personal branding for a goddess
“Do you want to end this year with a bang?” I ask Lina having December 31 at 4 pm in mind as a date and time for her personal branding photoshoot. “Sure”, she says, and I have a feeling it will be a memorable one.
“Do you want to end this year with a bang?” I ask Lina having December 31 at 4 pm in mind as a date and time for her personal branding photoshoot. “Sure”, she says, and I have a feeling it will be a memorable one.
We meet at the South Inlet Park in Boca Raton, where I know we will have trees and vegetation as well as the ocean and huge rocks as beautiful backdrops for her photos. (What I do not know is that we will get carried away and will “play” in the woods until it gets dark…. I get carried away every time!)
Lina is a tantra healer and she needed photos for her new website and social media. Our personal branding for this spiritual entrepreneur focused on only one story including several different outfits. Her entire photoshoot experience is summarized in the video below.
And here are a few of my most favorite photos from Lina’s session:
To get to know this goddess and her business, please visit her website https://www.aluravida.com/
If you are a spiritual or creative entrepreneur, I would love to work with you! Please reach out to me if you need professional photography for your website or social media - let’s create magic together!
personal branding photography for a real estate broker
Claire Collins has dedicated her entire life to the real estate industry - she is a real estate broker and also offers white glove concierge services to her clients when it comes to managing estates and condominiums. Claire came to me to because she needed to update her headshots, but after talking on the phone for a while, Claire understood the importance of showing her current and potential clients a little more than just a business headshot. In order to connect with her audience and show them a little more of …
Claire Collins has dedicated her entire life to the real estate industry - she is a real estate broker and also offers white glove concierge services to her clients when it comes to managing estates and condominiums. Claire contacted me to because she needed to update her headshots. After a telephone consultation with me she understood the importance of showing her current and potential clients a little more than just a business headshot of herself. In order to connect with her audience and show them a little more of what she is about as a person, Claire decided to do a personal branding photoshoot, which would include lifestyle portraits of her, photos of her working, as well as photos that are closer to traditional headshots.
The colors of Claire’s brand are white, black and red and she chose her outfits accordingly. The adjectives that Claire associates with her brand are high-end, classy, personalized, sophisticated, and we wanted her images to communicate that, while at the same time making sure she looked approachable and friendly in photos. Claire loves hats so we incorporated one into her shoot, to show off her playful side and her sense of style, as well as a pair of white gloves, to literally portray white glove service she offers her clients.
Claire is based in Boca Raton so we chose to photograph in the Boca Raton’s Royal Palm Plaza. In addition to a few photos outdoors in the courtyards of the plaza, we photographed in the exquisite French cafe because having lived and worked in Monte Carlo Claire speaks French fluently and because she naturally visits that place quite often.
These are our most favorite images that Claire and I created. The photos have an editorial feel for them, meaning they could be published in a magazine to accompany a story, and many of them are lifestyle portraits. When choosing the best final images, Claire would say, “I love this photo because it truly shows how I see myself, it really reflects who I am”.
In addition to this woman’s business talents and utmost customer service she provides to her clients, she is also a mom to three grown up children and a bunch of furry children - several old dogs and fluffy cats. We decided to create a story of THAT side of Claire on another occasion - at a different location, more casual outfits and hoping that the “furry models” will co-operate and do just what is expected of them. Many of Claire’s clients might also have pets and, therefore, might relate to that side of her and that is why we thought it would be important to create a visual story about that.
Another thing that is in the works for Claire and I is a video for her website and social media and we are planning on accomplishing that as soon as I bounce from the birth of my third baby, which will give Claire the time to prepare the outfits and script for her video.
For more information about Claire’s company, please visit her website https://www.collinsandcompanyfl.com/ and follow Claire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collinsandcompanyfl/ - she has amazing tips for homeowners on how to remodel, organize, prepare for vacations, and lots of other useful tips.
You are so much more than just your business. Research shows that we choose to do business with those people we see as similar to ourselves and those we like. Give your audience a chance to get to know you and thus better relate to you and LIKE YOU! Show them the many facets of your personality - what do you like to do in your free time, what is your family life like, how you contribute to your community - through visual story-telling of personal branding photography. Together we will select which stories to choose for your personal branding shoot, I will guide you through picking outfits (or we can employ help of a professional stylist who can help revamp your wardrobe and take your branding and confidence to a whole new level!) and together we will come up with the best locations for your photos. Then, after a few hours of photographing, you will have two, or even three, months’ worth of visual content for your social media platforms and for your website and online marketing. Contact me today for a no-obligation free consultation about what photos will be most beneficial for your business, or browse my personal branding photography gallery. I look forward to helping you elevate your business!
personal branding photography - tantra healer's photoshoot on the beach
If you are an entrepreneur, a solopreneur, you are your own brand. The tone of your messages, the clothes you wear, the images you put out on social media all communicate to the world about your brand.
Personal branding photography is images that market YOU and show to your potential clients what it feels like to work with you. A consistent personal brand image that speaks to your ideal customer builds trust and is a foundation of a successful online marketing campaign. Personal branding photogrpahy is more than just a headshot, it goes beyond that, and shows off the various facets of your personality in different settings, not just traditional “work” environment.
If you are an entrepreneur, a solopreneur, you are your own brand. The tone of your messages, the clothes you wear, the images you put out on social media all communicate to the world about your brand.
Personal branding photography is images that market YOU and show to your potential clients what it feels like to work with you. A consistent personal brand image that speaks to your ideal customer builds trust and is a foundation of a successful online marketing campaign. Personal branding photogrpahy is more than just a headshot, it goes beyond that, and shows off the various facets of your personality in different settings, not just traditional “work” environment.
If you have not yet explored personal branding, there are a lot of resources out there to help you get started. I have put together a questionnaire/worksheet that helps my clients and me to hammer out the details of what would be the most important images before we even start photographing. A personal branding photoshoot requires a lot of preparation, but once it is done, the images your create together with your photographer will serve you and your brand for months and give your marketing strategy a clear direction.
Here are some things to take into consideration before and during your personal branding photoshoot. I will use the example of personal branding photoshoot for Lourdes Starshower, a South Florida tantra practitioner.
“I desperately need to update my headshots”, Lourdes texted me and we scheduled her personal branding photoshoot for a Friday golden-hour, a couple of hours before the sunset.
Here are a few things to consider when preparing for a personal branding photoshoot.
Choose a perfect location for your shoot. Lourdes wanted to be photographed on the beach. Though the beach provides a non-distracting background, I used to find it boring, but when I saw how the elements interact with each other at the location that Lourdes suggested - Boynton Beach inlet - I think I now have a new favorite ocean-front shooting location. When choosing on the location of your personal branding photoshoot, think about not only in which environment you work, but also where you like to spend time when you are not working, where you meet clients. Lourdes feels most alive, in her element, when she is connected to nature, sunlight, on the beach. In order to diversify the types of images you create, it is good to have a variety of backdrops within walking distance. In our case, we had the ocean and the rocks on one side, and then intracoastal and tall vegetation on the other, which produced two distinctly different feels of images.
Choose your outfits in accordance with what message you want to send to your audience. Lourdes chose red as color of one of her dresses, an emotionally intense color that is associated with passion, desire and love. Her second outfit was a leopard-print off the shoulder sexy outfit that we photographed in the after-glow of the sun that had already set. A wild print, suggestive of connection to your wild nature, and both outfits being dresses, embodying the divine feminine power that Lourdes teaches her female students to embrace when awakening their sexuality.
Do your research. Pinterest is your best friend! Save photos that speak to you and that are similar to what you want to evoke in your final images. Lourdes saw striking personal branding images of a woman in a red dress on a white couch and wanted to re-create that kind of feeling in her photos, but instead of the couch, she would be sitting or lying on giant rocks.
Communicate clearly with your photographer about how you want to be photographed. Your photographer might have a different vision of how to photograph you at a certain location. “I want to be sitting or lying on rocks”, Lourdes said to me when we arrived at the location. But also remain open and flexible! I asked Lourdes to walk on the beach because I wanted to get some natural shots of her, without her looking too posey and so that she would have a chance to relax, because from my experience I know that people tend to be a little stiff in the beginning of the shoot. Just like with physical exercise, a warm up is a good way to start a photoshoot.
Make a list of shots you need. You might need some shots for your website, for social media announcements, they might need to be vertical or horizontal shots, or images with lots of negative space to allow for text to be added. Your photographer will definitely create headshots for you, but it is also important to include lifestyle portraits, photos of you working and some photos of props that you can later use for your social media and blog posts.
Personal branding photography is something that best be trusted to an intuitive professional who can portray your true essence, capture that sparkle that you bring to the world. The feedback that Lourdes received on the photos from her photoshoot was "this is so you" and "this captures your exuberance" and this is the best compliment that I, as a photographer, can receive. Please contact me if you need to update your personal branding photos so you can meet the new year well equipped with an arsenal of beautiful images to promote your services and your business.
“I highly recommend Francesca Bliss. Her photography is a true co-creation because she has the eye of a visionary artist as well as the ability to make you comfortable and support you in energetically being your best. Hence, you shine authentically alive through the images she captures and meticulously edits. These are my best pictures to date and I’ve had quite a few professional photo shoots with various photographers.”
Please reach out to me if you would like to receive a Personal Branding Questionnaire/Worsheet that will help you determine what kind of images will best represent your brand - there is no obligation to book!.
What the East Coast Tantra Festival taught me - my 5 most profound revelations
As I am driving up a mountain, the fog gets denser, the road starts spiraling more, and my heart constricts inside my chest. I am supposedly almost there, but I remember seeing somewhere on a website that if a GPS leads you up the mountain, then you are going the wrong way. But which way am I supposed to go? I can't call my husband because there is no cell phone reception in this area. I drive up, then back down, and then after connecting with my husband...
As I am driving up a mountain, the fog gets denser, the road starts spiraling more, and my heart constricts inside my chest. I am supposedly almost there, but I remember seeing somewhere on a website that if a GPS leads you up the mountain, then you are going the wrong way. But which way am I supposed to go? I can't call my husband because there is no cell phone reception in this area. I drive up, then back down, and then after connecting with my husband (and common sense inside me), crying a little bit to release the tension, I drive up again and finally find it, Abrams Creek Campground, where the East Coast Tantra Festival would unfold for the following five days.
When I first learned about the Tantra Festival from a newsletter by our local tantra healer Lourdes Starshower, it piqued my interest and I told my husband, "There is a festival in West Virginia for four days..." Before I could even finish the sentence, he said, "Go. I will take care of them." Leaving my two toddlers at home, my two sweet little babies, for five days would be the longest I have ever been away from them. Focusing on the opportunity to photograph in such a beautiful nature setting, I didn't even think about what an impact this event would have on my life.
