my favorite fairy
Photos and stories from three Goddess Photoshoots with the amazing Amy Shine.
Her gorgeous curls, radiating smile, and a sexy Irish accent will make you remember her forever. Whenever I catch a glimpse of her on social media, she is either on Mount Shasta, in Israel, Dubai, or Mexico, teaching one of her access bars, embodiment or other workshops. She is multi-talented, super passionate, and extremely inspiring to learn from, be around, look at and especially work with.
I had the honor of photographing Amy Shine three times, but somehow didn’t get to creating a blog post about each photoshoot. In this story I am sharing my favorite photos from all three photoshoots that I did with Amy, so you can see what is possible to create with one person in different locations. Also, if you visit Amy’s website, you will be able to see how she uses the photos we created together on her website and social media to promote her offerings. Amy has a brilliant graphic designer who is able to take the photos I create and transform them into amazing graphics that reflect Amy’s brand and communicate the energy of her offerings.
Photoshoot number 1:
Golden Sunrise Photoshoot in the woods
For our first photoshoot we photographed at sunrise in the Yamato Scrub Natural area, a 200-acre preserve of Florida wilderness. Amy wore a white and green dress and danced in the tall grass, whispered to the trees, and meditated in the rays of golden light.
Amy is a an Access Bars Facilitator, which means she is a trained practitioner who helps individuals in unlocking and releasing limiting beliefs, thoughts, and emotions through a unique and transformational modality called Access Bars. By gently touching specific points on the head, known as bars, the facilitator facilitates the release of stored electromagnetic energies accumulated over time. This gentle and non-invasive technique prompts deep relaxation and allows for the dissipation of mental, emotional, and physical blockages. The Access Bars Facilitator creates a safe and nurturing space for clients, guiding them towards greater clarity, empowerment, and a sense of expansiveness in their lives. Through their expertise and compassion, these facilitators play a crucial role in promoting personal growth and well-being.
We photograph out in the open field as the sun is rises and its light is soft and golden. As the day gains strength and the light becomes harsher, we move into the woody area with the Spanish moss and tall pine trees that provide more shade.
I love this photo we create that symbolizes coming out of the darkness and into light, emerging from the unconscious into the conscious, from the unseen into the seen.
Our divine feminine power lies in our very nature, that is why I prefer to photograph women in nature. Depending on who I work with, I might even ask them to lie on the ground, to bring that grounding to the whole next level. As I discovered during our first photoshoot with Amy, she is game for whatever artistic idea I have. I asked her to lie on the ground, with cascades of her curls spread around her head as a halo, and standing right above her, I took this shot. There is a look of peacefulness, tranquility, and calmness in her eyes, her hair the color of the Earth, she looks like Mother Nature herself.
Throat chakra activation aka screaming off the top of your lungs is something that I have been offering to women intuitively during every Goddess Photoshoot. What it does is that it gives woman a voice. It gives her a chance to be heard. I talk about this in more detail in this article and you can actually see Amy scream during one of her photoshoots.
This photo is me getting to know Amy’s screams for the first time, and I must admit I absolutely love them!
We also played in the area with the magical Spanish moss, which resembles her hair. Given that Amy is also a movement facilitator, we also incorporate dancing shots in all of her photoshoots. By the way, if you want to see a video of Amy dancing in nature and talking about Dance to Oneness check out this video on my YouTube channel.
Photoshoot number 2:
Golden Light in the Banyan Tree and Pink Sunset over the Ocean
For the second photoshoot we meet at the Spanish River Park in Boca Raton just before the sunset. As the golden light pours in between the branches, I create these portraits of Amy.
I photograph Amy dancing at the root of a majestic banyan tree and also had her dance IN the tree. Climbing trees is a natural part of Amy’s photoshoots, and she did it in all three of her Goddess Photoshoots!
Amy changes into another outfit and we head out of the forest.
I take a few shots of Amy dancing in the dunes with golden wild oats and then head closer to the water. There, Amy channels her inner mermaid, and we create some of my most favorite images of her. I just love how powerful and beautiful she looks in these photos.
