SOPHIA BAYLY
YOU’VE GOT MAIL
FROM THE SERIES VACANT SHAPES
Living here in Aoteaora, Los Angeles is often the last stop on the way home from some other far-flung destination. It always feels culturally familiar but after not travelling since pre-pandemic, seeing it with cabin-fever eyes made it feel novel, vibrant and hopeful.
Shot on a medium format camera in Palm Springs, this series takes inspiration from LA’s vivid urban-scapes, full of muted pastels and clean symmetry, while shooting film on the Rolleiflex seems to capture those full sun California days in a way that makes that diffused desert light feel like you’re eternally on the set of The Truman Show.
ABOUT SOPHIA
Based in Aotearoa NZ but travelling wherever the light takes her, Sophie Bayly brings a dozen years of world-wide photography experience to the table of each project she undertakes. Documenting everything from the most intimate gatherings of people in love through to carefully executed global brand campaigns.
Sophie found her way in the design world before forming internationally awarded photo duo Bayly&Moore and bringing a fresh look to telling love stories in some of the planet’s most beautiful places. Using available light in a spare and honest way has seen her turn quickly to commercial projects with a diverse range of brands across categories from fashion and apparel through to interiors and entertainment.
With a clean compositional palette drawn from simplified urban-scapes and sparse natural settings, Bayly’s personal and campaign styles overlap to bring a sense of calm and dignity that elevates her subjects to a feeling more akin to art than commerce.
“It’s all about the people. Whether it’s a huge brand machine or two humans in love, the magic of collaborating with good people is always at the heart of what I love to shoot. Add great natural light, wild experiences, and shared passions and you’ve always got the chance to tell a wonderful story that goes straight to the heart.”