Written by Rach Taylor.
We are halfway through the first month since launching. When all the hard work starts to pay off and the fun really begins...no better moment to unpack our first ever campaign shoot for our opening chapter 'An Ode to the Sun'.
The Collection
This small batch collection of tees and caps was created to evoke that peaceful feeling of basking in the sweet summer sun. The design is made up of Sun & Shine Studio signature poetry and nostalgic illustrations. I love the idea that what we wear represents us; wear what you know to be true. The poetry and illustrations sit very visible on the clothing; original art prompting conversations.
The Idea
It was important to create visuals that really told the world what we were all about; daily habits, slower rhythms, modern beach culture, the offline world and creativity. We have always been a little bit obsessed with the beach here at Sun & Shine Studio and so it was the natural choice for our backdrop. At the time of the shoot we were sitting pretty under one of the warmest springs we had seen in a while; sunshine fever was in the air and were here to capture it on film.
I wanted to squeeze a good deal of visuals out of the shoot so we planned to get stills, video footage and behind-the-scenes content. As a new brand we had a small marketing budget and the vast majority of it went on this campaign; we had to make sure it was beautiful and captivating.
Image by @iamlourobertson
Let's Rewind
'An Ode to the Sun' was born when I was lucky enough to find myself in Australia and with an eon of spare time whilst on holiday with my family earlier this year. Sat, feet up, in the shade of a palm tree with the scent of eucalpytus sitting on the breeze, I wrote and wrote. I craved to evoke that rich, rippling sense of content that settles over you with the warmth of the sun on your skin. The kind of feeling that slows your breathing, unclenches your jaw and drops your shoulders — your body and mind surrendering to the rhythm of the coast's natural song. The goal was to make the reader feel the physical effects of a day in the shade of a palm tree as the sun beats down and the ocean salt clings to your skin.
Creative Direction
Back in early spring 2025, the wonderful Clara Jonas had designed for us the most heavenly branding; full of colour, texture and illustrative detail that would give us direction for the visuals of the first shoot. I could talk about my design process all day but for now I will give you the short version which is basically spider diagrams followed by mood boards and from here the visuals started to evolve.
When discussing this shoot with the team, the word 'Candid' materialised and stuck around and what emerged was a desire for the campaign to be both truthful and informal. The team had a shot list to work with but within these loose guidelines, we tried to make plenty of space for creative freedom and off-beat magic that portrayed just that.
The styling was great fun and directly represented the visual direction of the brand — artisanal yet modern. This translated into a summer uniform of our oversized tees, sarongs, gold jewellery, our vintage caps, salty hair and bare feet.
As our location was a beach, a place where we must try our hardest to be present and shun the online world - our props were an easy win. A walkman, bamboo washing lines, surfboard, backgammon - you know the drill.
Location
Recently a photographer friend from Australia reached out and proclaimed - "Did you guys go to a tropical island for this shoot?" No — we did what we did best and hit the beaches within a sixty minute radius and fifty-two minutes out of town stumbled across Porthminster Beach in St Ives. In my head I had a vision of a tropical-looking bay that could just as easily be in the Caribbean as it could be in Bali, Cornwall or Australia. I was searching for a jewel-coloured curtain of greenery , natural rock, turquoise water and distant cliffs. What we found at Porthminster was all that and more; towering palms, a crowd of bright pink hydrangeas, a worn-in boardwalk, white sand and shimmering heatlines.
Location scouting and this was the last spot we checked
The Team
Oh, where to start! I am a huge believer in the old adage 'You are the sum of who you surround yourself with' so I decided to surround myself with the most talented women I know. Be warned, the next three paragraphs are effusive and that is putting it mildly but quite frankly it is the only way I wanted to get this down on paper - and so, we roll with it.
Lou Robertson is an intelligent photographer who celebrates analog photography and specialises in throw-back video footage. She is assured, energetic, focussed and has the ability to see exactly how a shot should look whilst the rest of us are still stood around scratching our heads. She also knows Europe like the back of her hand - useful when it comes to location scouting!
The model Siri is our sunshine queen. She has lived in Cornwall for three years and is hand-on-heart the most authentic, down-to-earth human to walk these shores. She is relaxed yet unwavering, light-hearted and unbelievably accomplished. I wanted this shoot to be a documentation of a day in the life of a strong woman who revels in the rhythm of the ocean and Siri was 100% this.
If Siri was our dawn sun then Lizzy brings the midday heat. She is an experienced MUA with energy for days and was damn handy as our impromptu props manager. She is as effervescent as she is joyful and will shower you with compliments if you make her home-made food.
The Vibe
We left Newquay at 4:50am and arrived to Porthminster just before 6am. For the week prior we had religiously monitored the weather and this particular Friday was set to be a scorcher. The team were assembled, the products were pressed only to be greeted by spots of rain on the windscreen as we wove our way down the A30. After what seemed a lifetime of proclaiming "Why today?!"...the sun came out at 06:33 to thunderous applause and the clouds gave way to the most blisteringly hot day we had had all year - thank god for cold watermelon.
We had such a blast during the shoot that day; so many funny moments that spring to mind. Finding someone asleep in the exact spot we had scouted after a night spent on the beach (we didn't wake them!), forgetting the secateurs and bashing bamboo on rocks to try and split in in half to construct a washing line and walking a 35 year-old backgammon set over my head through waves to get it to a partially submerged rock - all in the name of getting the shot!
The Result
We created a campaign that I am truly proud of; a collection of visuals that depict slow moments, creative freedom and modern beach culture. Sun & Shine Studio tell stories of slow moments as they occur authentically to us and the women around us. This is how we do it, how do you find yours?
'An Ode to The Sun' collection is online now.
