Maria Guzman’s Lens: Celebrating Women’s Strength, Vulnerability, and Natural Beauty

For Maria, picking up the camera isn't just the start of a shoot — it's the start of something sacred. It's a quiet moment of intention, where she's not just looking for a pretty frame, but for something that lingers. I'm thinking about how I can hold space for whatever is present, emotion, stillness, complexity and translate into an image. I'm also always trying to show the world what I feel, how I see things. So it's a blend of technical awareness and a deep emotional presence.

That same intention guided her when she photographed Emily. The shoot location had been sitting in her mind for a while — the soft rock pools, the warm texture of the sand and the weight of limestone contrasting the still, peaceful water. She's always been drawn to photographing women in nature because there's something truly healing and grounding about letting the earth hold us. With Emily, that feeling came to life. Her energy is vibrant and placing that vibrancy in such a still, beautiful space created a balance I knew would be special.

Emily wasn't a stranger. They had met years ago at a festival and clicked straight away, even if life took them on different paths since then. I remember her energy so clearly: confident, expressive, magnetic. For Maria, photography has always been about connection. It's not about big, life-changing moments — sometimes, it's just about being fully present and holding space for someone to be truly seen. I want to create images that people can connect with on a soul level, something they've felt or maybe something they long to feel.

Although she hadn't used CineStill 800T much for portraiture before, something about this shoot made her want to try it. CineStill has this luminous, almost cinematic quality — it holds light in a way that feels dreamy and nostalgic. For the black and whites, Maria went with Ilford HP5, a film she always comes back to. It offers this raw, emotive texture. The contrast feels honest — never too sharp or clinical, just enough grit to carry the emotion.

She doesn't like to over-direct during her shoots. It's more of an intuitive dance: she gives her subjects space to move, to feel the environment, to find their own rhythm. I want it to feel artful and intentional, but still organic, that's why she often lets them explore the space first, moving naturally, without much interference. Every woman I work with is different. Some are deeply embodied, fully present in their skin and I just follow their lead. Others might be at the beginning of their journey, feeling unsure but curious to be seen. In those moments, I guide a bit more, always with the intention of making them feel safe.

With Emily, it became clear — she wasn't just moving through the landscape, she was part of it. There was a natural freedom in the way she walked, a quiet conversation between her body, the ocean and the land around them. It was such a beautiful thing to witness. And when the scans came back, they held exactly what she hoped for — softness, depth and strength: It felt like a love letter to womanhood, nature and the act of being seen.

When people see this series, Maria hopes they'll feel something gentle and familiar, like a memory or a quiet longing. I hope it reminds them that softness is powerful and that simply being present in your own body is art itself.

You can wander through more of Maria's soft, honest frames here.