I highly recommend checking out San Diego Magazine this year, as each month they are re-creating one of their most iconic covers from the past 75 years. Last month, Stacy Keck Photo was the chosen photographer for the August issue, featuring National Women’s Soccer League and San Diego Wave FC’s youngest player, 15-year-old Melanie Barcenas!

With Chrome City’s Alex Ott serving as Creative Director, our task was to help re-envision the magazine’s cover from June 1959, which “heralded the arrival of waterfront developments in Point Loma and Mission Bay, citing San Diegans’ growing consciousness of the sea as a driving force behind the builds.” On the cover, a woman floats blissfully in a stretch of clear water, “perhaps discovering for the first time the pleasure of perching weightless in an inlet and imagining what it’s like to be an otter,” writes Amelia Rodriguez, San Diego Magazine’s Editorial Fellow.

Fast forward 64 years, I was honored to be part of creating a playful twist on the retro cover with Mel. It felt like capturing history in the making – her young but already mighty career is truly exceptional and one that I’ll be keeping a close eye on in the coming years. The photo shoot highlights Melanie’s confident energy as she makes a splash, both poolside and in the world of soccer. 
To learn more, watch this behind-the-scenes video by Jeremy Sazon, with yours truly making an appearance in action.