"Where am I? How weird are these people? That guys is coughing like a crazy maniac, am I going to be sick from him? How strangely that guy dances... And that bold guy with long hair looks like a weirdo. I can't believe that girl is just dancing around nude. I am just going to pretend to dance right here and see what everyone else does. If it doesn't get better, I will just go back home tomorrow." were my thoughts on the first evening of the festival.
And then when the opening ceremony starts and Eugene guides us through some breathing and grounding exercises, and somehow magically I relax and settle into myself. And then by the next morning I feel like such a huge wave of love washes over me and I find myself in love with everyone. I take this photo below and then come over to this guy and say, "Would you like to share a hug?" And he accepts with a beaming smile. "I am not the same person I was 24 hours ago", says another man, who asked to be excluded from being photographed, and it on point explains exactly how I feel about being here.
And as I get to know these people over a few days of the festival, the nude girl turns out to be an artist who shared with me that being nude really allows her to connect to the creative source and to be authentically herself. The guy who had a coughing fit is an energy-sensitive man who starts coughing when he takes on other people’s energy. The strange looking man turned out to be a simple sweet man who shared with me that he feels not lovable. And the dancing Japanese man told me how he beat cancer and how dancing was part of his healing journey. I got to know these and other beautiful people and their stories and just hearing those stories changed me.
I experienced so much love and learned so much during those five days in the woods in the mountains. Please note that few of my revelations below are my impressions about the experience as a whole, but there were so many revelations in each of the individual workshops of the festival. The struggle every day was to decide which workshops to attend as there usually were two workshops happening at the same time.
I learned to really ponder the question "How are you?"
I observed how a young girl with piercing blue eyes, luminescent white skin, and striking red hair was asked a simple question that we hear dozens of times every day, "How are you doing?" She paused, fixated her eyes on something, and then, as if looking within, slowly started answering that question, as if answering it for herself. "I worked all morning, I was giving, now I am ready to receive." It was remarkable that she connected with her body to see how she really felt, and it was not an answer that she had already prepared in her mind in response to a potential question like that, the typical "I am tired". Neither did she blurt out "I am fine", as we often do and thus don't give this simple yet profound question the thought it deserves, the thought YOU deserve.
How am I doing?
How am I feeling?
What might my body need today?
How can I take care of myself today?
Maybe your body needs a nice stretch, or it is craving fruit, or maybe you want to go for a walk. If we listen, our bodies give us clues, and we make conscious choices of what we truly desire...
When I asked myself that question at one of the workshops at the East Coast Tantra Festival, my body told me that it was craving fruit. Such a small request for fresh fruit, and you can imagine how delicious it was when I satisfied that craving. The food at the festival was very natural and healthy with no refined sugars, and I guess I was just craving something sweet.
I discovered the power of a hug.
I am walking on a woody path back to our cabin from the big Shakti dome, where workshops are held. on my path I meet a slender young man with long curly blond hair. "My name is Francesca", I say, to which he replies, "My name is Dan. Would you like to share a hug?"
Americans don't hug "properly". They don't even kiss. They reach their arms wide to embrace you and then when you think they are going to kiss you on the cheek because they are reaching over close to your ear, they barely touch your cheek with theirs and then they move back to the initial starting position, leaving me in a perplexed "was it a hug or was it a kiss", "what the fuck was that?" state. It usually throws me off for the first few minutes of the interaction that follows (because I usually accidentally kiss them on an ear or neck expecting a kiss and the weird "hug me but don't touch me" is disturbing), and thus not only does it not connect, but its fakeness just throws me off and I might have been better off with a handshake or nothing at all, Russian style.
So when I heard " Would you like to share a hug?", I had never heard anyone ask me that question before. And when I heard that question, every particle in my body wanted that hug and it was with great satisfaction that I shared it. It was beautiful. How it was asked and the real-ness of it, and you can imagine how connecting it was.
I learned that "No" is a full sentence.
Having to say "no" had been an uncomfortable thing for me.
"No, I don't want to buy this product."
"No, I don't have time for this."
"No, I don't want the third serving of your delicious Turkish food."
I used to see "no" as rejection when it was said to me, and when I was saying "no" to others, I felt like I was depriving them of something. No wonder when it was time to say it or hear it, it just created a swarm of uncomfortable and unpleasant emotions.
When I saw a Cuddle Party on the schedule of the East Coast Tantra Festival, I panicked. "Maybe I just won't go", I thought. "And I can drive back to the airport tomorrow morning". Then it was explained to me that with all of the workshops at the festival, I don't need to participate in them, and I can just watch, I felt like a weight of giant mountain fell off my shoulders and I went to the Cuddle Party, as curiosity washed over me.
"Let's get the hardest thing out of the way first", Monique Darling, the workshop presenter says, "You are going to turn to your partner right now, and ask "Can I kiss you?" and the other person will say "No", to which you will respond "Thank you for taking care of yourself."
You see, when people say "no" to you, they are not rejecting you, they are taking care of themselves."
And we practiced that.
And then we practiced "Will you kiss me?" - "No" - "Thank you for taking care of yourself."
And having practiced that, those words really sank in. And the way I started seeing the whole thing changed from rejection and having to deprive someone of something to empowerment and celebration. How beautiful it is that I when I say "No", I am actually choosing what is good for me, choosing what I want, and how empowering it feels. And what a celebration it is when I see that someone else does the same for themselves, and instead of a "awww, how come you said no?" I congratulate them by saying "thank you for taking care of yourself."
That night we also talked about consent. About consent to be touched. "Is it ok if I touch your hand?" Is it ok if I run my hand up your arm and touch your shoulder?" Who talks like that, right? How often do we touch other people during a conversation as a way to connect with them? And then I thought about my daughters, whose Turkish relatives insist on grabbing them by the cheek at any moment, grabbing them and forcing them into a hug or kiss. "Alsu, go kiss your uncle hello. Lila, give so-and-so a hug."
"When you touch someone without their permission, you are taking away their voice" explained Monique. Tears started pouring down my cheeks...
I ask my daughter if I can kiss her. Sometimes she says no, and since she is only three and a half now, at those moments I feel like the time I have left to kiss and hug her is running out, because she is going to grow up so fast, and then forget about it. But I must respect her. And now, instead of ordering them to go kiss or hug someone, I ask "Do you want to kiss your uncle hello?" It usually is a yes. But at least it is their choice, their will.
"No" is a complete sentence.
How empowering is that?
No, I cannot help you right now because I am taking care of myself. And you don't even need to explain that, because you know. It eliminates the need to say sorry twenty five times or apologize every time you say "no", and THAT makes you more powerful. I feel like every time you say "sorry" you are apologizing for your existence, and diminishes your worth, your being, your presence (not to be confused with a sincere apology where necessary, you see my point, right?)
I learned to really give people a chance before jumping to conclusions
This one requires ongoing practice, but the lesson of it that I had at the East Coast Tantra Festival was so powerful, that I speak about it all the time and really take it to heart.
When the festival started, there was a group of people that was already there and then new groups of people arrived every day and especially when the weekend started. I was photographing one of the workshops, which meant that I could hide behind the camera and observe but not really dive in and be a part of it. I see this man in his late forties-early fifties, he has white hair and he is wearing a muscle tee, and he has kind of a goofy smile and his spine has this arch in his lower back which gives him a straight posture but makes his butt stick out a little. "Redneck", I think to myself. "How can I think things like that when I am filled with love?" I quickly judge myself and re-focus my attention on something else in order to avoid the guilt and shame that would follow.
And when that same man opens his mouth to do a share after an exercise, I cannot take my eyes off him, because I am hypnotized by how beautifully and eloquently he speaks. I love books and I love to write and I admire people who have a way with words and I admire that man! As a matter of fact, I want to be like him! "Gosh, if I could speak like that, I would move mountains!" And after that we connect again during dinner and my whole perception of him different. His name is Doug, and not only is there no longer a wall of judgment between us, but only love for him, when I see his beautiful warm, sincere smile.
I learned how liberating it really is to be nude in the nature.
Frankly, I had not been around nudists and naturists prior to attending the festival, so at first, seeing women topless or completely nude as well as nude men was a bit shocking. Curiously, after a short period of time, I stopped noticing their nudity. In addition to a sense of shock and curiosity, I felt jealousy for those people. They looked free. It wasn't something that I assigned to them, that sense of freedom really came from inside them. I admired them.
And as a photographer who decided to make fine art nude photography one of my specialties, I was in nude model paradise. There were so many people who were willing to pose nude for me - I felt elated!
One morning, woken up by sounds of a small creature walking on the roof of our cabin I decided to just stay awake. I went to the kitchen where a giant beautiful man named Apollo made coffee for me from his personal coffee press that he brings with him everywhere he travels, I shared a hug with him and went to explore the campground, which I hadn't really had a chance to do, even though it was day three of the festival. I listened to the power of the creek, which was carrying sediment and water from days worth of rain, sounds of birds and whisper of giant trees. I touched bright green velvety moss that covered tree trunks and giant boulders as big as my rental car. I smelled the forest, the humidity of the air and soil. I saw and smelled mushrooms growing like a skirt around a trunk of a tree five times thicker than me. I took hundreds of photos of reflections in a puddle of mud on a dirt road and then, naturally, stepped into that puddle getting my sneakers wet, but it was totally worth it. I hugged trees and climbed large rocks near the creek. I was high on nature and on caffeine. I walked everywhere and wanted to notice every detail. Every leaf, every drop of water was such an inspiration to me. And at that moment I realized that I, too, am a part of this forest. I, too, am wild and a work of art. I, too, am to be reveled and marveled at and at that point I felt that wearing all these clothes on me was unnecessary. I wanted to disrobe and get nude and stand in the middle of that creek and make a loud noise to tell nature that I am there, that I, too, am a part of it.
On the last day of the festival, right before lunch, I knew I had to cease this new found freedom in me and do it. I asked Edyta to photograph me.
It was raining. Edyta was holding my camera wrapped in my sweater so it wouldn't get wet in one hand, and holding her umbrella in the other, trying to balance on slippery from moss and water rocks, followed me to the spot where I wanted to be photographed. It was a perfect spot right behind our cabin that I had scouted out earlier. One of the disadvantages of being nude is that you get cold, especially if it rains. (But it made my nipples look good so I didn't mind :)) My heart was racing, I felt a rush, I felt brave, I felt like I honored myself, but honestly, I am going to have to do it again, because with all due respect and gratitude for Edyta's photography skills (and also perhaps I am too critical of myself) the photos did not turn out to my liking... Well, at least I have the memory of what it felt like.
And I also want to do it again so that I can learn to appreciate, love and admire my body more, and to experience again that breathtaking freedom that comes from not hiding behind anything and truly being one with nature.
I felt that I had to have that experience in order to really understand what people who come to me with their bare souls and allow me to photograph them nude. Since many of those people are not nudists, the high and liberation I experienced getting nude in nature must be similar to what they feel when I photograph them.
