Photographs taken for Nusantara (a VT Store)

Modeled and edited by: Sofia Mendes

Taken by: Alester Kane

My story at Nusantara started when I went to interview one of the owners for a podcast assignment and was unexpectedly offered a job. From then on, I often found myself stepping into unexpected roles. One of those times was when we needed someone to model our items for the wholesale website. That someone ended up being me! However, being the model was just one part of the process—I was also the photo retoucher and editor.

Each image required meticulous attention in three main areas: the clothing, the model's (aka, my) skin, and the background, which often looked dull and a very dark grey. This wasn’t a simple task—backgrounds frequently had to be manually removed, shadows on the skin needed correcting, and angles occasionally required adjustments. Despite the challenges, the process was incredibly fun, and I’m proud to say the results turned out beautifully.