Return To The Tide pt.3

Good morning!

Today it’s a fantastic sunny day here in London and there’s no way I’m staying stuck at my laptop. I’ll finish writing this post, then head out to buy some food to grill on the BBQ 😋

So, what can I say about this shoot?

Linnca was the very first photographer who asked me to shoot in Bali — we worked together during my first week on the island. She met the jet-lagged, overly excited version of me: running into the waves, crawling in the sand, calling down lost feminine energy from the sky.

Some of these photos, especially the ones where you can see the sunrise reflected in the water, feel so deep to me. Like a spectrum, a metaverse, a parallel universe — an inner world brushing against this one, emerging from the black sand and salty water, flowing through my fingers to the edges of my hair.

It was a truly beautiful moment. A kind of relief. You can almost see my energy evolve — from graceful and reserved to wild and powerful, full of almost primal emotion. I’m so glad Linnca was there to capture it all with her talent and her camera.

A little about Linnca: she’s not only a wonderful photographer but also a self-portrait artist.

I’ll be honest — I sometimes feel a bit anxious about shooting with other women. I fear being judged, or that they’ll shy away from showing the raw, sensual parts of being a woman. Sometimes it feels like we’ve been so overexposed to women being objectified through a male lens that we start censoring our own expression of femininity — even when it comes from within.

But Linnca wasn’t like that at all. She believes in feminine energy, in empowering women, in embracing every emotion we’re willing to share with her.

I still remember that morning. We got to the beach around 6:00 am after a bumpy ride through the rice fields. She walked with my partner and I for a few minutes, we left our backpacks, I dropped my clothes — and she just smiled and said, “Just do your things.”

At first, I posed gracefully on the rocks. But that grace didn’t last long. That “suit” felt too tight. I looked at the shore, glistening with pink and blue reflections, and I just ran into the waves.

The more I touched the water, laid down, soaked myself, smeared the sand on my skin — the freer I felt. Roaring to the moon. A raw, animalistic energy took over. The island was welcoming me, empowering me, healing me.

That was the first day of my healing process. And it started with Linnca — with her trust, her openness, her presence in that sacred space.

Photography, to me, is so often an act of love and trust — from both sides of the lens.

When that connection happens, the final photos almost don’t matter. It’s the process that stays with you. That’s the truly therapeutic part.

I hope you love this series as much as I loved shooting it.

And if you’d like to support Linnca’s work, here’s her Patreon:

👉 https://www.patreon.com/linncalysvold

I have so many BTS clips from this shoot to share with you — I’ll start editing the video next week, since I doubt I’ll have time this weekend.

But I promise, it’s coming soon on UNDISCLOSED ♥️

Have a good weekend!