There were a lot of other miracles of synchronicity and small revelations at the festival. There was a beautiful concert by Fia, a Swedish singer who writes heart opening songs, during whose entire concert I cried (while taking photos and video nevertheless!) There were a lot of tears, a lot of healing, a lot of heart opening and being able to see beauty in others. I felt that I dissolved into all those people who were there and fell in love with each and every one of them. It was ecstatic. And I will cherish that experience forever and will seek it out again, this time bringing my husband with me.
Click here for information about East Coast Tantra Festival 2019.
Did you like my story? Please leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you!
the power of conscious dance
When I first started going to Moon Circles that included dance, it was my least favorite part of the gatherings. I was self-conscious and uncomfortable and felt very restricted in my body. As my spiritual journey progressed, dancing became not only less intimidating, but also empowering. At the latest Goddess Gathering (with Jen Rose) there was a girl named Lina who guided us through the dance part of our reunion, and it was such a powerful experience, that I asked Lina to shoot a video together and the fruit of our labor appears below. Lina is a poet, sketch artist, dancer, Tantra Practitioner, and a total complete Goddess!
When I first started going to Moon Circles that included dance, it was my least favorite part of the gatherings. I was self-conscious and uncomfortable and felt very restricted in my body. As my spiritual journey progressed, dancing became not only less intimidating, but also empowering. At the latest Goddess Gathering (with Jen Rose) there was a girl named Lina who guided us through the dance part of our reunion, and it was such a powerful experience, that I asked Lina to shoot a video together and the fruit of our labor appears below. Lina is a poet, sketch artist, dancer, Tantra Practitioner, and a total complete Goddess!
I will tell you more about the guided dance so you can see for yourself the transformation power of it. Before I do that, I must recall one more brief moment at another gathering that I observed (where there was no guide for the dancing part, just a free flow of beautiful music). There was one girl, a mother of a boisterous toddler. When I watched her dance, she reminded me of myself years ago. The girl seemed so restricted in her body, she couldn’t even dare to raise her arms up while dancing, and not because she simply didn’t want to, but you could tell, she looked very self-conscious and was so uncomfortable in her body.
So now back to the guided dance with Lina. First we dance practicing a certain breathing technique that brings energy into our sacrum and our bellies, and then for the second part of the dance she suggests we dance using big, warrior-goddess like movements, claiming the space around us, taking that space, and standing big. And as I pretend that my arms are giant swords with which I slice the air around me, and take giant steps in each direction, I feel big, I feel strong and I feel powerful. And it reminds me of a TED talk about how our body language shapes who we are. In that TED talk the speaker talks about how right before you go into a job interview or a sales presentation, you should put your legs shoulder width apart, raise your arms above your head and stand big for a few minutes. This sensation of “being big” physically affects how you feel psychologically - it makes you more confident, more assertive, and that, in turn, affects your whole presentation. Remarkable, isn’t it? If Lina had not guided us and didn’t “give us permission to be big” so to speak, I would have still enjoyed that dance, but it might not have felt as empowering. Having received that guidance from her gave me a chance to feel big, claiming my space instead of being afraid to take too much of it, and that physical feeling translated into a mental sensation that I am strong and powerful.
My other very profound encounter with ecstatic dance was at the East Coast Tantra Festival a few months ago. Dancing was a part of our morning open ceremony each day of the festival and I really grew fond of it. It’s like you turn of your brain and get out of your body’s way - let your body hear and FEEL the music and then experience the movements that your body takes you through. After four days at the festival where allowing your body to feel the music was what we practiced every day, when I returned home, for a couple of weeks I would immediately start swaying when I heard music in the supermarket or at another store, and I would want to raise my arms up and start dancing. I feel that I am more in touch with my body, with MYSELF, when I practice dance frequently.
So what exactly is ecstatic, or conscious, dance?
Ecstatic, or conscious dance, is a free-form dance which is always done barefoot with no alcohol or drugs involved. During this dance your mind and body practice uncensored, spontaneous movements and the dance allows you to express whatever you are going through at the moment. Not only does conscious dance is an exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise, but it also improves self image and builds confidence. For this type of dance, no thinking is needed, just feeling. Conscious dance is a sacred space to lose your fears, especially fear of failure. There’s no teacher, only a leader, or a guide, and there is no structure and no steps to learn, only a dance floor, positive energy, your intention and your beautiful body. You leave inspired, with peace and joy.
If you haven’t tried conscious or ecstatic dance before, I strongly encourage you to find a local event or group and give it a try. You may want to check out Ecstatic Dance Community of South Florida to find an event that resonates with you.
And finally, I introduce you to beautiful Lina, who will share with your her reasons for dancing and a beautiful poem she wrote.
Lina says, “This is my invitation to all, who have been shut down in regards to expressing their feelings, releasing emotions, abandoning fears, especially when it comes to body image and sensuality.
What does it feel like when you are deeply aware of how your body feels? Just let it sink for a few seconds...
All the “forbidden” doors open to us when we allow our bodies to move in freeform dance. Unbounded energy - prime, raw and wild starts to flow. Not a single, suppressed part of us is left behind. Aha moment - we can set ourselves free! Through dance, through movement, through feeling it all.
Conscious Dance is not just a physical form of movement but a spiritual journey.
I refer to it as entering a sacred space, a sanctuary, where all the outside life is left behind and all we have is this embodied presence. Here we express, allow, let go, heal, celebrate, embrace our strangeness, darkness, childish excitement...
From there, we become more conscious of our unconscious behaviors, beliefs, relationships, patterns.
From there, we stand so much stronger in life, facing unnecessary change.
Make dance your tool of transformation, so you can truly live in a beauty of movement, which brings natural harmony to all.”
Divine Feminine Dance
(by Lina Infanti)
It’s you and me
I can finally see
Mirroring each other
Like a full moon and a
Deep blue sea.
Before I thought, -
You never were a part of me,
Until a swirling dance,
That sucked me in,
Collided our souls
To find the path to love,
To heal, fulfill and dream…
Communion made!
So luminous and gleam,
Embracing both of our hearts
And lifting us above the stars
To hear a voice of stirring music,
For Earth and Sun become
Sublime and powerful
Completed One!
Have you tried ecstatic dancing? Please share about your experience in the comments!
salty morning yoga photoshoot
We have fifteen minutes before the sun rises and since we still need to get to the rocks, where we will be photographing, we practically jog as soon as we park the car at Spanish River Beach.
As soon as we step off the wooden boardwalk and sink our toes into the sand, the salty ocean air gives me a grand sense of calm and at the same time energizes me. There is a topless forty-something man with long hair who greets us with a huge smile,
"Good morning. What a gift!", as he gestures toward the ocean.
We have fifteen minutes before the sun rises and since we still need to get to the rocks, where we will be photographing, we practically jog as soon as we park the car at Spanish River Beach.
As soon as we step off the wooden boardwalk and sink our toes into the sand, the salty ocean air gives me a grand sense of calm and at the same time energizes me. There is a topless forty-something man with long hair who greets us with a huge smile,
"Good morning. What a gift!", as he gestures toward the ocean.
A gift it is indeed, Tisa and I agree and jog toward the rocks.
"My yoga journey started three years ago," Tisa says. "I was very depressed during that time. I just started meditating and doing yoga, and it lifted me. I learned with YouTube videos practicing in my living room. I also go to free yoga classes in Mizner Park on Saturday mornings. I apply the things I learn on the mat to life in general - things like patience, not focusing on the aesthetic, but on the feeling, the essence, of something."
Tisa is originally from the Virgin Islands, where she is planning on returning at the end of the year. Right now she works as a doula, and is preparing to take a yoga teacher certification course.
"Where I am from, people run track, they are not much into yoga. I want to bring yoga with me to the islands, I am really excited about teaching it to other people."
Once we finish photographing, I realize that my parking meter is about to expire, so we quickly pick up our things and, again, practically jog back to the car.
The man with long hair is still there, playing Frisbee by himself.
"What a gift," I smile to myself.
how accurately do goddess readings portray you? 5 ways this girl convinced me they are dead-on!
First of all, what is a goddess reading? Goddess reading is an intuitive reading usually done over the phone, during which the woman who is having the reading done, finds out the energy of which goddess she embodies. For the curios, a goddess reading is used as a tool to set the direction for the Goddess Photoshoot, for deeply spiritual people it is a way to connect more deeply to the Divine Feminine. Some women use it just as a way to choose the outfits, props and location for the photoshoot based on the goddess mythology. Others go as far as setting up altars to the Goddess and learning mantras and affirmations associated with their particular Goddess.
First of all, what is a goddess reading? Goddess reading is an intuitive reading usually done over the phone, during which the woman who is having the reading done, finds out the energy of which goddess she embodies. For the curios, a goddess reading is used as a tool to set the direction for the Goddess Photoshoot, for deeply spiritual people it is a way to connect more deeply to the Divine Feminine. Some women use it just as a way to choose the outfits, props and location for the photoshoot based on the goddess mythology. Others go as far as setting up altars to the Goddess and learning mantras and affirmations associated with their particular Goddess.
My personal encounter with the different goddesses happened through Goddess Photoshoots that I did, and I have learned about Diana, Aphrodite, Isis, The Changing Woman, Oonagh, Yemaya, Quan Yin, and others. When I met this girl named Celeste, she was feminine, but at the same time very different from all the other women. When she had her goddess reading done by Kimberly Moore of http://shaktiwomyn.com/, Celeste found out that her goddess was Kali.
"Born from the brow of Parvati, Kali killed the demonic forces that were threatening the world. She danced with the Lord of the Dance, Shiva, and it is said the dance grew wilder and wilder, and as the dance continues, it will one day shake the world to pieces. She killed other demons during another battle, and it is said that after they were dead, Kali was exhilarated, laughing and roaring, drinking their blood, dancing in frenzy, hence Her dance of death and destruction.
She is seen as a Dark Goddess, as She dances the dance of death and destruction, but She is also keeper of time and will be there when new things emerge from Her destruction. When you see Her, there is no mistaking Her. She wears a necklace of skulls around Her neck, She holds weapons in Her numerous hands. Her tongue protrudes from Her mouth. She can be terrifying to behold and to work with. Do not ask from Her which you are incapable of receiving as She is fierce in her love for Her daughters."
[Above is an excerpt from http://themotherhouseofthegoddess.com/2016/07/27/the-wild-she-kali-susan-morgaine/]
So this goddess is not your usual soft and delicate type of lady. This goddess is kind of wild! Since when I first met Celeste, I did not know her well, I really got a first really good glimpse of her when we met for our photoshoot.
The first thing that I see before Celeste even gets out of the car when she pulls into the parking lot of Lake Ida Park is the bumper sticker that reads "Namaste, bitches.". How much more Kali can it get?
Once we start heading to the trees where we will photograph, I ask Celeste to do a simple pose for me, so I can just snap a quick portrait. And as she puts her hand on her waist, I see a small batch of underarm hair. As I think to myself, that she probably will not want me to photoshop it out, as if she read my mind, she says, "I was going to color my underarm hair purple, so that is why I have been growing it out." Seriously, how bold is that?