It was also during this photoshoot that we filmed a video in which Amy talks about how she got into dance and Accessing the Joy in Body. You can watch it here.
For the very last portion of this photoshoot, when the sun is already behind the horizon, and the color of the sky changed from pink to mysterious pink and golden, we take a few silhouette and mysterious-looking photos on the intracoastal.
Here’s an at-a-glance overview of that photoshoot:
Photoshoot number 3:
Green Fairy in a Magic Forest
Our most recent photoshoot took place in one of my favorite locations that is truly magical. This parks boasts a variety of trees and leaves that dazzle you with their magnificence. And the gigantic dark green elephant-ear-looking leaves make her look like a tiny fairy indeed.
We created some photos of Amy in a black silk slip next to a mysterious royal poinciana tree.
We also played next to a puddle in which I captured her reflection. Later, Amy wrote a beautiful post about addiction and shared it with one of the photos from the puddle series and the image and text went to together so beautifully and made such a powerful impression.
I love playing with harsh light lately. When you are a new photographer, they teach you to stay away from it and that’s what I did. But now I love how dramatic harsh light is and what you can create with it. Here are a few portraits of Amy where the light of a gaining strength (but still golden) sun is hitting her directly in the face. When I look at these photos, they make me happy. And that’s what our art is supposed to do, right? Make US (creators) happy. ♥
For one portion of the photoshoot Amy donned this light blue dress and she looked like a ballerina in it. Well, she is a dancer, but this outfit gave her a different kind of elegance and accentuated her posture. I love the photos we created in it:
Of course, there was also tree climbing and dancing in the forest:
My favorite images from this session are these ones. I love her gentle expression and mysterious smile as she looks at home among these gigantic green leaves.
The overview of the photos from this photoshoot looks like this:
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Curious about having personal branding photos done for your spiritual business? I would love to work with you! Reach out and let’s talk about what kind of photos will help take your business to the next level and let’s manifest some magic together!
the dark feminine
What exactly is DARK FEMININE? Learn about what dark feminine is, about its traits, and how you can explore and embrace it in your life.
I had an epiphany today.
Four moms, myself included, were hanging out while our kids were playing tennis, and one woman brought up a local photographer who creates “daring” photos of women.
I saw how the eyes of one of them lit up with interest and excitement. It was the same woman who had told me she wanted to do a sexy sunrise photoshoot.
This also brought to memory of a woman I photographed a couple of years ago, a mother of three. A gentle, agreeable, nurturing goddess who told me she was looking for edgy photos. She didn’t want sweet and pretty pictures of her smiling in the field of daisies. She wanted photos of her staring daringly into the camera, as she wore rugged boots and a leather jacket at the backdrop of rough cement and dilapidated building.
How could I not see it back then?
And what a gift that I can see it now.
Curiously enough, I just learned about the dark feminine a couple of weeks ago. A lady commented on my work on Instagram and asked me if I had done much work with dark feminine.
“What is dark feminine?” I asked and immediately started my research.
As I scroll down my Instagram feed, I see women who look gentle, soft, kind, nurturing, sweet, agreeable, reaching their arms out toward the sky and sunlight and embracing the whole world with the sweetness of their souls. That’s LIGHT FEMININE. That’s what women are EXPECTED to be: nurturing, motherly, compassionate, kind. That’s what we are used to seeing women as, that’s our “typical” role: giving, forgiving, caring, generous and gentle.
The DARK FEMININE represents the aspects of the feminine psyche that have been suppressed and repressed in our society. It is the part of us that is WILD, UNTAMED, and UNAPOLOGETIC. It is the part of us that is ANGRY, FIERCE, SEDUCTIVE, and POWERFUL.
As women we are often taught to be good girls, to suppress our anger, to cross our legs, to be agreeable and accommodating. We are expected to be polite, gentle and submissive. We are told that anger is unbecoming and that we should always put others’ needs before our own.
It is the “smile, you look prettier when you smile” comment you hear from older people sometimes. And the response the dark feminine would give is “F*&#k you, I am not here for your entertainment.”
Curiously enough, I have been feeling angry lately.
