Photographer Kate Bellm On Her Dreamy New Book, La Isla—And The “Lawless” Hotel In Mallorca She’s Opening This Summer

The underwater images in particular—the light, and the floating, the weightlessness—are particularly dreamy. How did you come to shoot underwater?

This is just us in our natural wonderland—literally a group of us hanging out at the beach, and someone’s like, “Hey girls, let’s go for a swim,” and we’re all together and they’re all local girls who are used to diving down in the Mediterranean here, where it’s free of currents or dangerous animals. They’re natural nymphs who know where all the good underwater caves are and everything else. It can get quite hardcore when some of us go super deep and super long, but most of the time we’re just swimming around on this beautiful adventure.

Do you have specific influences on your work?

In my earlier career I was super inspired by Helmut Newton and Mario Testino and all these big dogs who did big, glamorous, beautiful work—but now, honestly, I’m one-hundred percent inspired by my garden: It’s all yellow and purple right now, and it’s my greatest inspiration.

What’s in your garden?

It’s a wonderland of succulents and cactus—my husband is Mexican and is a wonderful landscaper of cactus and such, but my English side comes out with a lot of mimosa blooms and beautiful tiny flowers.

[Amidst the shifting bright sunlight of Kate’s studio as seen through our Zoom, I suddenly spot what seems to be a drum kit behind her] Wait—is that a drum kit I see behind you?

[laughs] That’s for my husband’s band: The chef from our hotel, Magnus—he’s also an artist—plays drums, and the vocals are done by Dora, a local ceramicist. The rest of the band is a local farmer, Antoine, and then Paul Simonon from the Clash. It’s just a casual mixture of farmers and chefs and. . .

. . . and world-renowned punk bassists, yes. . . Tell me about Hotel Corazon, though, if you would.

I think we’re creating the thing we’re missing, basically: Super healthy food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, very laid back, but the rooms very luxurious, with good beauty brands; oh—and a great bikini shop. Just the things we need, really: Smoothies, bikinis, barefoot, smoke some weed at the table. Lawless—we’re going to be a lawless hotel. I can’t believe something like this doesn’t already exist. I just want to bring something for the creative generation that’s residing here—they need a brunch spot, you know? We’re in renovations now, we’re planting the farm to support the restaurant. We’ll open in July.