{"id":1898700,"date":"2026-04-23T13:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1898700"},"modified":"2026-04-23T13:49:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:49:00","slug":"sensual-sun-kissed-photos-of-mediterranean-beaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1898700","title":{"rendered":"Sensual, sun-kissed photos of Mediterranean beaches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/0-128-670-446\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443917.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/art-photography\/article\/70134\/1\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\" data-article-id=\"70134\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443917.jpg\" width=\"670\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography by <span class=\"nowrap\">Akila Berjaoui<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-23T13:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - art-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lightbox\">Lightbox<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Sensual, sun-kissed photos of <span class=\"nowrap\">Mediterranean beaches<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Akila Berjaoui\u2019s upcoming photo book, The Possible Dream, captures the seductive atmosphere of beaches during golden hour across the Greek Cyclades, the Balearics, Italy <span class=\"nowrap\">and Tunisia<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-23T13:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-23T13:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/ConstanceAyrton\">Constance Ayrton<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-24-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Akila Berjaoui, The <span class=\"nowrap\">Possible Dream<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/0\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"661\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-991-661\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443901.jpg\" width=\"991\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/1\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-994-663\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443902.jpg\" width=\"994\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/2\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-88-680-453\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/3\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-155-674-449\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443904.jpg\" width=\"674\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/4\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-93-680-453\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443905.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/5\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1000-666\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443914.jpg\" width=\"1000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 24 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/akila_berjaoui\/\">Akila Berjaoui<\/a> grew up by the sea. Born in New South Wales, Australia, to a Lebanese father and an Australian mother, she spent her early childhood in Beirut. \u201cWe lived on The Corniche, right on the Mediterranean Sea. For as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve loved the beach, but there was an artificiality to it because you had to pay to access it. You shouldn\u2019t have to pay for the beach, ever.\u201d In 1984, they moved back to New South Wales. \u201cThat was totally different. Endless golden beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, topless women and girls, beach bikini contests. The freedom of it all. I was in heaven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The beach is at the heart of her forthcoming photography book, <\/span><em><span>The Possible Dream<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0(published by Prestel), a collection of sunlit landscapes and sensual portraits made across the Greek Cyclades, the Balearics, Italy and Tunisia. Building on her previous book, <\/span><em><span>The Last Days of Summer<\/span><\/em><span> (2017), this one was made after Covid, over the summers 2020 to 2025. \u201cI discovered these silent landscapes, without any tourism, and felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"f057f34d-e24b-4481-8eeb-b43500d150c6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443920.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443920.jpg\" width=\"670\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography by <span class=\"nowrap\">Akila Berjaoui<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Where her previous work focused on early afternoon light, this new series moves later into the day, from around 5pm onwards, \u201cwhen the light is more dramatic,\u201d she says. Berjaoui often spent two to three hours walking each day in search of the most secluded places to shoot. Working with Portra 400, a grainy film which holds the heavy warmth of late afternoon sun, she captures a particular bodily state: \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been baking all day, and all you want is to get in the water, and reset. Water is the ultimate healer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Across the pages, figures walk the shore, stretch out in the sun or wade into the water. Many are locals she met while travelling, often photographed in the nude. The images carry a sensuality that feels both simple and magnetic. \u201cI\u2019m often told I\u2019m a sensual person, so maybe that comes through in the way I direct,\u201d she says. \u201cI also think my love for bodies, all bodies, comes from an oppressive upbringing. My father was very controlling; he monitored everything I wore. I often felt ashamed of my body. Only now, I\u2019m realising I\u2019m drawn to women\u2019s bodies because I want to reclaim those lost years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Confidence is what attracts her most in a person. \u201cLike Johanna&#8221;, she says, pointing to a portrait of a Greek woman whom she met in a shop. Berjaoui was immediately struck by her beauty and ease. Another series follows Malina and Amos, a couple she travelled with in Italy aboard a vintage yacht. \u201cWe shot on completely inaccessible beaches; you had to swim to shore. Malina ran around naked; she was so free.