Steel & Skin
- Katherinne Rodriguez
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
Manzanillo has a way of revealing its stories slowly.
You feel them first in the humidity on your skin, then in the sound of waves colliding with rusted steel, and finally in the colors—impossible blues, oxidized oranges, graffiti bleeding into the sea.
This shoot happened right there, at the wrecked ship in Manzanillo, where time, salt, and art coexist in a beautiful kind of decay.
The ship stands half-submerged, stubborn and poetic. Once functional, now transformed into a canvas for the Caribbean—layers of rust, paint, moss, and memory.
Walking toward it barefoot, the water pushing against my legs, felt like entering a dialogue between body and landscape. No rush. Just presence.
Manzanillo, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, is raw and alive. The ocean here doesn’t behave—it crashes, retreats, and returns with intention.
The wreck sits just offshore, wrapped in waves and graffiti, a landmark that feels both forgotten and sacred. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t need styling. It already is the statement.
This wasn’t about posing—it was about moving with the elements. Saltwater splashing against my hips. Wind pulling my hair to one side. Eyes closed, then open.
Walking forward, then turning back. Every frame captured a different mood: strength, stillness, softness, power.
There’s something grounding about being surrounded by water and steel—one eternal, the other slowly surrendering.
I’m wearing a lime-green bikini by Andi Bagus, minimal and sharp, almost electric against the muted tones of rust and ocean foam.
The asymmetrical top and delicate straps highlight movement rather than restrict it, while the cut of the bottom feels bold, intentional, unapologetic.
This is swimwear designed to be felt, not just worn. It mirrors the energy of the place: confident, elemental, and free.
This shoot is a reminder of why I love creating in wild, imperfect locations. Beauty doesn’t need polish. It lives in contrast—in soft skin against corroded metal, in feminine lines framed by something once industrial and masculine.
Manzanillo gave me that contrast effortlessly.
This moment wasn’t staged. It was lived.
Salt on my skin. History under my feet.
And the sea watching it all unfold.
— Kathi