Another thing that was "so Kali" about Celeste was that she had dreadlocks!
Once Celeste changes into a different outfit, a scarf that now becomes her top bares of one of her tattoos, and the tattoo is of a skull!
And the last thing was that Celeste had a raspy voice. Whenever I recover from a cold and once my scratchy throat gets better, I always love that slight hoarse sounding vibration that my voice gets. Celeste just has that sexy voice all the time.
You can accuse me of finding meaning where none exists, but I thought those little details about Celeste were so distinctive and so different from your typical vision of what a feminine goddess "should be", that I felt compelled to share these details here.
Every woman is distinctive, and even if two women do a goddess reading and it reveals the same goddess, the way that energy manifests in each one of them will be different, with some features more strongly highlighted than others.
Want to reveal YOUR goddess? Contact Kimberly and schedule your goddess reading today. You might learn something new about yourself or might start perceiving yourself a little differently ;)
Mother and Daughter Goddess Photoshoot
A timeless bond of two beautiful women - mother and daughter - captured in beautiful photos: Mother and Daughter Goddess Photoshoot in Boca Raton, Florida.
Wendy and Tasia, Mother and Daughter. When I first met Tasia she struck me by being very mature and I naturally assumed she was grown up, yet she was barely in her twenties. They both have the same dimple on the chin and the same hands. They are both kind and gentle, and are both Goddesses.
The mother, Wendy, is a luminary and a spiritual midwife. Learn more about what she does here.
The daughter, Tasia, is an aesthetician and aspiring actress.
I bet when they first saw these photos, they said things such as,
"Oh, how pretty!"
"Wow, I look amazing!"
"That color looks good on you, darling, you should wear it more often."
"Remember how awkward it was when she made us dance without music, but I actually like this shot".
But let's fast forward to ten, five, or even one year from now.... What will come up when they see themselves in these photos?
My favorite portrait of them is the one below. There is so much of each other in each one of them! Even the way they hold their hands is the same. I usually ask people to soften their hands and make ballerina hands, but in this case I did not. This is how they naturally held their hands and I decided not to interfere...
"What is your secret to having this strong bond?" I ask Wendy and Tasia as we stand amidst trees, dragonflies buzzing all around us.
"Respect," the mother, Wendy, says without hesitation. "Letting her make her own mistakes and learn from them, recognizing that she is an old soul in a new body." For me, a mother of two little girls, this was not just a question to make conversation, I truly wanted to know how they did it.
You can see the other images from our mother and daughter photo session in this short video:
3 things I learned from having my photos taken by a professional photographer
The idea of having your portraits taken might seem glamorous, inviting and at the same time a bit ... daunting. Even for a professional photographer, when she is put in front of the camera and the spotlight is on her. Find out what she learned from having her photos taken by another photographer.
Just as cobbler is without shoes, a photographer is often without photos of her taken. I even had to ask my husband to take more photos of me with a phone, because I'm hardly ever in pictures! The truth of it is that I do not look good in photos (how cliche is that? and it is coming from a photographer!) Anyway, it was time to update my headshots, especially since I had recently chopped my hair off, this time letting it grow without coloring it and embracing the greys. (I must tell you, it is a truly liberating experience and I love each and every grey hair that I have and am looking forward to having all of it white!)
Here are the three things I learned from my very own portrait photography session with a professional photographer.
I learned to trust the process
As a photographer, I always gently guide the people I photograph, the majority of whom are not professional models, or give suggestions on how to pose. My photographer, a very talented Nastya Mosh, has worked with many "real" models so I was not sure if she would expect me to know how to pose. Frankly, I felt a little uneasy. Even if she had not been a fashion photographer and had photographed a million people just like me, I still would have been a little anxious. The experience of a photoshoot was so familiar to me, I've done it hundreds of times, but simply putting myself on the other side of the camera, made it a whole new experience for me, which, by definition, was outside of my comfort zone.
All the butterflies in my stomach disappeared as soon as Nastya, the photographer, started talking to me. When we actually started photographing, she gave me directions, like, "walk from there to here and look into the distance", or "walk as you take off your jacket and turn around". We did each series several times so that Nastya could catch a good shot of me. Then we would move to a different location, and, again she would give me suggestions and I would comply. When we walked onto a large patch of grass behind a parking lot, I wanted to run and jump, and that is how this shot, one of my favorites, was made.
I learned to trust the stylist
The idea of seeking help of a professional stylist dawned one me when, a couple of years back, I realized that shopping for clothes was a chore, that I had a tendency to buy the same things, and that even though my closet was full of stuff, I had nothing to wear. I was lucky to have met Sasha Belova, with whom we quickly became friends (and whom I will never let out of my life!) When I showed up at Sasha's house the day of my photoshoot so that she could do my makeup, she looked over the clothes I brought and suggested some other outfits. I knew I wanted to wear the long blue goddess dress (that I had bought in Target, of all places!), but I was unsure of other looks. Sasha suggested a look with a long brown skirt, a black cami and a blue denim jacket. While I was trying the outfit on, I panicked. I wanted it to be a perfect photoshoot, and I wanted to be ME in photos, but with the clothes that I had on - this bulky, almost cardboard-like jacket and these heavy boots, I felt I was someone else. My status quo was challenged and I got scared. I told Sasha about it (communication is key, even/especially if it makes you vulnerable, in my opinion) And after we talked, I felt better. I felt better because I knew I could say, "no, thank you", "this outfit is not doing it for me" (sometimes it is hard to say no, especially to the people you like). Now being more relaxed, we tried on another outfit, which I liked and which felt very playful - the one with a yellow shirt and huge polka dot cropped wide legged pants (I felt like Neznaika, a character from a Russian story, in it :)). We photographed all three looks: my original choice - the goddess dress - with details picked by the stylist, and two looks chosen entirely by Sasha. The crazy thing is, the look that I liked the least, also the one that we photographed last, I ended up being most comfortable in, and was the one in which I really connected to my [goddess] power. Also, it is the one that I like the most in photos, perhaps, due to color combination and contrast with my skin.
The moral of this story is: try something new, at least for a little bit. You can always say no or know for future reference if it worked for you or not. And another moral is, try using services of a personal stylist - it might change your confidence level and help you become the person you have dreamt of becoming.
I learned that I am pretty good looking
When I saw the final images of myself, I thought, "I'm beautiful." (It was easier to think that when I was 24, but now things have changed a bit). Seeing myself in final photos does make me admire myself more. I don't take good selfies. The problem, perhaps, lies in the fact that I don't take a lot of selfies, but anyway, I cannot really admire myself in photos that I take of myself myself. (Unless it is a painstaking self-portrait, which takes me hours of mental preparation and more hours of creating and post processing) Therefore, my chances for self-admiration are those fleeting glimpses I catch in the mirror on the days when I devote the time to doing my makeup and feel that I look good. Having photos that show me how beautiful I look (and I don't mind a light skin retouch) always remind me that I am a goddess, that I am amazing. And of course I am not amazing only when I look good, that amazingness is inside of me always, but if the process of self-admiration must start on the surface, I am ok with that. And even though I am still critical of how I look in some of these pictures, I am more accepting of myself and I bet that next year when I look back at these photos, I might not even notice these little "imperfections".
It has been a long journey of self-acceptance and self-love for me. Maybe it has do with culture, or the way that I was raised, where it was never a good thing to toot my own horn and brag, which somehow spilled over and mutated into not wanting to give myself credit where it was due and thinking I was not good enough. Or maybe it is something that we all go through, but I have two little girls now, girls who look up to me and whom I want to raise strong and confident. That is why self-love is ever more important to me now. And having my photos taken, the best of which I am planning to print large and hang on the wall, are helping me feel beautiful, strong, powerful, and feel like a goddess.
Huge thanks to Nastya Mosh ans Sasha Belova for making me look and feel like a goddess!
Eliza's goddess photoshoot
Eliza's Goddess Photoshoot captured in a video and photos of her transformation.
Eliza is an aspiring ballet dancer, yogi, a student of alternative medicine and she exudes peace and calmness with the way she talks and the way she moves. When she contacted me about doing a Goddess Photoshoot, I asked my talented stylist/makeup artist friend Sasha Belova to jump on board with us along with her sister Nastya Mosh, who created a video of our photoshoot.
"I can't believe it is me in these photos," she says softly, as she is holding the final prints in her hands, a large black box in her lap, when we meet in Starbucks five days after her photoshoot.
"I rarely wear my hair down, but I will do it more often after this. And I don't usually wear rompers, and this one looks gorgeous."
A Goddess Photoshoot is more than just a portrait photography session.
It is an opportunity to observe yourself from the side, to see yourself in a different light. It is a chance to play and experiment and step into a role that is slightly outside of your usual comfort zone, a chance to try on something a little bolder, more dramatic. It is an opportunity to connect to and claim that power that is already within you, to allow yourself to be free, to be you, and to be beautiful.
Eliza's transformation was truly remarkable. I did not catch a "before" photo of Eliza's photo session, but you can certainly see what she looked "after" - with the makeup and outfits and being truly connected to her divine power.
9 unordinary gift ideas for Valentine's Day this year
Why not do something UNORDINARY to celebrate the love for your partner, or for yourself, if you are single this Valentine's Day. (LOVE is love and it all starts with loving yourself first, anyway, right?)
Here are the ideas that got me excited. These are the things that you can do in our beautiful South Florida, or pretty much anywhere else!
Stores and supermarkets are already all dressed in nauseating pinks and reds, and heart-shaped boxes and teddy bears flood the shelves as stores are motivating us to BUY that special some THING for the loved one. What is the holiday really about? Many people, like my husband, for example, consider it a made up commercial holiday that just makes you BUY STUFF. Yet, when we don't celebrate it at all, I get slightly envious seeing all the bouquets/chocolates/dinner dates that someone else got (thank you, social media), and I start whining, "yes, we can celebrate our love ALL YEAR ROUND, but why don't we also do it on THIS DAY when everyone else is doing it?"
Why not do something UNORDINARY to celebrate the love for your partner, or for yourself, if you are single this Valentine's Day. (LOVE is love and it all starts with loving yourself first, anyway, right?)
Here are the ideas that got me excited. These are the things that you can do in our beautiful South Florida, or pretty much anywhere else!
Go to a concert.
Whether you love musicals, ballet, opera, classical music, or comedy, our local centers for the performance arts have so many affordable options that will give you a gift of experiencing something beautiful together. Even if the performance doesn't fall on the actual date of February 14, it is ok. You can gift the tickets to the show on the special day, or spill the beans before if your event takes place before the holiday.
Take a painting class together.
So many studios have sprung up lately that give you an opportunity to tap into your artistic talents while sipping on merlot (or, getting hammered, as I like to call it - I don't drink by the way :)) In addition to feeling like artists, and getting to hang out with other people, you can hang your artwork on the wall and it will ALWAYS remind you of that one very special Valentine's Day that you shared together.
