Goddess Photoshoot with Nora + behind the scenes magic
"You will recognize me by a green top and I will probably have my nose in the book" - these were my cues for identifying Nora whom I was about to meet for a pre-photoshooot consultation at my favorite French bakery.
Nora's Goddess is Brigid, the patroness of poetry and inspiration, the ruler of creativity and ...
"You will recognize me by a green top and I will probably have my nose in the book" - these were my cues for identifying Nora whom I was about to meet for a pre-photoshooot consultation at my favorite French bakery.
Nora's Goddess is Brigid, the patroness of poetry and inspiration, the ruler of creativity and healing, whose symbol is fire and whose color is green. In preparation for the shoot Nora found a green velvet cloak, and I bought a green satin gown that had been calling to me at the local thrift store (and which I snatched for 10 bucks!) The morning of the photoshoot I pull up to the parking lot of where we were to photograph and Nora waives to me from her slightly beat-up Ford, the color of which is .... GREEN! It truly is her color!
Since Brigid is the guardian of poets and bards, we decided to incorporate books into several shots. "I always have anywhere from dozen to twenty books in my car", Nora says. The morning of the photoshoot she pulls out these two out of her trunk: one titled "Beauty" and the other one "Feminism and the Mastery of Nature". Then she took out this necklace with rhinestones that she put over her head and immediately transformed herself into royalty. I got goosebumps...
The photos came out aaa-mazing - there is so much power in Her, yet at the same time so much tenderness, so much beauty and peace. I came across this poem when I was researching Brigid once the photos were ready, and I felt compelled to share it with you:
The Charge of the Goddess Brigit
I call to you my children, my sisters and brothers to hear my charge
I, who am Brigit, Brid, Brigantia, Braga, Branganca, Fraid and many other names,
Do charge you to find the fires of life within your soul
And forge yourself to be strong, sharp and powerful.
Pull the elements of the earth into your being;
Breathe the inspiration of poetry, song, and art into your soul;
Be heated by the flames of the fire and ember;
Be tempered and soothed by the cool waters from my sacred well;
And be shaped and fused into magic at my hearth
Come to my wells for healing and wishes
Be nourished and soothed by the waters
Tie your wishes to the branches of my trees
And know that wishes spoken
Become the magic of the world
Become your wishes, the magic at my well.
Sing the inspiration of the mystery with your voice
Inspire yourself with joy and love
Delight in the blessings of creation
Become the Art you were meant to be.
And here is the promised sneak peek from behind the scenes!
Curious about what it would be like to have your own Goddess Photoshoot? Send me a message and let's talk about what kind of photos we can create for you.
artistic self-portrait
After I created this self-portrait I realized that the inspiration for the idea came from my daughter! On the conscious level I was experiencing what I call artistic hunger - not having an outlet for my creativity due to not having shot in over a month. My husband had given me a dozen red roses for our fourth-year anniversary and I made up my mind to photograph them. Since I am not as keen on photographing objects as opposed to people, it struck me as a brilliant idea to do a self-portrait. No makeup, but luckily, freshly washed hair, a nursing bra stained with breastmilk, I set up a tripod while my daughter was napping in a swing. I threw
My eight-week-old daughter has a pacifier with a pink flower on it. When I look at her angelic face as she sleeps peacefully with this flowered pacifier in her mouth, the whole world stops.
