Photo by Julia Sinka

The campaign for Madara Cosmetics’ new Midsummer bronzer is dedicated to the longing for light, summer, and warmth. The creative director of the campaign is Raitis Beķeris, head of Madara’s social media team, and the concept is based on his reflections on the summer solstice and its meaning in our culture. The colourful and luminous photos for the Midsummer campaign were taken by photographer Julia Sinka, who captured the mood of the shortest night of the year.

Stories Paula Gāgane March 14, 2025

«The summer solstice is not just the longest day of the year — it is how northerners celebrate light. A time when nature is at its peak and light opens the gates to the mystical and the unexplainable,» Raitis Beķeris says about the concept. «The campaign creates a mythical story about a mystical being of light — an entity that embodies warmth and carries the energy of the sun. This being lives on the surface of the sun, shines with an inexplicable appeal, and reminds us that light heals, warms, and leaves an imprint on us.»

Photographer Julia Sinka says that for her, the main character of the campaign is light, and she worked with associations such as dusk, the rising sun, and a bonfire to evoke the mood of the summer solstice. These elements are embodied in the campaign photographs, which capture both the blue-violet sky at dusk and the warm rays of the rising sun illuminating the model’s face. By lighting it at an angle from below, Julia has achieved not only the effect of a sunrise but also the impression that the light is shining from within the model.

 

Alongside the portraits, the campaign also uses product photography, where the sun is symbolised by the bronzer itself. This is in tune with the essence of the product — to create a summery, natural sun-kissed glow. «We wanted to create the effect that the bronzer is literally radiating sunlight,» says Julia. She reveals that this effect is achieved by making a round hole in the bronzer to allow the light to shine through. To enhance the effect and give the photos a dreamy glow, she used a softening filter on the camera lens and also put a nylon sock on top of the lens to soften the shadows and diffuse the direct light.

 

More information about the Midsummer bronzer is available on the Madara Cosmetics website and Instagram account.