And I have been wanting to create self-portraits wearing a black see-through dress, something more on the edgy and seductive side, but not for the purpose of “entertaining my husband” as I like to say, but FOR ME. I have banned black clothes from my wardrobe entirely in the last ten or so years (I used to own ONLY black clothes when I was in high school), but lately I am feeling drawn to it again. I also started speaking my truth more and have been openly cursing and expressing my anger to and toward my husband (the poor guy gets the brunt of it, but we will get through this eventually).
I feel freer.
It feels good to be angry. Or to be more accurate, it feels good to let the anger out.
My friend Jess pulled a card for me recently. Guess what was on the card? It was a huge dragon spitting flames of fire! That image resonated so deeply with me.
It feels good to release those flames of fury from inside of you. When I hold it inside and try to be “a good girl”, it is suffocating me.
And that’s why other women are craving edgy photos of themselves.
That dark feminine side of them is seeking to be expressed. It wants out, it is sick and tired of being bottled up inside.
It wants to get the fuck out because it is time.
It is probably sick and tired of cooking, cleaning, buying groceries, doing laundry and folding laundry, and taking care of all the kids’ school and extracurricular stuff, and of making sure that everything is running smoothly. I think that shit would suffocate even the strongest of men if they dared to do all we do. That’s me speaking for myself, I am not sure what drives other women… I do know that a lot of my anger stems from the fact that I have to do all the “woman” stuff in my household…
Embracing the dark feminine means embracing our anger, our darkness, and our power. It means acknowledging and accepting all aspects of ourselves, even the parts we have been taught to suppress.
When we embrace the wild, angry, bleeding, and sexual side of ourselves, we step into our power. We also start trusting our intuition and following our creativity, we trust our inner wisdom to guide us in our lives. We are no longer afraid to try new things, leave partners who don’t value us, and speak our truth openly.
Learning about the dark feminine also made me re-evaluate my work.
I started looking for examples of it in my work and was able to find only a handful of photographs where I invited women to channel their dark feminine side. Now that I openly became a cursing sailor (honestly, I have always been one, but I have been suppressing it, because, well, I’m a “good girl”) I MUST explore the dark feminine more. There is a chance I will throw myself entirely into the other side of the divine feminine spectrum…. But I also trust that after that experimentation I will find what is TRULY ME artistically and as a woman.
LIGHT FEMININE TRAITS
nurturing, loving, kind
compassionate, empathetic, forgiving
gentle, soft, delicate
intuitive, feeling
happy, content, agreeable, calm
DARK FEMININE TRAITS
fearless, bold, daring, fierce
passionate, following her desires, seductive
wild, raw, primal, edgy
powerful, transformational, magnetic, creative
tempestuous, angry, raging, feeling all emotions
As I started examining the traits of the dark feminine, I realized that IT HAS BEEN present in my art! The goal of my photography is to make women feel POWERFUL, and my invitation for the women is to transform into the woman who follows her desires and dreams. And I ALWAYS invite women to scream and be wild during a portion of their photoshoot.
My photoshoots also almost always take place in NATURE, thus inviting women to connect to Mother Earth, the dark feminine herself.
I have been intuitively offering this safe space to women and now I understand that this is the part you call the dark feminine.
And now it is more clear than ever how together the LIGHT FEMININNE and the DARK FEMININE make up the DIVINE FEMININE.
I promised myself not to talk badly about my art. My sweet goddesses in photos reaching toward the light ARE a reflection of the kindness and compassion with which I see the world. The path that has led me to where I am today - I am thankful for it. And since I have come to learn about the dark feminine now, I will explore it. I am excited to play with this energy and I am inviting women to join me.
How to tap into the dark feminine energy.
As I prepare explore the DARK FEMININE creative and personally, here is the action plan that came to mind:
(the masculine energy in me is great and it always likes to have a plan, that’s just who I am :) But I also will remain open to being flexible and gentle with myself throughout the process (thank you, feminine, energy :)))
Read and research more about dark goddesses, books about witches, listen to podcasts and learn as much as possible about this topic. (I’m a very academic and by the book type of girl, in case it wasn’t clear :))
Become even more aware of my anger and emotions in general. I have found journaling as a great way for that.