After I created this self-portrait I realized that the inspiration for the idea came from my daughter! On the conscious level I was experiencing what I call artistic hunger - not having an outlet for my creativity due to not having shot in over a month. My husband had given me a dozen red roses for our fourth-year anniversary and I made up my mind to photograph them. Since I am not as keen on photographing objects as opposed to people, it struck me as a brilliant idea to do a self-portrait. No makeup, but luckily, freshly washed hair, a nursing bra stained with breastmilk, I set up a tripod while my daughter was napping in a swing. I threw wide open the blinds of the window and set up the camera to shoot in natural light as the sun was slowly making its way toward the horizon. To be honest, I hate doing self-portraits because a). it is hard to be the model and photographer at the same time; b). modeling is really hard despite all the confident posing instructions I give when shooting; c). my face is extremely asymmetrical and even though I find its reflection in the mirror to be pleasing, I become highly aware of this asymmetry when looking at photos of myself. Despite all of these obstacles, I was resolute on getting a shot with which I could further play around in post-editing and create into something magical. That was the goal. I used a 50 mm lens, my go-to lens for portraiture. Taking a self-portrait is hard not only in terms of getting the right expression on your face since you cannot see yourself (some recommend using a mirror for that), but also from the technical standpoint - getting a sharp, focused image. I set up the chair on which I would be sitting, placed a floor lamp at the level and distance from the camera where my face would be, auto focused on it and then switched to manual focus. Despite the fact that I did not have a lot of natural light available, in order to make my face and the rose look in focus, I had to use a higher depth of field, so I set my aperture at f7.1, and to compensate for small aperture I set my shutter speed at 1/40 and ISO at 1600. It took a lot of running back and forth from my "stage" to the camera and minor adjustments in where I sat to get a clear focused shot. After experimenting with different positions of the rose (the original idea was to have two roses instead of the eyes) and adjustments in the camera, I came up with this shot. Then some Photoshop magic and, voila, here you have it.
The more I look at my portrait, the more I like it. First of all, I like it because I look good :) Though I am not perfect: the asymmetry of my face is quite evident in this photograph (even though I made my left eye longer (l ♥ Photoshop), it is still shorter than the right one); the crease on my right eyelid is the result of sleep deprivation (how much sleep can you get with a new baby?); and my nose is not symmetrical either but the rose partially hides it. Someone told me once that when a person dies, his face becomes completely symmetrical. I don't even know if it true, but if it is, I have a very long life ahead of me! In any case, I did not make my face look perfect in Photoshop because I don't believe in making people look like perfect dolls, but prefer to preserve the natural imperfections that make each and every one of us unique.
Now, the coolest part about this self-portrait is how meaningful it is to me. First, it was inspired by those I love deeply and my love for them defines, in part, who I am. A vibrant red rose in place of my mouth symbolizes communicating not by means of words, but by means of imagery. My eyes closed yet I can see - I am witness to a beautiful dream that I myself create. No makeup, no fancy hair or clothes - simplicity - just the essential. And like my daughter, sucking on her pacifier for the calming and soothing it provides, I am tranquil and at peace with all. This is who I am. This is MY dream. My life is a DREAM...
Originally published on June 4, 2015
you might also enjoy these goddess stories:
How to do your own Goddess Photoshoot with a Cell Phone
〰️
How to do your own Goddess Photoshoot with a Cell Phone 〰️
more stories from the Goddess Mirror Blog
the gift of Yemaya (Goddess Photoshoot essay)
Yemaya has been there all along - watching, waiting for us to notice, but we get so wrapped up in ourselves, in our daily routines, in our personal hopes and dreams, that we miss out on the obvious: The ocean of joy, the ocean of timelessness, the blue-green sparkling jewels cast upon our shores every day.
Yemaya has been there all along - watching, waiting for us to notice, but we get so wrapped up in ourselves, in our daily routines, in our personal hopes and dreams, that we miss out on the obvious: The ocean of joy, the ocean of timelessness, the blue-green sparkling jewels cast upon our shores every day.
Maybe Yemaya will forgive us for arriving today empty-handed - no sparkling copper pennies, not even a bit of watermelon - because she knows how we have given all that we can, that we’re running on empty. Our throats are parched, our eyes are too dry to cry and our smiles too forced to laugh freely.
That’s why I’m here today to offer myself to Yemaya and to become one with her. That’s why she takes me into her cradling arms and wraps me in the mantle of phosphorescent waves and puts her sea treasures into my hands to hold and to cherish. For one day, Yemaya and I will be fused in the embodiment of the ocean dominion so that I can see clearly how the earth world of great plans and great deeds must all ultimately be washed away by the strength and power of the seas.
Even beginning with last night’s plans for our goddess photo shoot, Yemaya has been toying with us, standoffish and coy. Perhaps the weather would be good for a photo shoot, and perhaps not. Perhaps she would sap our strength and stamina to the point that we would sleep past sunrise. Perhaps she would send out distractions in all sorts of forms to deter us from our quest. Perhaps she just wanted to know we were sincere in our desire to pay homage.