Make "30 reasons why I love you"
pictures on your phone and gift it to your hunny-bunny on Valentine's Day. I started this project to cope with my husband's absence last year while he went on a trip to Europe for two weeks. I created these photos on my phone using WordSwag - an app that allows you to add words to photos (though there are many others apps that do that) and you can find free photos on Pixabay. I would create one reason for every day and would send it to my husband as a text message. If you do it this way, you will have a whole month of love celebration! Or, you can prepare all 30 reasons (10, 12, 100 - you pick your number!) and then print them as a photo book and gift it in a beautiful box. There is something unforgettable in having physical photos that you can hold and touch, don't you think? Can you imagine re-discovering this gift years later in your drawer of special things and remembering that very special Valentine's Day? In addition to that, focusing on your partner's positive characteristics, will very likely deepen your love for her/him.
Experience how other cultures celebrate love on this day.
If you have never been to a Latin night club, or a Russian restaurant with live music, why not try it on this day and see love through other culture's eyes. You get to try authentic food, listen to music, dance, and it will surely stand out in your memory - that Valentine's Day when Russians made you do shots all night (be careful with those guys, and please take Lyft or Uber home!) It might not be as authentic as going to another country, but it may be a pretty insightful approximation.
Hire a photographer to capture your special love in candid shots.
Honestly, I do not have many decent photos of me and my husband, except for the pictures from our wedding day. There may be a few good selfies, but those photos are static, they show us pretty and happy, but they don't really show the interaction, how we are together with each other. These selfies are looking away from each other, and I yearn for photos that have us caught in the moment of how we are, walking hand in hand, or talking about something, or being silly. It is hard to capture those with selfies, you need an artist, a professional photographer to do that. A casual photoshoot on the beach, or in a park, during which the two of you will just be yourselves, walk around and "play" in front of camera, will take no more than an hour, and you can catch a movie or go out to dinner afterwards. If you do the photoshoot well in advance before the holiday, you might have your prints ready on Valentine's Day and the special gift that you BOTH get is a box of beautiful photos that celebrate your love the way you see it.
For those who want to celebrate their love for themselves, the option would be a Goddess Photoshoot or a portrait photography session for men, both of which you can also give as gifts - memorable experiences that might change the way people see themselves.
Go extreme.
You can go as extreme as you are comfortable with or really face your fears and push outside of your comfort zone. Sky diving, zip lining, surfing, or paddle boarding? One of the most memorable gifts I got was sky-diving on my birthday (it wasn't Valentine's Day, but I will surely remember that gift forever). The adrenaline rush of a new activity will heighten the natural high you get from being around your special other, and you can skip the wine that day! :)
This is me skydiving on my 26th birthday.
Now when I think back to that day, I cannot believe I did it!!!
Learn something together.
Always wanted to learn Italian or French? It might take more than one day to learn a skill, but you can present your loved one with a gift-certificate for lessons and then can start planning your second honeymoon vacation to Europe once you become a little conversational in a foreign language.
Go to a couples retreat
(and I don't mean the movie, though it was pretty hilarious :)) Our very own Florida-grown tantra healer Lourdes Starshower has a Valentine's Day retreat coming up soon. I personally have never been to one, but I imagine that attending it would strengthen the connection that the two of you have and launch your sex life into other dimensions.
Switch your favorite activities to learn more about you partner.
For example, I like yoga and my husband loves to play soccer - he usually plays every Monday - and I get my assa to Vinyasa (as yogini Tamara says) whenever I schedule it (planning is everything!) So imagine, my husband will take a yoga class and I will play soccer on a field with my girls. Or, if your boyfriend loves to play poker or golf, and you enjoy tai chi, why not switch for one day, provided you don't do that activity already. It might give you a better understanding of your partner's passion and also give you a new found appreciation for certain characteristics that your partner has that you were never actually aware of.
Get creative!
How you choose to celebrate YOUR relationship and your LOVE is totally up to you - there is no one recipe that fits all. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you really FEEL the love. At the end of the day, it is not THINGS that we long for, but the attention, the connection, the experiences that we live through together.
I hope you share some very memorable experiences this Valentine's Day.
With much LOVE,
Francesca Bliss
a singing yogi
Imagine taking a hot yoga class that makes you feel like you have worked out such DEEP muscles in your body that you didn't even know existed and all the toxins evaporated from your body leaving you light, sweat pouring down your face which you gave up wiping, and you are feeling proud for having shown up.
Imagine taking a hot yoga class that makes you feel like you have worked out such DEEP muscles in your body that you didn't even know existed and all the toxins evaporated from your body leaving you light, sweat pouring down your face which you gave up wiping, and you are feeling proud for having shown up. And when lie there on your back, in a corpse pose, and your mind has left your body, you hear the sound of an accordion that vibrates through your body and the entire room, making you resonate with the bodies of all the other yogis who joined you for this ninety minutes of practice. And in unison with the sweet and grand sounds of accordion you hear an angelic voice singing that sounds like something between Sanskrit and Brazilian Portuguese. That was my experience with Jessica, who teaches yoga at Anuttara Yoga.
It wasn't until later that I discovered that there are yoga lessons with live music, but Jessica gave me a glimpse of it.
We photograph in Sanborn Square in downtown Boca Raton on a Thursday afternoon, and the fruits of our labor can be seen here.
She talks with a sing-songy Brazilian accent and literally FLOWS from one pose to another so fast at times that I ask her to go back to this or that pose so I can take a better shot of her.
When the sun almost gone, we decide to play with a dress or a non-yoga outfit. With the words "I have this sari, you gonna die when you see it", she goes to her card and brings out a huge basket filled with colorful outfits and dresses. When she pulls out this golden five-mile sari, my eyes start gleaming. She wraps herself in this sari and sits next to the fountain while I click away, trying to find THE SHOT. Afterwards Jessica said that her mom almost had a heart attack when she saw this photo:
Then we play with another Sari, a green one, and just as we are both about to leave, she - to catch a movie with her boyfriend and me - back home to my babies, she changes into this simple and elegant outfit of black top with open back and wide flowy blue pants. She looks like a ballerina and she confesses to me that she is also a dancer! I ask her to dance on this huge stage of Sanborn Square. And when she starts jumping up high in the air and leaping in effortless pirouettes, I realize that the next photoshoot we will be doing with this goddess will be a dance shoot!
Get to know this Goddess for yourself - attend one of her classes and see what brilliant light she shares with the world.
my digital art
The kids are asleep, the whole house is quiet and it's time to go sleep. "I'm just going to work on it for ten more minutes and I will go to bed", I say to myself as I play in Photoshop. And it feels like in a blink of an eye forty minutes go by.
How is that even possible?
The kids are asleep, the whole house is quiet and it's time to go sleep. "I'm just going to work on it for ten more minutes and I will go to bed", I say to myself as I play in Photoshop. And it feels like in a blink of an eye forty minutes go by.
How is that even possible?
I love creating various compositions in Photoshop and now have an idea for a series, the model for which will be my patient and beautiful husband who allows me to experiment on him. Most of what I know about Photoshop I learned from an amazing online course by Sebastian Michaels titled Photoshop Artistry: Fine Art Grunge Composition. I highly recommend this and all other courses by Sebastian Michaels - they are outstanding and are worth every penny!
You might also want to treat yourself to the mind-blowing art of other digital artist, students of Sebastian's, to whose level I aspire to belong: http://thephotoartisticlife.com What I create compared to these artists is child's play, but I should refrain from comparing myself to others and focus on learning and bettering myself, since that is the one thing I can control.
I have many favorites in this collection of digital art because I literally birth them. I put so many hours of work into them that when sometimes I ask my husband to guess how many hours I spend on a piece, he is astonished to hear the number!
One of my favorites is this composition with an old woman looking into the mirror and seeing the younger reflection of herself. The idea for this piece belongs to the beautiful Tamara, who, when we were photographing and playing with a mirror, said, "why don't you make one of me old and the other me young". It was such a cool idea and I new it would be a lot of work, but together we did it! I set up the time and came to Tamara's house to photograph her and then spent probably over twenty hours in Photoshop making her age and making the final composition match the vision that I had for it.
"I am a force of nature," said this goddess to me before our photoshoot. As I was editing Jennifer Nicole's pictures I remembered these words and also that she used her healing energy to help people. I started playing around with this one image in which I asked her to pose with her arms extended to her sides and facing upward. I also had another image of her with her hair flying up. I had asked her to flip her hair up - and I had no apparent reason for doing that besides the fact that I thought it would look cool. Except it didn't, but was serendipitous for completion of this composition.
I hope my little creations speak to you and you enjoy them. I would love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment!
a Goddess Photoshoot with a creative modern twist
She was a jovial 18-year old with braces and skin that during that most delicate stage of our life presents the most problems. When she contacted me now, years later, about wanted to be photographed, I remembered her beaming face right away.
"How old is she now?" I wondered, "she must be around 25". So much time has passed since we ...
She was a jovial 18-year old with braces and skin that during that most delicate stage of our life presents the most problems. When she contacted me now, years later, about wanted to be photographed, I remembered her beaming face right away.
"How old is she now?" I wondered, "she must be around 25". So much time has passed since we used to see each other every day at the language school where she used to study and I used to work.
Karen was eager to be photographed as soon as possible so we scheduled her photoshoot for the following weekend. I asked Karen if she would be interested in participating in a little experiment in which my dear friend and a talented stylist and fashion blogger Sunnie Bell (check out her amazing work on www.sunniebell.com) would do the makeup and styling for the photoshoot, and I would photograph, of course. Karen agreed to participate in our experiment, which I thought was brave. Having control issues myself (which I am slowly overcoming :)), I think it is very brave to allow someone to dress you and make you up. Of course, Karen and Sunnie talked to each other prior to the shoot, but Karen was just so completely unattached and went along with every idea that we had.
"Would you be interested in doing a Goddess Reading?", I text Karen at 11 pm at night as we try to figure out a theme for her photos.
"Sounds like fun", she replies.
Goddess reading for this photoshoot was provided by Kimberly Moore of http://shaktiwomyn.com. Kimberly offers readings and teaches a variety of courses on spirituality, which makes her a very busy woman, and we were lucky to catch Kimberly for an over the phone goddess reading the following day, which was great because it gave us enough time to plan for the photoshoot which was now days away.
The intuitive goddess reading revealed that Karen's goddess was Saraswati, a Hindu goddess of knowledge and the arts. To become fully aware of her one must go beyond the pleasures of the senses and rejoice in the serenity of the spirit. Schools and libraries are her temples; books, pens, all tools of the artist and musical instruments are the symbols associated with her. Saraswati's colors are white (as a symbol of purity), yellow, and blue (associated with the throat/communication chakra). Saraswati is often portrayed riding a swan and another bird that is associated with her is a peacock. Saraswati is a goddess of wisdom and creativity. Kimberly provided us with a wealth of information on this goddess and Karen diligently studied it. (If you are curious about this and other goddesses, you might want to take a look at the website above as well as www.motherhouseofthegoddess.com)
Look at these loooooong legs!