Learn about dark feminine rituals and practices that can help me heal what needs to be healed. I imagine some shadow work is in the cards for me for sure! To connect to my emotions (and to myself) on a deeper level, I will attend some tantra workshops and classes.
Get more in tune with my menstrual cycle. Honestly, I must say that I am proud of myself for honoring it lately. There was a day when my girlfriend with whom we like to create content (I do not like that word, so you know), went out intending to film something, I knew I was on my period so I should have been in my pajamas on the couch in the first place, but I got all dressed up and I went out. I did feel however, that the creative energy was no there and I ended up not filming anything. I honored my body and how I felt. It felt awkward at first, and I kept explaining it to my friend Sasha, and apologizing (to myself included), but at the end it felt so good.
There are a lot of resources about the menstrual cycle and understanding it and getting in sync with it is part of the tapping into the dark feminine magic within our own bodes.
Explore the dark feminine creatively by allowing the women to REALLY EMBRACE it during a DARK GODDESS PHOTOSHOOT. I see it as a safe space for women to let out their flames of fury, their rage. It is also a place where they can connect to the powerful seductress within, connect to their desire and sexuality. It is a place where they can channel their mystic, their slut, their raging tigress.
For props and outfits I’m envisioning: black, red or daring dark color outfits, fierce and non-smiling facial expressions (or evil smiles!), powerful and bold, victorious poses, as well as something curled up and almost repulsive in the traditional sense, mystic looking candelabras, candles and witch’s tools, swords, ravens, skulls, blood, the moon. I see these images NOT as perfectly in focus images, but rather as something that communicates FEELING. I see slow shutter speed that results in trailing light and crazy out of focus feeling depicting CHAOS, a WHIRLWIND of uncontrollable energy, a place from which CREATIVITY COMES. I envision women who look almost IMPISH, causing you to want to skip these photos but at the same time you know you want to look again. These are the visions I’m having and I can’t wait to birth them into life through a creative process with someone.
As I was picking out images for this article, I realized that MANY women don’t have access to that dark feminine side of us. And as I type these words, I first wrote “some women” because I didn’t want to offend anyone, ruffle feathers and cause waves by my statement. And that’s exactly WHAT HAS BEEN SURPRESSED IN ME! So fuck it, YES, I am saying what I see as true, and though it may not be true for you, many women do not have access to their dark feminine side. That’s why we are out of touch with our sexuality and the magic within us.
So let’s ruffle feathers, let’s cause waves, and let’s become the fullest expression of what we are to be in this lifetime.
I am convinced that it is no coincidence that the dark feminine flung the door open into my life and commanded I acknowledge it. It has been present in my life all this time but in more subtle, almost invisible ways and now it is demanding the center stage.
And the fact that you came across this article is no coincidence either. I invite you to explore your dark feminine side, whether it is through reading books and journaling, or doing shadow work and working with a tantra practitioner, or doing a creative play photoshoot. By connecting to our dark feminine we are untangling generations-worth of suppressed emotions, sexuality and power so we are doing it not only for ourselves, but for our daughters and generations to come.
Please feel free to share in the comments the resources that help you. Thank you for reading and happy exploring of the dark feminine together!
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epic goddess photoshoot for oracle Eyre in south florida
How many outfits or looks can we photograph during a two-location Goddess/branding photoshoot? Count with me as I take you on the journey of one of the most epic photoshoots with an oracle named Eyre. Behind-the-scenes video and a story of her spiritual journey included!
This article contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase some of the products recommended here, I might get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Happy reading!
What happens when 2 goddesses get together for a 2-location photoshoot and photograph for 2 hours in each place? :)
Magic happens, my friend. MAGIC.
“How’s your family? You came down to see your family here, right?” I ask her as we unload her suitcase full of outfits and props and we head into the MAGIC FOREST - our first photoshoot location. For the record, the park is obviously not called that officially, but it might as well be! It has trees with rainbow bark, a mystical tree, a grotto with water that sparkles in the sun and a regal banyan tree the size of a palace.
“No, I don’t have family here,” she says. “My mom used to live here, but not anymore” she answers.
My eyes open wide as I stare back at her.
