About
Akila Berjaoui’s incredibly sensual photographs often feature sand, sun, water—or a combination of all three. This highly sought-after photographer, armed with her favourite analogue cameras, takes us to breathtaking seaside locations, from her hometown of Paris, to the bathing hotspots of Italy, Greece, Sud de la France, Spain, and Brazil, to name just a few.
Much in the tradition of Dorothea Lange, Herbert List, Bruce Weber, Peter Beard, Claude Nori —all of whom she regards as influences on her work—Berjaoui’s photos harken back to the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s with their soft colours and sultry joie de vivre.
Saturated with sun and late-70s, early 80s hues, Akila Berjaoui's sold out first ever photo book, The Last Days Of Summer, channels the hazy holiday romance of bygone eras. Her sun-streamed photographs of bathing beauties are steeped with the heady colours of late 70s and early 80s photography. Her film photographs seem to emerge from another time; every detail is rich in the romance of 20th century travel, right down to the Campari red beach brollies, sporty Speedos and azure-striped sun loungers dotting pristine, almost tourist-free white coves. Even the bodies – the soft curves and sandy tan lines of Berjaoui’s often unsuspecting subjects – hark back to a pre-selfie era.
A new book, once more shot entirely on film and rendered in warm, grainy tones, The Possible Dream embodies Berjaoui's signature analogue style, blending documentary immediacy with a painterly sense of composition. Photographed in secluded, off the beaten track destinations, this series illuminates the elemental connection between water, skin, and light. Her subjects, predominantly women, exude quiet confidence and ease, their beauty revealed through gestures, shadows, and atmosphere. Berjaoui draws inspiration from the spirit of vintage beach culture while offering a perspective that feels instinctive and entirely her own—rooted in sensuality, nostalgia, and respect for the environment. These images will resonate with lovers of film photography, retro travel style, and contemplative portraits, as well as those drawn to themes of feminine presence and body acceptance. Full-bleed compositions, sun-drenched tones, and a serene rhythm lend the work a dreamlike and tactile quality—an object meant to be savoured slowly and revisited often.
Purchase my new book
THE POSSIBLE DREAM here: