timeless look. Not to mention, her last name has my name in it, so she must be pretty cool ;)

WHAT PLACE WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHOOT? - I love tropical locations, Tahiti is definitely on my list! I’d also love to shoot in Australia- hopefully soon!

ABOVE: Shaye basks in the glory of a deserted island in Belize.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY? - I found my love for photography in high school, it was my escape from the world. I could spend hours editing photos to create my own little dream world. I can’t remember exactly how I was introduced to it, but my uncle was a photographer and my grandmother (who I never got to meet) was a photographer and stunning model. Creativity is a huge part of me!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE? - Ethereal, feminine, soft.

ANY TIPS/ADVICE FOR PEOPLE NOW SHOOTING FROM HOME? - Experiment with self portraits! You learn a lot about how to interact with models when you’re on the other side of the lens. It’s fun to try out new ideas, posing, and also get some photos of yourself!

WE KNOW YOU’RE OUTDOORSY SO… WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE ADVENTURE THUS FAR? WHERE DID YOU GO? WHAT DID YOU DO? WHY WAS IT YOUR FAVORITE? - Aside from the Mexico trip, Belize was an all time favorite. I went to visit my mermaid friend Alex, who was living there at the time, and shot a campaign for Pura Vida Bracelets with her while I was there. We’d wake up, walk barefoot to get the BEST coconut iced coffee I’ve ever had, and then spend the whole day running around, exploring different islands. The sunsets were also pure MAGIC.

ABOVE : Her friend Alex in Belize.

IF YOU WERE A MERMAID, WHAT WOULD YOUR NAME BE? - Hmm.. no idea actually. Need suggestions from other mermaids on this one.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PRESETS? - I love them! When I was just starting out, I bought presets from my favorite photographers and tweaked them to fit my work. I learned a lot about editing by seeing what other photographers did to get their coloring. Over time, I created my own presets that I use on my work. I always get asked to sell them, so stay tuned!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WORK IN POST PRODUCTION? - I am all about it! While some people think photoshopping is “wrong,” it gives me the freedom to create the ethereal, dreamy feeling in my photos. I don’t photoshop or change body shapes, but I think skin retouching is a powerful tool that can elevate your photos to a whole new level.

INDULGENCE - Chocolate covered strawberries, warm brownies with vanilla ice cream (the corner piece, of course.)

BEVERAGE OF CHOICE - Sparkling Yerba Mate, Matcha, Oat Milk Mocha.

STUCK ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT THREE THINGS WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU? - A knife, a giant box of matches and my friend James (He’s a sailor and just an overall awesome person that I think would know exactly how to survive on an island. You’re welcome, James.)

GO-TO TRAVEL ESSENTIALS. (LIST SOME THINGS THAT YOU’LL ALWAYS TAKE IN YOUR SUITCASE/BACKPACK WHEN TRAVELING. - Headphones, healthy snacks, lavender essential oil, eye mask, chamomile tea, film camera.

WHAT MAKES A “GOOD PHOTOGRAPH”? - There are obviously key factors like light, composition and color that are hugely important, but I find that there is just a feeling you get when you look at a great photograph. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for me, the expression in the subject's eyes can make or break the photo!

ABOVE: An image from our very first shoot together. Shaye shot Ella Ayalon for our Resort '20 Campaign.

TRUE OR FALSE: GOOD ARTISTS BORROW, GREAT ARTISTS STEAL. - False, I don’t think stealing ever has good intentions behind it. I resonate a lot more with the quote that W.H. Davenport Adams said, “Great poets imitate and improve, whereas small ones steal and spoil.” This goes for photography, too! Imitating what inspires you is such a great way to learn, and you tend to find your own unique style along the way.