“Did you come to South Florida just for me?” I say almost tearing up.
“Yes, I did. I came just for you” she says with a gentle smile. “I found you on Pinterest and fell in love with your work and I knew that you would be the one to photograph me.”
“I am famous!!!” I jumped around in joy mixed with disbelief.
If someone would have told me I would have clients flying in to see me from another state, I wouldn’t believe them… and now it is happening. This is so exciting, but most of all, I feel so GRATEFUL and humbled…
Oracle Goddess Photoshoot Outfits and looks
Being an A+ student she is, Eyre prepared for her photoshoot very well! A suitcase-full of outfits, crowns, props and accessories many of which came in handy during our creative play. I was so impressed with the variety of things she brought and how well they matched each setting. Well, being A+ students that I am, I did suggest the locations for our photoshoot and we chose two places that intuitively felt right. I also sent her photos from each location so she was “familiar” with what each place would look like and I think that might have helped her choose the perfect colors for her outfits.
Let’s take a look at the outfits and accessories Eyre wore and a total number of looks we created.
Look #1: Green Forest Nymph.
Eyre arrived to the photoshoot in this dark green dress. As we were walking down the path, I saw these dark green leaves exactly the same color as her dress. The leaves were framing this one spot beautifully, as if waiting for their forest queen to take her regal spot. We played here for some time while Eyre was getting used to the camera and warming up. We photographed without any props and then included a bouquet of artificial flowers for this series. You can get the same Green Forest Nymph dress on Amazon and it comes in a variety of colors.
Look #2: mystical oracle
Our second stop was a mystical tree and to give herself the aura of mysticism, Eyre put on a scarlet hooded cloak which she purchased on Etsy. This cape made her and the photos look absolutely epic. I can tell you for sure that we couldn’t have achieved the same look with a cheap Halloween cape, and I am so happy that Eyre invested into this. I bet she will also use this cloak for ceremonies and her Avalon priestess program.
We decided to set up an altar at the base of the mystical tree. Eyre gathered some green leaves, laid them on the ground and placed her magic tools there: sage, smudging feathers, singing bowls, a wooden bow and a candle. Let’s take a look at each one of these in detail.
Tibetan singing bowl and a larger brass singing bowl were some of the props she brought to the photoshoot. Eyre placed red rose petals in a larger bowl (maybe they have been blessed in a ritual she did at home…) and at a certain point of the photoshoot she threw them up in the air. You can see that moment in the behind-the-scenes video from our photoshoot below.
We used a white candle and I am obsessed with the photos we created with it! While photographing, I held a crystal in front of the lens. Doing so adds colors and reflections that the crystal pulls in from its surroundings and the effect can be quite dramatic depending on how you hold it, what’s around you and how the light hits. In some photos with the candle you may notice a mysterious blur in the left bottom corner, and in others you can see the reflection of the trees above us. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy and this certainly does! :)
I love using crystals during Goddess Photoshoots! Eyre held a white quartz crystal from her own collection and I love this photo we created.
As an oracle, through her connection to Spirit, Eyre helps point her clients in the right direction. To symbolize this in photos, Eyre brought this gorgeous wooden bow. As it turns, out, she found this uniquely shaped piece of wood on her property and painted it. The result was a stunning looking bow that we improvised with to create a series of powerful photos.
Smudging feathers and sage or palo santo is always a good idea for a Goddess Photoshoot if you ask me! We didn’t create much smoke in these shots, but we did with another outfit. Keep reading!
Look #3: Golden Goddess clad in Silk
Eyre changed in the bushes :) When I saw her wearing this gorgeous mustard gold dress, I knew it would look stunning against the backdrop of my favorite dark green leaves that make you look like a tiny fairy when you stand next to them. After we played there, I asked Eyre to sit on the ground because I realized that the leaves are the exact same color as her dress! The one-sleeved equivalent with a sexy shoulder of this dress is available on Amazon in a variety of colors.