Since Saraswati is a goddess of wisdom, the first idea that came to mind was to photograph in a library. but then an even more brilliant idea that our three-goddess team approved was to shoot in a very authentic used bookstore called Bookwise. (I also learned that in order to photograph in a library one must apply for a permit with the city, whereas things were much more easily arranged at the bookstore - a sincere heartfelt request and our wish was granted. Thank you, again, to Bookwise for giving us the opportunity to photograph there!)
The second part of the shoot was done near a lake (right next to the Spanish River Library, actually!) Goddess Photoshoots are often done in a nature setting, and, as you will see from the photos, there is something magical that happens when one connects with nature.
The stylist, Sunnie Bell, used the information about the colors and symbols of the goddess to choose the outfits for her. It is important to remember that Sunnie was looking at the goddess through the prism of her art - fashion - and had an objective of putting a modern twist on the goddess outfit. If we had wanted to go with the traditional look, we could have just clad our model in a white dress and be done with it. Just like in some statues Saraswati is portrayed with her breasts bare, which was acceptable for that time, Sunnie Bell wanted to depict the goddess' attire in a modern setting. The styling was inspired by the goddess reading, but by no means prescribed by it.
For the bookstore part of the photoshoot Karen was dressed in blue shorts, white top, fancy green shoes and blue knee-high socks (my favorite! as soon as I work up the nerve to wear knee-high socks, I will do it! I think they look so cool and remind me of my childhood :)) For all the details of Karen's outfit, please check out Sunnie Bell's blog www.sunniebell.com.
When visualizing this part of the shoot, in the bookstore, I was aiming for a fashion photography look so I asked Karen to pose accordingly (as you may notice, it is very different from the usual posing in my Goddess Photoshoots. Karen's super long legs look even longer because of the lens that I used for the shot where she is sitting on the floor, and, perhaps, the fact that the shorts are sitting on her waist visually lengthens her long legs even more. One thing I can swear is that I did not make her legs longer in Photoshop!
To make Karen's hair fly in this shot, Sunnie was waiving a white piece of cardboard to create wind. The way she eagerly jumped at her new role and how rapidly she was doing it, Karen's hair flying all over the place, it made us laugh so hard, I could hardly focus on focusing! We talked about that moment again and again and wished there had been someone else there to take a video of that circus :) Don't miss the video at the end so you can better understand and feel what our photoshoot was like!
Bookwise is the most charming bookstore and we could have photographed there all night. Once we realized that the store had officially closed and the staff was staying just because of us, we promptly collected our things and dashed out. We still had to catch the last rays of light by the lake, to where we headed next.
Sunnie retouched the makeup on Karen, who by then had already changed into a blue dress. Her hair was also put into two thin braids that were tied in the back of her head and adorned with two peacock feathers, the symbols of the goddess. Sunnie created a necklace out of a yellow leather cord and a round medallion with a tree on it (both purchased at Hobby Lobby prior to the shoot). Sunnie said chokers were in vogue again and that she saw at a couture show how the ends were not tied. We believed her and obediently went along with this improvised choker. It had a double symbolism for me since this Goddess is associated with the throat chakra, and the medallion on the choker had a tree on it, a symbol of growth. (And I think I will try out this type of necklace for myself, since it is so effortless to make and looks so cool.)
This photo was taken in the parking lot, before we "officially" started photographing at our second location.
"What is that moving in the water? Do they have alligators here?" Karen asked as we were photographing near the lake.
"Nooooo. There are no alligators here", I pacified her. "Why don't you swing your arms wide and twirl, as if you are dancing", I suggested quickly to switch her attention.
We played by the lake, Karen danced, and when we were about to leave, there was a giant pink cloud in the sky, reflecting the light of the setting sun.
"That's a wrap", I said, as I had seen it done on TV.
"We didn't have a chance to do the photos of my back", Karen reminded me politely.
The photo of the tattoo on her back was one of the important shots that I definitely wanted to take - I even sent Karen a photo, an idea of how I envisioned it when she revealed to me that she had gotten a tattoo a week prior to talking about the photoshoot.
"I am so glad you reminded me!", I exclaimed, slightly embarrassed but thankful that she brought it up. Because if she hadn't, and I remembered about it when I got home, I would have kicked myself. We ran to the car, changed in two seconds and ran back to the lake. There was a strong pull to get back home to our babies (after two hours of being away from them, both Sunnie and I start missing them like crazy) and to husbands, who were left on Daddy duty, and to whom it was promised that we would be back in a couple of hours (yeah, right!) But the artistic drive was strong and the goddess was waiting for us, so we had to work super fast.
"Why did you get a tattoo of a lotus?" I asked Karen before the photoshoot, when we were waiting for Sunnie to start doing her makeup.
"Because it symbolizes enlightenment", she explained.
Then we started talking about our spiritual journeys and she told to me that she was going to an ashram one week and one day after our Goddess Photoshoot. I envied her and was so happy for her at the same time. My first encounter with the word and concept of ashram was in the book "Eat. Pray. Love", and I had always wanted to go to one. Or at least to a silent retreat. Karen was the youngest person I met who was on her path to enlightenment so early in life. Good for her!
The sun was long gone and the sky was dark as we ran back to the lake to take that last photograph. Sunnie held the flash with a FlashBender (I LOVE their products!), I took a few shots and one of our most favorite images was from this part of the shoot.
"I have a confession to make", I said nervously looking at the water, when I saw that the girls had already left the grassy area by the water and were stepping onto the paved walkway. "There ARE alligators here. I have seen one and I have a story about it."
"I can't believe you didn't tell us there were alligators here!" they shrieked and kind of reprimanded me.
If I had told them there were alligators there, Karen wouldn't have been able to relax. In addition to that, I had seen it with my eyes before and it was small and the people who work in the library had explained that these alligators don't go around attacking people. And I was watching the water the entire time. I told the girls about it and the begged, "Tell us the story!"
"Ok, one time I had a dream... I saw my mom through a sliding glass door as she was sitting outside near water with one of my daughters, while the second one was also supposedly outside. Then I suddenly saw an alligator in the water and I screamed for my mom to get the girls back inside as soon as possible. When I woke up, I was under the impression of that dream for quite some time, as you can imagine. That same day, my youngest daughter and I went to the doctor and on the way back I decided to give us a treat and take us for a stroll, right here, where our family liked to walk. I park the car, put her in the stroller, start walking. As I daydream, I see a neon green lizard rush to the grass near the lake (you can always see animals that you don't see often; once I saw an otter here and twice a snake) I remember about my dream. As I wonder if it was one of those dreams predicting something, I see a sign that was not there before: "Warning! Alligators may be present." Can you imagine? Needless to say, I jogged to my car, my heart racing, promising to find another place for our strolls."
Our goddess party adjourned that night, tired but with a great sense of accomplishment. All three of us (plus my oldest daughter) met again exactly one week later at a Starbucks for the presentation of the final prints and digital photos. All excited about the job well done we high fived each other. I was concerned that the staff of the coffee shop would ask us to leave because we were talking so loudly and excitedly, interjecting our conversation with a lot of "oh my god!", and "I love this one!" as we were going through the pictures and remembered all the funny moments.
And while looking at the prints for the second or third time, Karen laughed,
"Look at these photos. It is not me in these photos, it's the Goddess. She definitely manifested herself."
You definitely want to check out the video below, it contains some of our behind the scenes silliness. And though the video itself might not be perfect, I will try to do a little better next time - videography is new to me and I am learning :)
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.
personal branding photoshoot for a new yoga teacher
"Please don't mention anything to them about our photographing in the gardens", I caution my model and client, Denise, before we enter Morikami Museum and Gardens.
"Of course", she nods in agreement as we open the heavy doors.
"We are just ordinary park visitors going for a stroll", I mumble to myself as we approach the cashier, an elderly gentleman named Joe.
“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”
"Please don't mention anything to them about our photographing in the gardens", I caution my model and client, Denise, before we enter Morikami Museum and Gardens.
"Of course", she nods in agreement as we open the heavy doors.
"We are just ordinary park visitors going for a stroll", I mumble to myself as we approach the cashier, an elderly gentleman named Joe.
"That will be $15 per person and you cannot bring a bag of clothes with you into the park, ma'am, though your camera bag is ok," as he sternly gives me a look over.
"How did he know?" we both laugh as we head back out for Denise to change in the car. "I thought we were so discreet about it! These guys are experts at spotting photographers." My camera bag, by the way, doesn't look like a traditional camera bag. Once, when attending a photography workshop, as several of us, students, were going down in a elevator together, one lady pointed at my hot pink Cheeky Lime camera bag and asked, "Is that your lunch bag?" How dare she? I LOVE my camera bag for its extra-ordinarity. Anyway, thankfully, we were granted the permission to photograph in the park and we decided to do outfit changes in the car.
One of our most favorite images from the photoshoot is the one above. When I saw it through the viewfinder as I was taking it, I knew it would be one of the best shots. She is such a Goddess!
Even though the gardens had just opened, the serene place was already full of people being photographed and photographing. The heat index was rising so we got to business right away, deciding to play by the water first.
"Do you want me to splash the water around?"
"Great idea!" I say, and as she starts splashing the water toward me, we both giggle, but I am afraid to get water on my camera, so I suggest she try throwing the water towards the sky. This is what came out of it:
It is worth mentioning that Denise first contacted me when I was on vacation in Turkey. Even though she was eager to get her photographs taken right away, when I told her that I would be back in two weeks, she agreed to wait for me. And once I came back and we talked on the phone about her photoshoot,
I found out that Denise loves to travel and the country that she is especially drawn to is Italy. I had an obsession with Italy myself so I can completely understand why.
She also told me about how her fledgling yoga business is geared more toward children, and when I met her in person she struck me as a kid herself. This woman with a successful corporate career where she gets to travel worldwide has a contagious laughter and playful attitude of a cheerful kid!
During our photoshoot, whenever I asked Denise to give me a non-smiling expression, she would comply for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. After a few more tries I realized that it was her personality and after having taken a couple shots with a contemplative, introspective expression on her face, I decided not to persist anymore and just photographer this goddess the way she was naturally, smiling, bursting with joy, and happiness.
A contemplative expression on her face…
Until she burst into laughter seconds later!
"Look up! What is that? Is that an eagle?" she points to the top of a pine tree towering over us.
"It is!", I say as I continue to photograph her. In addition to the eagle, we also encountered a bright green lizard that I made friends with while I was waiting for Denise to change in her car. We also saw one of those long-necked black birds that spread their wings to soak up the sun. And lots of humans, of course, with many of whom Denise would casually start chatting and laughing.
We played by the water, on a giant rock, and Denise danced between tall trees. We didn't explore the entire park and I wanted to keep photographing, but we were both exhausted from the heat AND working (modeling is serious business, ask anyone who was photographed for two hours!) I think it just means that there will be a sequel to this photoshoot :)
This picture above sums up Denise's essence and personality :)
As Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man, don't bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he's a good man.”
