I met Layla at a point in her development where her presence already felt very clear. She is still young, but there is a calm energy in the way she carries herself, and that was visible from the start. I had already been impressed during her first test shoot for the model agency, and our second meeting confirmed that impression. It felt natural to build a small series with her, to follow that early potential in a more focused way.

For this session, I worked in my studio in Zurich and kept the setup deliberately simple. I wanted black-and-white portraits with daylight, and on this day the weather gave me exactly the kind of light I was hoping for. A lot of daylight entered through the studio windows and created an open, direct atmosphere. The black background kept everything reduced, but it was never static. By placing a fan behind the background cloth, I could bring a subtle structure into the dark surface. I like that kind of interruption in an otherwise neutral setting. It adds variation and a degree of unpredictability without taking away the clarity of the portrait.

What makes the series work for me is the balance between simplicity and presence. Layla responds well to a quiet environment, and the restrained setup gives her expression enough space to unfold. There is no need for distraction when the face, posture and the way light settles on the skin are carrying the image. In black and white, every small shift becomes more visible: a change in gaze, a slight adjustment in the body, a moment of stillness. That is where the photographs find their rhythm.

I am drawn to portrait sessions like this because they can be built from very little and still feel complete. The neutral background may seem banal at first, but it is exactly that kind of surface that can hold structure, tension and depth once the light begins to work across it. In this series, the black does not simply disappear behind the subject. It supports the image, gives it a frame, and lets Layla’s presence stand out with clarity.

For me, this was a small story in the best sense: uncomplicated, direct and shaped by trust in the simplicity of the setup. When the light is right and the person in front of the camera has this kind of potential, the result does not need much more.