The Blue Life: Procida Island

In the way that explorers felt lured by the dark corners of the map, still today I find myself seeking out less known destinations. Procida is a small island 40 minutes by boat from the bay of Naples, blessedly overshadowed entirely by the lure of the celebrity frequented Amalfi coast and island of Capri. Due to this lucky overlooking, its is a preserved haven of deep blue beaches, walkable shops and restaurants; free from hoards of tourists and retaining fully its authentic Italian charms. Family’s take their holiday here and children have reign to wander, as the island is safe and small. In contrast to summer locations where it is the desire to “see and be seen”, the air is full of a relaxed and easy sense of just being.

To explain how I came to be here at all, I have to take a slight detour; two years ago due to some crooked dealing or poor pandemic management on the part of AirB&B I found myself stranded in Naples without any plan. In true travelers luck, however, I had barely arrived before I was adopted. “So and so knows so and so, will you join us for this? would you like to try that?”… quickly became a story of fast freinds and a blur where packed days and long social nights bled together. I was pulled deep into the city’s general chaos, complete with fireworks, dancing, food and sightseeing. I left with the plans to be back, and Procida Isalnd was recommended to me by not one but several Italians as being the secret gem of the region. Needless to say when I planned this photoshoot in Procida I reached out to my freinds in nearby Naples to ask for recommendations to hire local models. A flurry of options were quick in-coming, but one stood out above the rest and made my choice for me. Once I met her in person it was even more evident why. Her personality practically shone, she had an obvious internal strength paired with a kindness that is immediately endearing. She expressed that she is usually shy and it was so nice to shoot with a female photographer and in such a dreamy setting. Randy spoke almost no English and my Italian is even less, but this proved not to be a barrier because we both have passable Spanish and she was so intuitive it was easy enough to give direction by way of motions and gestures.