Look #4: Golden Sun Goddess in Lush Greenery
Add a simple crown, and the energy of the outfit and the model changes radiantly! Once Eyre put on this Goddess crown in gold, we moved to photograph in the lush fern and the photos we created there are divine. Be sure to check out the behind-the-scenes video to see how I got her to look comfortable amidst all that vegetation ;)
Look #5: Lady in Burgundy Red
By this time in our photoshoot, we were having so much fun but the sun was on the way down and we had to hurry. We had one more location to drive to!! Would we have the time to photograph next to a majestic banyan tree?
We had to work fast. Eyre changed into a burgundy Goddess dress and I asked her to sit amidst all the flowers. I think she was being bitten by bugs and since modeling is harder work than most people think, she and I were both getting tired.
We also played with a peacock feather, but honestly, I don’t think I was quite able to bring into life the exact vision of what I wanted to create with it. I ended up editing this photo in an infra-red style, making all the greens look red.
Then we played right next to the banyan tree, and of course, I asked her to dance to no music :) She looked absolutely divine and I think these photos capture that well.
Look #6: white Linen and Moss Greens in a Moss Cave
We have now moved on to our second photoshoot location and Eyre is standing in a moss cave and talking to her spirit guides. She is wearing a simple A-line linen dress with a draping sleeveless cardigan that drapes her figure. The colors of the outfit are EXACTLY the same color as the Spanish moss encapsulating her into a safe cocoon. I love how the cut of her dress makes the tattoo on her chest visible. This simple outfit works so great in this setting, and I definitely have to give full credit for that (and all the other outfits!) to Eyre: she did her homework well and now she will have a TON of images in different outfits that she will be able to use for so many things.
Look #7: Neutral Colors and natural Fabrics in a Sea of Grass
We stayed in the same color palette in terms of clothing and landscape. Eyre changed into a pair of linen slacks and a top with a frayed front and we set out into the vastness of the South Florida (slightly manicured) wilderness.
At a certain point, when Eyre was squatting in the grass as I had asked her to, her hair got stuck on the tall grass behind her and it inspired me to create these images. I edited them using the infra-red-imitating preset, which turned greens into reds, pinks and magentas. and I absolutely love them:
Look #8: Black romper with feather earrings
Eyre donned a simple black romper, adorner herself with feather earrings and held her ceremonial handheld drum so we could create these images. I used a soft box to light my model and her selenic drum. Super happy with how the images turned out against the backdrop of a darkening sky.
Look #9: Warrior Priestess Jacket and black romper with malas
For this look, Eyre is wearing a black romper and a vintage Warrior Goddess denim jacket. The jacket was one-of-a-kind creation that she found on Etsy that is impossible to find anywhere else. If you look the idea of the jacket, you can try a boho jacket similar to this one I found online. A romper with good reviews that comes in several colors and that is similar to ours is this one. Eyre finished this look with big feather earrings and two malas necklaces.
9 looks at 2 different photoshoot locations and over 100 mages that Eyre received after this epic branding Goddess Photoshoot. Check out the video below to get a glimpse of what our co-creation process looked like:
I also asked Eyre to record an audio note telling about her spiritual journey, which she did, and I added that audio track to the slideshow of almost all photos from her photoshoot. You can watch it here:
Eyre’s branding photoshoot will forever stay in my memory as one of the most epic photoshoots. Is it because it was so fun working with this goddess, or because for the first time in my photography life I felt “famous”? Maybe it’s a mix of both. ;)
To learn more about Eyre and the gifts she brings to this world, please visit her website.
I hope you enjoyed my written and visual story. Thank you for reading!
With love and gratitude,
Francesca Bliss
more from the blog:
personal branding photoshoot for an integrative health practitioner Tracy
I sneaked out from the house to the car to have a few minutes of quiet time to prepare for a phone consultation with Tracy before her personal branding photoshoot. As I read her detailed story in the personal branding questionnaire that she sent over, I started crying. Her story is so powerful, that I decided to share it in this article.
You know how many hard-hustling women find themselves exhausted, overwhelmed, with stubborn pounds clung to their mid-section while wondering what happened to the fit warrior that crushed deadlines, to-do lists and let nothing stand in their way? Well, I help women find and correct the underlying root cause imbalances so that they lose that stubborn weight, look and feel amazing and reconnect with their lost mojo.
