by Erica Reade (Photographer), Gulnara Samoilova (Text by (Art/Photo Books))
Beach Lovers is a series of intimate moments shared by couples at the beaches of NYC. These moments hold intimate gestures of couples; some tender, rubbing sunscreen on a partner's back; others lustful, a deep kiss in the water. Being amongst the waves and sand emboldens couples to enjoy more affectionate freedom, their inhibitions less hidden than anywhere else observed in the city. Beach Lovers is about the public display of intimacy between couples from diverse backgrounds, a claiming of public space for private tenderness.
Author Biography
Gulnara Samoilova is a fine art and street photographer based in New York City and the founder of @WomenStreetPhotographers Instagram feed and the traveling exhibition. Before moving to New York City in 1992, Samoilova was the only female fine art photographer in the Autonomous Republic of Bashkortostan, where she was born, in Ufa, the capital. She received national and international awards for her photographs from 9/11, including first prize in the most prestigious World Press Photo competition, The New York Press Club, and she was named Interphoto Photographer of the Year.