\u201d The book also includes shots of her now ex-boyfriend: \u201cMy love for him at the time is reflected here. They\u2019re very personal and intimate photos of a passionate and chaotic period in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"eca1ca8a-7e19-410c-a6e6-b43500d134fb\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/680\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.68\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/680\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography by <span class=\"nowrap\">Akila Berjaoui<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Some portraits feel straight out of Eric Rohmer\u2019s <em>Pauline \u00e0 la Plage<\/em>, which Berjaoui cites as an influence. Film has long shaped her visual language. Before photography, she worked as a stylist and noticed her moodboards were always pulled from the cinema. \u201cLately, I\u2019ve been going through perimenopause and feeling really nostalgic\u201d, she says, \u201cI\u2019m revisiting films from my youth like <em>Candy<\/em> with Heath Ledger, or Cate Shortland\u2019s <em>Somersault<\/em>. That feeds a lot into my work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Her landscapes, meanwhile, are pared back and elemental, exposing the muted tones of the Mediterranean coast. \u201cI\u2019ve always been drawn to these arid, rocky lands. They are reminiscent of my childhood in Lebanon,&#8221; she explains. The Cyclades, in particular, felt familiar through their olive trees: \u201cLebanon and Palestine are home to olive trees said to be over 6,000 years old, though they\u2019re now being completely destroyed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Berjaoui has been vocal in her support for Palestine, which has cost her work and followers. \u201cI don\u2019t regret it,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m going to keep speaking out and dreaming of a world no longer broken by violence, genocide, injustice and our own maximalism. I hope these photographs encourage people to embrace a simpler way of living, shaped by land, season, water, rest, and pleasure. <\/span><em><span>The Possible Dream<\/span><\/em><span> is exactly that: a possible dream\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/prestelpublishing.penguinrandomhouse.de\/book\/Akila-Berjaoui-The-Possible-Dream\/Akila-Berjaoui\/Prestel\/e649267.rhd\">The Possible Dream<\/a><em><span> by Akila Berjaoui is published by Prestel on 5 May, and is available to pre-order now.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70057\/1\/slava-mogutin-interview-analog-human-studies-photography-bob-mizer-gallery\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Slava Mogutin\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1421-945\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443085.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Slava Mogutin\u2019s photos explore desire, vulnerability, sex and power<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70039\/1\/dazed-club-creatives-march-2026-round-up-emerging-artists\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"HEYZA, by Anushka Holding\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1000-665\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443031.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Dance, music and \u2018fantasy realism\u2019 from Dazed Clubbers<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-24-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Akila Berjaoui, The <span class=\"nowrap\">Possible Dream<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/0\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"661\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-991-661\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443901.jpg\" width=\"991\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/1\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-994-663\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443902.jpg\" width=\"994\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/2\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-88-680-453\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/3\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-155-674-449\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443904.jpg\" width=\"674\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/4\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-93-680-453\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443905.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/gallery\/36972\/5\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1000-666\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443914.jpg\" width=\"1000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 24 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/akila_berjaoui\/\">Akila Berjaoui<\/a> grew up by the sea. Born in New South Wales, Australia, to a Lebanese father and an Australian mother, she spent her early childhood in Beirut. \u201cWe lived on The Corniche, right on the Mediterranean Sea. For as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve loved the beach, but there was an artificiality to it because you had to pay to access it. You shouldn\u2019t have to pay for the beach, ever.\u201d In 1984, they moved back to New South Wales. \u201cThat was totally different. Endless golden beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, topless women and girls, beach bikini contests. The freedom of it all. I was in heaven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The beach is at the heart of her forthcoming photography book, <\/span><em><span>The Possible Dream<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0(published by Prestel), a collection of sunlit landscapes and sensual portraits made across the Greek Cyclades, the Balearics, Italy and Tunisia. Building on her previous book, <\/span><em><span>The Last Days of Summer<\/span><\/em><span> (2017), this one was made after Covid, over the summers 2020 to 2025. \u201cI discovered these silent landscapes, without any tourism, and felt this overwhelming sense of gratitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"f057f34d-e24b-4481-8eeb-b43500d150c6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443920.