I am unique because I have walked an integrative wellness journey at the most profound level. Many highly respected neurologists told me that I would not live, yet here I am, very much alive. I left a promising corporate career to practice Integrative Health because I do not want one more person to share my journey.
My story is long and circuitous, like most people in the natural health and wellness space.
Here is the Cliff Notes version:
My last “traditional job” was as the Global Vice President of Consumer Research and Product Development for a multi-billion-dollar consumer durables brand. You would likely know the brand if I told you. I WAS the hard-driving female.
It kills me to say this, but I am now 52 years old. Ugh. I was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease when I was 32 years old, just 14 months after my twin daughters were born. Parkinson’s is what dismantled my paternal grandmother, so I knew very well what lay ahead for me when the diagnosis was given, and then confirmed three times by increasingly highly credentialed specialists.
The words “Progressive, degenerative, there is no cure” were burned into my brain because I heard them repeated so many times.
They told me my marriage would fail. Check; it failed wildly.
They told me I would be institutionalized within ten years.
They told me I would be dead in 20 years.
I was unwilling to accept these answers.
I will admit that at first I did the completely normal thing and fell into a gross heap of despair. The illness progressed rapidly during my self-pity party, which terrified me. Then one day, my sweet little girls crawled into my lap, and one of them asked me, “Mommy, who is going to takecare of us when you die?” Oh, my goodness. The question took my breath away. I told them that I was not going to die; I was obviously too mean to die, and smiled. I made a mental note: no more Disney Princess movies! At that time, the princesses all had deceased mothers and evil stepmothers.
some of the branding photos we created:
These events occurred more than 20 years ago, so there were no “done for you detoxes”, and Dr. Google was not a resource. I went to the library, researched everything I could about the known contributing factors to Parkinson’s disease, and found a huge correlation to pesticide exposure.
I also learned that movement was a great way to keep the condition at bay, which was not what I had been told. So, I began a mad campaign of walking, detoxing in every manner I could research, and praying the rosary.
The rest is a very, very long story, but I can tell you that I was at one point a very heavily medicated person with visible tremors that frequently froze and fell down the stairs.
My Neurologist told me that he had no idea how I did it, but if I walked into his office, he would say that I DO NOT have Parkinson’s Disease. It took ten years, but I am and remain 100% symptom-free. I am now a runner, an equestrian, and a thrilled Mom who loves to be here for the twin girls she raised alone.
I am appalled at what Big Food and Big Pharma do to the people of the United States. It galls me to think that so many mothers are doing things for their families, truly believing that they are taking the very best care of them when they are slowly poisoning them. This is true of the food they feed them, the personal care products, the products used to launder their clothes and clean their homes, and even the water they bathe in is often filled with chlorine and pharmaceuticals that goes straight into the bloodstream through the skin. I believe that by educating and helping the women of the world, I will have a ripple effect, impacting families and the next generation.
The thing that I am most proud of is that I learned the body’s power to heal itself, and I know this not from a book, lecture, or certification.
I have checked many educational boxes and continue to learn, but I know it because I have lived it.
When someone tells me that they feel like they are dying, I know the feeling. I fell at the base of my driveway, taking out the trash on a wintery Chicago morning before work one day. I lay there and cried because I was literally dying. I was dying a slow, protracted, miserable death, and I felt helpless.
Until I found hope, that is my unique gift. I do not know how or why, but I am able to see the bright light in others that they often cannot see themselves. If you can get someone to see that bright light, to find that, then there is hope for them.
People cannot heal without hope.
This story changed my life and gave me new purpose. I was told I was going to die, and I said, “Death, not today.” I replaced deficiencies, removed toxicities, and let my body return to its equilibrium and voila! I now absolutely MUST take this and share. I help others find the courage to heal, and I use functional medicine labs and protocols combined with transformational coaching technique to help reset the subconscious behaviors that “keep them stuck” to guide them to wellness. This is my greatest accomplishment.
How’s that for a story? I cried when I read it. It is so powerful that I decided to share it in its entirety (with Tracy’s permission, of course).