I would definitely want this gentle and lighthearted woman to teach yoga to my daughters.
Another absolute favorite of both Denise and mine.
Want to join the Goddess party? Call/text me to 561-465-4857 or send me an email and let's talk about making YOUR Goddess Photoshoot a reality!
artistic yoga photography on the beach
Sharp rocks,
slippery rocks;
waves crashing on the huge rocks and sprinkling us with salt water;
Sharp rocks,
slippery rocks;
waves crashing on the huge rocks and sprinkling us with salt water;
fishermen.
We are intruding on their space,
the spot that had been theirs since before we got there.
And after we stay there a little, it becomes our space too and we feel at home there.
As if the rays of the still barely visible sun are warming up the cold fishermen, they smile to us and are ready to let us use their rocks, and even offer to move out of the way for the perfect shot.
Now as we leave this beach and give way to the new people who are coming to sing glory to the new day, they feel like they are stepping onto our territory because everything in our look and our stance says that this is our beach and our sea.
The city is waking up. People are walking, jogging, bulldozering around.
The sun just appeared above the horizon and the day barely began, but both my model Tamara and I feel like we did something HUGE that day. Three days before my departure for a vacation, Tamara and I put this photoshoot together in a matter of a few hours' worth of text messages (we had worked before) and the result of our collaboration you can see here.
My favorite images from our photoshoot are the ones with the city of Boca Raton in the background, the open bridge and boats going about their business. Most yoga photographs are taken in the nature setting, and they are beautiful, but my dream is to create a series of yoga photographs in the city, as much city as we can get in this part of South Florida, anyway.
A note for non-yogis out there:
Supposedly, you should not say that someone is good at yoga, but you can say that someone has a beautiful [yoga] practice. I overheard an instructor say that to one of the students after a class. :)
So, Tamara has a beautiful yoga practice. There are a lot of wonderful yoga teachers out there, but you know how it is, right? Once you make a connection and like someone's teaching style, you prefer to practice yoga with that person because you now have a relationship. It is like that for me with Tamara.
To learn more about the many talents that this woman has and a bit about how we got to know each other, please read the Goddess Interview with Tamara, in which she also shares some advice to those who are just beginning their yoga journey. Check out the video below to hear Tamara's words on what yoga means to her and what advice she gives her students.
When I was editing these photos while on vacation in Turkey, I resolved to myself to attend at least two yoga classes a week. I want to be strong and balanced, physically and emotionally, and doing yoga at home is not the best option for me because I tend to push myself more when I am in a class setting with others (not to mention actually doing yoga, when you commit to a date and time and having to go to a class to a yoga place, as opposed to saying to yourself that sometime today you are going to practice).
So I am putting yoga on my family calendar so that my husband can watch the kids and I can take care of myself so I can be the best Mommy and wife that I can be for them. And because I'm a Goddess :)
powerful and gentle (Goddess Photoshoot report)
This Goddess did not need a confirmation that she was a Goddess and gently opted out of the goddess reading. (A goddess reading, which is included with the Goddess Photoshoot, suggests which goddess' energy you embody and is typically done over the phone by an intuitive goddess-friend of mine). I had met Jennifer Nicole at an event the year before, when hungry for artistic work, I volunteered to photograph a Marry Yourself Ceremony (by Lourdes Starshower).
This Goddess did not need a confirmation that she was a Goddess and gently opted out of the goddess reading. (A goddess reading, which is included with the Goddess Photoshoot, suggests which goddess' energy you embody and is typically done over the phone by an intuitive goddess-friend of mine). I had met Jennifer Nicole at an event the year before, when hungry for artistic work, I volunteered to photograph a Marry Yourself Ceremony (by Lourdes Starshower). The idea of Marry Yourself Ceremony was to vow to love and cherish that wonderful, most important person in YOUR life - YOU. Aside from being a photographer at that event (and I don't ever photograph events - not my cup of coffee!), I was supposed to give vows and marry myself too, but I got cold feet... Jennifer Nicole was gorgeous at that wedding - wearing a cream-color dress and a tiara and she immediately struck me as a Queen. Gentle and feminine, but at the same time knowing what she wants and very powerful.
When she finally decided to splurge on a Goddess Photoshoot, before I even read the results of her Design my Goddess Photoshoot, I had a vision of her with very bright, vibrant colors, in a dark, about-to-swallow-you, fairy-tale-like forest. My goddess then confirmed to me that to match her spirit we would photograph in a woodsy area that also had access to the water so we chose to do it in the Spanish River Park in Boca.
Jennifer Nicole chose three outfits for the shoot - a long purple gown, a mystical black hooded dress, and a flowery short dress, that, unfortunately, never made it into the photos because we got so caught up in photographing the first two. My model also picked out lots of jewelry, including her crown.
The first part of the shoot we experimented in the woods - first on a giant fallen log and then on a path in the forest.
A little photographer's trick:
If you are not an experienced model, it is always easier to pose when you have a prop. When you have something in your hands that you need to interact with, you are more natural, because you are not thinking about the camera and posing. So we found this enormous green leaf, that took part in our shoot. The images from the leaf series are my favorite, including the million dollar shot (can you guess which one it is?).
On the technical side of things, for my photographer friends who might be reading this, the lens that I used for these images was Lensbaby Spark. ("Baby, I love Lensbaby", I said to my husband) This very inexpensive lens that looks more like a toy gives your images one in-focus sweet spot while the rest of the image is soft and blurry. This year I am on the path of experimenting with photography and getting away from the prescriptive rigidity of what I was taught (how can you prescribe ART?) by taking a bunch of out of focus pictures. The slogan on the Lensbaby gave me goose bumps when I first read it:
"Discover how the aim of photography isn't precision or perfection. It's wonder."
So wonder we created and the images came out wonder-ful :)
Then we decided to take some photos on the path in the woods. After giving my model some general posing guidance, I captured these images below. "I was channeling a Disney princess", she said with a huge smile.
She even sang for me and the birds chirping in the tress, just like the real Snow White! And I got it on camera, in one of these behind-the-scenes shots:
For the second part of the shoot, to translate the vibrant, abundant, gentle, loving and fun-loving spirit that I saw in Jennifer Nicole, I though a sea of flowers would help. (Well, a sea I did not quite muster, but a pond it was. We will try the sea version next time:)) We scouted a patch of green grass, further away from the action of beach-goers, who were washing sand off their happy and tired canine babies on the way back to their cars. My goddess sat on the bright green grass, surrounded by white, pink and purple-hued flowers that matched her dress, behind her ... a parking lot.
"Are you sure the parking lot will not show?", she looked around.
"Trust me, I am an engineer", I thought, and reassured her, "No, it won't, don't worry".
The flower shots came out beautifully, showing off her gentleness, femininity and symbolizing her being a beautiful blooming flower herself and her abundance and bright outlook on life.
"Red roses are my favorite", she says, when I pull out a giant red rose that I envisioned as a prop for the black dress and the third, final part of our session. Though my vision for that dress was to be photographed on the beach, Jennifer Nicole convinced me that it would look better in the woods, since it had a more magical feel to it. By then it was twilight, and the photos came out capturing that mystical spirit of the Goddess.
"What time is it?" I wondered, when I realized that we were the only ones left in the park. (Because I totally lose track of time when I photograph, that day, I had prepared a watch to put on before the shoot, but forgot it anyway.) When I looked at the time, it was 7:45 pm - we photographed for close to three hours! That moment, when I get yanked out of my fantasy world and back to reality, I start panicking that my baby might have gone through all the pumped milk and may be hungry (which is rarely the case), and we throw everything back into the car and head out, back to the real world. But this fantasy-like evening in the forest and the reminder of her divinity will stay forever, in beautiful photos.
I delivered the final photos to Jennifer Nicole in person. We met at a Dunkin Donuts, where I presented her with the beautiful black box with the photos inside. I loved the photos we created together and was curious to know her opinion about them. "You will be blown away by how beautiful you are", is my promise for the Goddess Photoshoot experience. "Will she be blown away?" I wondered as I was opening the door for the giant jogging stroller in which my daughter accompanied me.
"Guess what the client said about the photos?" I ask my husband (the game that he is thrown into playing whether he likes it or not :))
"She loved them"
"Yes, she loved them! She was totally blown away!", I exclaim joyfully and braggingly.
Her exact words after seeing the photos were "I am so happy right now!" and that is the best praise I can get. She also added, "This is the best work you've ever done and I've seen your work. And I have to say I have the best and I love them!"
Those words gave me a high that lasted the whole day, and then some. That must have been one of the few times when I did not seek validation on Facebook as I often do.
After posting a photo or a piece of digital art that I am proud of and then not getting as many likes as some perceived notion of how many likes it deserves, I would then get depressed over not getting that validation. And that day I did not need any validation because I KNEW the photos WE created together were AWESOME. I couldn't care less about social media, because I saw the value that this woman placed on these photos, and I myself felt the value of what I produced for her, and for myself. And then coincidentally (yeah, right. No, seriously, however you want to interpret it), I came across this article about photographers seeking validation on social media.
Back to the main point now.
Loving yourself because you look amazing is superficial, some might say, but that love for self must start somewhere. Focusing on the positive, noticing the beautiful, and praising yourself for the good qualities you posses will surely raise your vibration and take you on a path to loving yourself more. I hope this Goddess now falls MADLY IN LOVE with herself because she looks magnificent!
P.S. The cool thing was that I captured Jennifer Nicole's healing energy on camera :)
“I recommend Francesca Bliss because she is amazing at capturing the essence of a woman, the soul of who you are and the power you represent in a way no other photographer can. Before hiring her, or any photographer for that matter, my biggest fear was that I would not look good in the pictures. In the final photos I looked amazing and I appreciated myself more when I saw how beautiful I looked and how it made me feel special about myself. My favorite part of the photo shoot was being on site where I loved the scenery and was able to wear what I wanted and to be free, to be who I am. Francesca Bliss captures the magic in people and there’s no other art like that. ”
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 you desire.
photographing this south florida dancer and performer made my head spin!
Immersed into setting up my flash while mumbling out loud about what I am doing, as I often do before and during photoshoots, I get slowly pulled back into this world by a sweet aroma of some essential oil. I glance over at my model, an exotic looking slender Gita, whom I met through an acquaintance, and I see her rubbing the shiny oil onto her legs. "I have a bunch of good luck rituals," she says with a huge grin.
“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”
Immersed into setting up my flash while mumbling out loud about what I am doing, as I often do before and during photoshoots, I get slowly pulled back into this world by a sweet aroma of some essential oil. I glance over at my model, an exotic looking slender Gita, whom I met through an acquaintance, and I see her rubbing the shiny oil onto her legs. "I have a bunch of good luck rituals," she says with a huge grin.
As she confessed to me later, even the day of the week that we chose for our photo session, a Tuesday, was no coincidence.
