Behind My American Life’s Cover Shoot

How do I even begin to describe the Spring 2024 cover shoot for MIDAS? Well, I am proud to say that I took that picture – we have all seen it, and it ate. Reflecting on the experience, it was this magical fusion of my predecessor MICAH’s vision and my drive to not just capture it but elevate it and make it real. 

We wanted something raw, something that spoke to this strange space we all find ourselves in – caught between the American Dream and its flip side, the American Nightmare. It had to be real, it had to be honest, and it had to feel like now – the way we walk through our daily lives, dreaming of the future while wrestling with the present. And that is how we landed on the image of Sonnie Zayzay serving all the feels. When it comes to the models? They understood the assignment. They brought the energy and emotion you cannot fake. And it was not just them – the whole team showed up, from makeup to styling. Every single person brought their own ideas from just a concept and we made it insane. Everyone contributed their interpretations, and when we got together it just clicked.

I am no stranger to being behind the camera, but this shoot? It was something else. The vibe, the energy – we were hyping each other up the whole time, just feeding off each other. It was not just work; it was like we were creating something true to us, to the readers.

If I could give any advice to photographers out there, it is this: do a studio shoot at least once in your career. It changes you. It opens up a whole new world, like pulling back the curtain and seeing all the possibilities photography holds.

While "nightmares" were a theme explored in the Spring 2024 issue, MIDAS is full of dreamers and doers. We turned a vision into reality, and that makes this shoot unforgettable.