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443920.jpg\" width=\"670\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography by <span class=\"nowrap\">Akila Berjaoui<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Where her previous work focused on early afternoon light, this new series moves later into the day, from around 5pm onwards, \u201cwhen the light is more dramatic,\u201d she says. Berjaoui often spent two to three hours walking each day in search of the most secluded places to shoot. Working with Portra 400, a grainy film which holds the heavy warmth of late afternoon sun, she captures a particular bodily state: \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been baking all day, and all you want is to get in the water, and reset. Water is the ultimate healer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Across the pages, figures walk the shore, stretch out in the sun or wade into the water. Many are locals she met while travelling, often photographed in the nude. The images carry a sensuality that feels both simple and magnetic. \u201cI\u2019m often told I\u2019m a sensual person, so maybe that comes through in the way I direct,\u201d she says. \u201cI also think my love for bodies, all bodies, comes from an oppressive upbringing. My father was very controlling; he monitored everything I wore. I often felt ashamed of my body. Only now, I\u2019m realising I\u2019m drawn to women\u2019s bodies because I want to reclaim those lost years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Confidence is what attracts her most in a person. \u201cLike Johanna&#8221;, she says, pointing to a portrait of a Greek woman whom she met in a shop. Berjaoui was immediately struck by her beauty and ease. Another series follows Malina and Amos, a couple she travelled with in Italy aboard a vintage yacht. \u201cWe shot on completely inaccessible beaches; you had to swim to shore. Malina ran around naked; she was so free.\u201d The book also includes shots of her now ex-boyfriend: \u201cMy love for him at the time is reflected here. They\u2019re very personal and intimate photos of a passionate and chaotic period in my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"eca1ca8a-7e19-410c-a6e6-b43500d134fb\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/680\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.68\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Akila Berjaoui, The Possible Dream\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/680\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443903.jpg\" width=\"680\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography by <span class=\"nowrap\">Akila Berjaoui<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Some portraits feel straight out of Eric Rohmer\u2019s <em>Pauline \u00e0 la Plage<\/em>, which Berjaoui cites as an influence. Film has long shaped her visual language. Before photography, she worked as a stylist and noticed her moodboards were always pulled from the cinema. \u201cLately, I\u2019ve been going through perimenopause and feeling really nostalgic\u201d, she says, \u201cI\u2019m revisiting films from my youth like <em>Candy<\/em> with Heath Ledger, or Cate Shortland\u2019s <em>Somersault<\/em>. That feeds a lot into my work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Her landscapes, meanwhile, are pared back and elemental, exposing the muted tones of the Mediterranean coast. \u201cI\u2019ve always been drawn to these arid, rocky lands. They are reminiscent of my childhood in Lebanon,&#8221; she explains. The Cyclades, in particular, felt familiar through their olive trees: \u201cLebanon and Palestine are home to olive trees said to be over 6,000 years old, though they\u2019re now being completely destroyed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Berjaoui has been vocal in her support for Palestine, which has cost her work and followers. \u201cI don\u2019t regret it,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m going to keep speaking out and dreaming of a world no longer broken by violence, genocide, injustice and our own maximalism. I hope these photographs encourage people to embrace a simpler way of living, shaped by land, season, water, rest, and pleasure. <\/span><em><span>The Possible Dream<\/span><\/em><span> is exactly that: a possible dream\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/prestelpublishing.penguinrandomhouse.de\/book\/Akila-Berjaoui-The-Possible-Dream\/Akila-Berjaoui\/Prestel\/e649267.rhd\">The Possible Dream<\/a><em><span> by Akila Berjaoui is published by Prestel on 5 May, and is available to pre-order now.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/70134\/1\/akila-berjaoui-the-possible-dream&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/670\/0-128-670-446\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443917.jpg&#8221;] Photography by Akila Berjaoui April\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Art &amp; Photography \/ Lightbox Sensual, sun-kissed photos of Mediterranean beaches Akila Berjaoui\u2019s upcoming photo book, The Possible Dream, captures the seductive atmosphere of beaches during golden hour across the Greek Cyclades, the Balearics, Italy and Tunisia April\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1898700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1898700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1898700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1898700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1898700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1898700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}