She says Tuesdays are her lucky days.
The word "auspicious" comes to mind, which immediately makes me think of Eat, Pray, Love. - the book in which Liz, the heroine, raised money for a construction of a house for a family, which then kept putting off building the house for a ridiculous period of time because they were waiting for the "auspicious moment". English not being my native language, after reading that book the definition of this word was forever ingrained in my lexicon.
And speaking of raising money for a cause, when Gita and I were exchanging text messages over a span of few days in preparation for the shoot, she told me that she would like to do a photoshoot while also raising money for a charity close to her heart - Food for Life Global. As I read that message, I thought to myself, "crazy lady. How can you model and raise money at the same time?" I am glad we talked about it and both agreed that we might join forces to raise money for this charity on a different occasion.
Photographing Gita was effortless and joyful. Watching her spin in her 23-meter-of-fabric Flamenco skirt in front of a green live wall on Worth Avenue or watching her wave a soft delicate scarf against the backdrop of the bluest sky in South Florida (while also balancing and trying not to fall into the fountain in the center of Mizner Park) was like having a private show just for myself. Those passing by must have also felt the same way because they stopped and stared. And smiled. (Some took pictures with their phones, and one guy insisted we take a picture and send it to his friend Larry Jones in Beverly Hills). Random people told her how beautiful she was.
And everyone who laid eyes on her walked away with more sparkle in their eye, taking with them a tiny bit of her brilliant smile and radiant joy.
Her name is Devi, which in Sanskrit means "goddess", another auspicious coincidence, since photographing goddesses is one of my passions.
Her passion is, clearly, dancing.
As the epigraph to this article so accurately remarks, there is noting there for the ego to display once the dance is over (ok, you can record a video and can show THAT off), as opposed to my craft, in which I get to brag about the beautiful images I create (which leads me to this ongoing debate as to whether I am feeding my EGO or my SOUL by doing this, which brings me oh so much joy, my photography) I came across this quote, which, I suppose, is what dancers must feel:
“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful... This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.”
As I was editing pictures from my very first photoshoot with Gita, and the first photoshoot of this year, in the very last picture from our session (when I saw a "are you coming soon?" from my husband and told Gita that I had to run back home to my babies, and when she threw her hair up into a high pony tail which gave her a playful look), I noticed a small rooster, perched on a single tile above the passage where we shot. And just before I started editing, when I was frantically searching for a New Year's card to post on my Facebook profile (which I didn't do anyway) did I find out that this year 2017 is the year of the rooster according to Chinese horoscope. I believe in signs. And I took this rooster as a sign that it will bring me good luck this year.
Later I found out that Gita was born in the year of a rooster, which means I have a double rooster in this photo, in the very beginning of the year of the rooster!!!
This is as auspicious as it gets.
artistic nude photography
"In this country people equate nudity with sexuality",
said Adam, one of the volunteers for my most recent art project. Adam is a member of a Florida Young Naturists group, a community of nudists 18 - 35 years of age. The nearest to Boca Raton nude beach is in Aventura, just north of Miami, in Haulover Beach, where the sand is white and ...
"In this country people equate nudity with sexuality",
said Adam, one of the volunteers for my most recent art project. Adam is a member of a Florida Young Naturists group, a community of nudists 18 - 35 years of age. The nearest to Boca Raton nude beach is in Aventura, just north of Miami, in Haulover Beach, where the sand is white and the atmosphere is serene, according to my model. I take my chances and photograph Adam on the public beach in Boca at 6 am in the morning, before the world awakens and anyone can get offended by a nude man ashore. We start working and I lose track of time, of course. The sun is barely above the horizon, Adam is sitting on the wet sand facing the water, small waves washing over his legs from time to time. An early riser and exerciser, a woman in her 60s, walks by (I was so immersed in work that I did not notice her and did not give Adam heads up to cover himself up) and says grumpily, "this is not a nude beach, we have children here!"
"There is nobody here, ma'am", I reply, "it is not even 7 o'clock in the morning." She walks on, continuing to curse and mumble something under her breath. To be honest, she looked more upset and angry with me, than with the actual nude man, most of whose buttocks were now buried in the wet sand any way. It makes me think of this quote:
Doing nude photoshoots is what I set my artistic vision at from the beginning of 2016. My goal is to have an art exhibit of nude photography by the end of the year (or January of 2017, at the very latest - so please hold me accountable!) and so far I have photographed a beautiful spiritual singer, a courageous 19-year old who followed her love to California, a youthful life coach, a super tall tech guy, and young and open to experimentation Adam, whom you met. I'm currently looking for more volunteers to participate in this project as I'm really planning to plunge into work between September 20 and November 1. You see, my mom is coming to visit and will help me with my seventeen-months old daughter and the beginning of November is when I am going to give birth to my second daughter...
For those CURIOUS about the project, but APPREHENSIVE about being recognized or compromised for appearing nude, there are many ways to DISGUISE someone's face (with hair, mask, fabric, leaves, etc.), or have the model twisted into a shape (or simply posed away from the camera) where the face will remain invisible. In addition to that the final photo can be composed in such a way that it leaves the face completely out of it. But it will, most likely, be a very liberating and unforgettable experience, so if you are curious, but hesitant, I invite you to discuss it :)
My reasons for doing this art project are multiple:
· to appreciate and admire human form as it is (I intend to use very little post-production editing to retouch the skin or alter the shape of the body);
· to become more accepting of my own body - to love it for its functionality and for the mere but grand task of housing my soul, as opposed to despising it for some perceived imperfections as compared to some beauty ideals that have been instilled in my mind since early age;
· to provide a liberating experience for other people (women, especially) and show them how beautiful they are. Being able to participate in a project like this takes guts. Even if in the final images the person's face is disguised in some way, such as covered by hair or a mask, or cropped out completely, it takes a lot of courage to strip away your clothes and appear just as you are, one-on-one with the camera - vulnerable and raw. I like what Padma Lakshmi, and Indian-born American author and model, said on this subject:
And the rawness and discomfort of the experience and overcoming that feeling is what makes it so liberating and rewarding in the end;
· to grow as an artist. To accentuate the form and shape of the human body I will need to experiment with various lighting techniques. Also, posing a nude model is not the same as posing someone who is wearing clothes. Overall, photographing nudes is a whole different world which will bring me more experience and improve my skill;
· to show the diversity of human form, how we are all the same, but at the same time oh so different;
· to push outside of my comfort zone, to help others push outside of theirs;
· to help people become more accepting of their bodies and not be afraid of nudity. Another one of our contemporaries, Emily Browning, an Australian actress, said:
When staring with this project, I did some research and came across some wonderful artists whose work truly inspires me. Here is the list of photographers and digital artists I have encountered so far, and if you know any other artists who specialize in or have a passion for nude photo art, I would love to get acquainted with their work, so please share their names with me.
Andreas Bitesnich - an Austrian photographer and musician; specializes in nude and portrait photography, whose work has been published in a gazillion publications: http://www.bitesnich.com/portfolio/nudes
Jade Beall - an American photographer and author who lives in Arizona; specializes in truthful images of women, inspiring women to love and accept their bodies as they are, promoting self-love through un-retouched photographs: http://www.jadebeall.com
Thomas Holm - a Danish photographer who shoots artful nudes:
http://www.commandoart.com
Model Society - a creative online community of photographers, models, and artists, commited to celebrating the beauty and art of human form:
http://modelsociety.com
Take a look at their beautiful free digital magazines (also available for purchase in print form): http://modelsocietymagazine.com
Steve Richard - a Canadian fine art photographer who spends most of his time shooting dance, bodies in motion and teaching the art of light, language and line: http://www.steverichard.com
Daria Endresen - a Norwegian photographer and digital artist who creates surreal dream scapes laden with pain and mystery: http://dariaendresen.com/gallery/digital
Thank you for taking the time to read about my latest art experiment and we shall be in touch soon. In the meantime, love and admire your physical bodies and let me know if you would like to have them photographed. Nude, of course, because as Nick Offerman said, "the ultimate disguise is nothing. Nudity."
the twirling leaf, or creative photography for a spiritual entrepreneur
Dry leaves are rustling under my feet as I make my way deeper off the paved path, where sunlight does not reach the ground because of the thick foliage above. It looks like someone spilled a giant bucket of sepia to cover this part of the park canvas, with the exception of a few resilient greens that are making their way to the skies. A good way to ensure not getting a spider web on your face is to extend your arm in front of you and wave it in the direction in which you are going ...
Dry leaves are rustling under my feet as I make my way deeper off the paved path, where sunlight does not reach the ground because of the thick foliage above. It looks like someone spilled a giant bucket of sepia to cover this part of the park canvas, with the exception of a few resilient greens that are making their way to the skies. A good way to ensure not getting a spider web on your face is to extend your arm in front of you and wave it in the direction in which you are going, and that is precisely what I am doing.
"Why don't you sit right over here?" I suggest, pointing to a spot in the middle of dry leaves and branches. Marcelo trustingly follows my instructions and sits cross legged on a dry branch that cracks under his weight. He puts his right palm facing up and notices a bright green leaf dotted with yellow hanging on a thread of spider web. The leaf had caught my eye and I instinctively guided Marcelo to it so that it can become an element of our photo shoot. As Marcelo sits there, just focused on that leaf, it starts spinning, faster and faster, unwinding the problems and worries from our minds. And as it twirls and twirls, my shutter clicks and clicks, and both Marcelo and I are silent. He is meditating on the leaf and I am holding my breath to capture this intimate moment.
This little meditation sets our photoshoot to a great start. We squeeze ourselves from the murk under the banyan tree that had originally lured us into that section of the park with its intricately intertwining long slender roots.
Meet Marcelo. a kind soul from Peru, a yogi, a tree whisperer, a Thai massage expert, an advocate of yoga as a way to quiet your mind and find inner peace.
I lead Marcelo to another tree with which I became acquainted on my previous photoshoot in this park. "How would you feel about climbing this tree?" I ask, and in two seconds Marcelo is already up on the tree, beaming with a smile of a mischievous kid. I take several photos of him up in the tree, while he gets to indulge the little boy in him, climbing the giant branch higher and higher. And then the wise Marcelo returns - he closes his eyes in a pensive embrace of the thick branch.
After the tree climbing we find another leaf that begs to be a part of Marcelo's photos. This one is a huge round one, more wide than it is long, almost heart shaped, bright orange and red. It looks a little bit like a heart and has an outline of a beautiful tree.
We conclude our photoshoot on the beach where Marcelo works his Thai massage magic on a futon and with assistance of his friend Tasia who volunteered to help. It was a wonderful session, peaceful, infused with good energy.
The images I love the most are of Marcelo meditating in a tree, and the one with the twirling leaf. And when my mind starts doing just that - twirling - I will take myself back to the peacefulness of that afternoon.
To get to know Marcelo even better, connect with him on Facebook and visit one of his yoga on the beach classes.