Here is the gift that Yemaya offered upon our arrival to the appointed meeting place: first, a heart formed from shells and sand, secondly, a graceful blue heron to accompany us on our photo journey, and, finally, a powerful current with splashing waves to shake us out of the torpor of our acquiescence, our yielding to a world not of our making, and not of our liking. We accepted the risk - of lost treasures - our cameras, our unique shells, our balance!!!
Is it possible to change the world with a smile, or with laughter? Can our joy wipe out the drone of cars, bulldozers, motors on the land, in the sky and in the sea? Do we have enough hands to pick up all the garbage left behind by those that have long since retreated to their manmade prisons? Is it too late to find a balance between the world that our race was born into and the world that we have created to satisfy our egos?
Come to the sea and find the answers to your questions. Yemaya is waiting for you.
Written by Chris Card Fuller, story-teller, language enthusiast, teacher, friend, Goddess.
the queen of fairies (Goddess Photoshoot report)
I met Teri at the New Moon Circles that are regularly held at the Red Tent and are lead by the radiant Elaina Beam. I admired this woman from afar - her statuesque posture, huge smile, eyes radiating kindness, and a sparkle of tinsel strands in her blond hair. I remember one time "the homework assignment" for the circle was to bring a poem and Teri and I happened to bring the same poem, The Guest House, by Rumi. When I was eight months pregnant and revisited the women's circle after a...
I met Teri at the New Moon Circles that are regularly held at the Red Tent and are lead by the radiant Elaina Beam. I admired this woman from afar - her statuesque posture, huge smile, eyes radiating kindness, and a sparkle of tinsel strands in her blond hair. I remember one time "the homework assignment" for the circle was to bring a poem and Teri and I happened to bring the same poem, The Guest House, by Rumi. When I was eight months pregnant and revisited the women's circle after a long break, Teri, who was sitting next to me, asked, "Do you have a pediatrician?" That's how my daughter and I got ourselves an amazing doctor :)
Goddess Photoshoot was Teri's gift from her boyfriend, who had heard about it through the grapevine. (What a fabulous and unique present for your beloved friend or partner... hint, hint!) The goddess consultation revealed that Teri embodied Goddess Oonagh (pronounced OO-NAH), the queen of fairies. Now that this first step of Goddess Photoshoot was done, several things had to be carefully planned in order to bring the Goddess through in images.
Oonagh is said to have golden sparkly hair (just like Teri's, but longer), she is the goddess of love and is considered a protectress of young animals (have you seen Teri's Facebook page? It is all filled with photos of dogs!) Oonagh is also the Queen of Fairies, which perfectly matches Teri's life's devotion to being a pediatrician - caring for children with her magic touch (as well as guiding new moms through the first months of motherhood!). "Oonagh arrives in your life to bless your relationships, bring happiness and joy, awaken your inner child and help you reach your dreams. Your strong resonances with Oonagh suggest that you also serve the role of blessing, bringer of dreams and mentor to others. Oonagh is also a goddess of exercise and sacred dance, so every time you dance you are invoking her in your life!" (from the Personal Goddess Archetype Map, prepared by Mary Reid Bogue).
Oonagh is the goddess that is associated with nature, so from the very beginning I knew that the perfect spot for this shoot would be the Yamato Natural Scrubs area, which has my favorite Spanish moss, and offers much versatility in terms of vegetation and places to shoot.
Teri didn't have clothes that matched the theme of our shoot, so I set out to either create the perfect dress, or find it. Having watched Sue Bryce (love her!) make beautiful dresses with big tulle skirts, I decided to make one myself. I bought dark green tulle and beautiful emerald stretch knit fabric with a vision of a grandiose dress that I would make, until I got home and started playing with the fabric to discover that I hadn't bought enough of it. So instead of the huge dress, I made a small dress, which you can see in the images below - I simply wrapped Teri in the two layers of fabric, and adorned her head with a flower crown, which I also made myself. The headdress idea came to me when I was playing around on Pinterest. I bought a bunch of artificial flowers at Michael's and gun-glued all the pieces together. It turned out pretty amazing, in my opinion. The green "dress" and floral headpiece were more along the lines of nature/forest nymph, but I thought that it fit our theme. I also made a small crown out of yellow/gold flowers.
Since the epic green dress didn't quite work out as I planned, I continued my quest for the perfect dress, especially since the original vision was for a sparkly gold or silver dress, something very fairy-like. My favorite place to do treasure hunting is thrift stores, so I headed to the local shop and after having searched through a bunch of dresses (many of which would have been perfect for other goddess or simply dress up shoots - that's why I must pace myself when I go thrift shopping!), I found THE DRESS. The golden dress with sparkly beads was the perfect match for our shoot! It was size 4 and I sent Teri a photo of it, asking her opinion. She loved it and the only concern that remained was whether we would be able to squeeze Teri into it the day of the shoot. Guess what? It fit like a glove! It was the "meant to be dress" so, of course, it fit! The dress was beautifully complemented by Teri's own jewelry, which she had carefully picked out for the occasion.
In post processing, to give the photos that golden hue, I ran an Alien Skin filter on the photos, as well as added a texture, which was a photo of the dress that I took, shooting wide open for bokeh effect. The texture lent its golden tint and dreamy bokeh circles to the final images, adding more magic.
Another trick that I used in this photoshoot was something that I learned from Lara Jade and her Creative Live (LOVE them!) workshop with Sue Bryce titled "Experimental Portraits". To get that whimsical dreamy accent to photos, Lara shoots through a crystal. I was holding the crystal off to the side of the lens (the second photo in the gallery below) and focused on Teri's face, and the crystal added this rainbow-like reflection/cast, that I really like. I thought that it was a pretty neat trick, and I shall employ it in my further photography experiments.
I am VERY HAPPY with how Teri's fairy goddess photos came out! I couldn't have done it alone, of course. Special thanks to Mary Reid Bogue, who did Teri's Goddess Reading, and to my wonderful friend Inna, who was my lighting/wardrobe assistant the day of the shoot! And to Teri, for her beautiful and radiant self and for allowing us a glimpse of her magic side.
Curious about what it would be like to have your own Goddess Photoshoot? Send me a message and let's talk about what kind of photos we can create for you.
follow your bliss
I always dreamt of being a photographer and have been fascinated with photography for years. In May of 2012, when I realized that I can have the life of my dreams if I dare to do the things that bring me joy, I bought a camera and resolved to learn photography. Having acquired the most important piece of equipment for the task, I signed up for two classes at a local art school (Boca Raton Museum of Art School) - Introduction to Digital Photography and Photoshop for Beginners. I learned a lot...
I always dreamt of being a photographer and have been fascinated with photography for years. In May of 2012, when I realized that I can have the life of my dreams if I dare to do the things that bring me joy, I bought a camera and resolved to learn photography. Having acquired the most important piece of equipment for the task, I signed up for two classes at a local art school (Boca Raton Museum of Art School) - Introduction to Digital Photography and Photoshop for Beginners. I learned a lot during those classes and was in a constant state of euphoria from being immersed into this environment. In the introduction to photography the teacher gave us several assignments: to photograph a window, a self portrait, a portrait, and a person in a mask. Before I had signed up for that class I was convinced that most of my photography subjects would be animals and all of nature in general with all its beautiful detailed manifestations in particular. However, having done the last project on photographing a person in a mask (my at that time friend had a mask and volunteered herself for the project), I realized that I am irresistibly drawn to photographing humans. I fell in love with people since then and continue to be to this day. My most exciting photo shoots are the ones in which the subject is photographed not in their usual environment being their daily selves but where he or she comes up with a theme or dares to play out a fantasy or a dream. The latter type of photo shoot requires more preparation - searching for the right outfit and accessories, location, poses and trying to really convey a certain emotional state. This is also the type of shoot during which people realize that being a model is not as easy as it sounds - being able to communicate through your body, facial expressions and eyes is no easy task! These types of photo shoots leave my models ecstatic - it is not every day that you get to play dress up and reenact a dream and then feel like a star when looking at the professionally edited images. Being able to contribute to that state of joy is what makes me ecstatic about what I do - showing people how beautiful they are, inspiring people to dream and convincing them that dreams come true. Mine did.