I feel so special that this strong woman chose to do her branding photoshoot with me. She was very nervous about the photoshoot because she remembered from her corporate days stiff headshots that looked nothing like her. When she saw photos on my website, she says she regained hope that she can have photos of herself that she would not be embarrassed to post online.
Tracy had her makeup done by Savannah of https://www.jusssavvybeauty.com/
I brought some irises which symbolize hope, and Tracy had a coupe other bouquets around the house (fresh flowers always add such a nice touch to photos!). She always has tons of fresh fruits and veggies in her pantry and we used them for photos as well. Tracy’s dogs gladly posed for photos too, and the entire photoshoot flowed smoothly as we changed outfits and rooms where we photographed.
If you would like to work with Tracy or get to know her, follow her on Instagram: @tracyweskamp
other personal branding stories:
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personal branding photoshoot for an interior designer in boca raton
It was a perfect house for our photoshoot, but there was one problem with it, and there was A LOT OF IT! Be sure to watch the behind-the-scenes video at the end of the story.
Anastasia needed to create photos for a new franchise business she purchased. She would be doing interior design and the franchise gave her a useful PDF guide of the kinds of photos that would work best for the new website.
Finding the right location for a branding photoshoot is key. Anastasia’s target audience was upscale and the place where we would photograph had to express that. From experience I know that luxury hotels don’t allow photography in the lobby (unless you have a manager friend who can get you a media pass ;)) and the rooms are usually too small to be able to photograph in them.
6 location choices for a branding photoshoot
Depending on your brand, budget and situation, you can choose to photograph at one of the following locations:
photograph in your home
rent an AirBnB for a night
use Peerspace to find the perfect location. This website lets you find a space near you that you can rent out for a few hours
photograph in a studio that can build out a set for you
ask around to see if any of your friends have a suitable place and who would let you use their space
photograph outdoors, somewhere in the city
We were not able to find a Peerspace or AirBnB location that fit our vision and I do not own a studio. Three days before the photoshoot Anastasia texted me saying that we would be able to use her friend’s house for our photoshoot.
When I walked into the house, I was greeted by a Greek grandma who was visiting her daughter, the owner of the house. The house was perfect for the vision we had for our photos - it was filled with natural light, had high ceilings, beautiful modern furniture, and high ceilings. There was one little problem, but it was A LOT of it!
There were Christmas decorations everywhere! White and silver snowmen and reindeer, snowflakes and nutcrackers, were on the dining table, on the coffee table, on the side table by the mirror, it seemed they FLOODED the house.
And since you want branding photos to be relevant all year round, you don’t want them to be tied to a specific holiday (a few photos for social media posts around the holiday are fine, but not all of them).
The powerful Goddesses that we are, we remove obstacles that stand in our way :)
Section by section, depending on where we would photograph, we would remove Christmas decorations, wipe glitter off the table and start photographing there. By the end of the photoshoot the Greek grandma had the job of putting the house together again, because the only thing that was still intact was the Christmas tree.
I laughed through most of the photoshoot. Anastasia would go with every posing idea that I offered. That usually makes creative play productive and fun. Her accent and sense of humor made me laugh so much my jaw hurt. She is so lighthearted and easy-going, honest and simple, and I really loved that about her.
In addition to traditional portraits of Anastasia, I felt it was important to capture that playful part of her. So we created this image and a close up of her shoes to portray her passion for fashion.
But it wasn’t only her sense of humor that inspired me in this Greek Goddess.
What I loved about her was this.
When I first got to the house and got over the overwhelm of winter wonderland, we went to the bedroom to pick the outfits for the photoshoot. Anastasia did her homework and brought several outfits. When I saw what she brought my eyes widened. There was a black off the shoulder top with feathers, and a white t-shirt with the word “fearless” on it. From the boots and the shoes to the iPad case and her jewelry, I loved her taste and her zest for wanting and BEING dressy, stylish, flashy. This desire to look good, to be attractive, to be fashionable signals to me her zest for life, and I loved that. I believe surrounding yourself with things that spark DELIGHT is part of the vibe you create for your mood and for your life.
BRANDING PHOTOS FOR AN INTERIOR DESIGNER IN BOCA RATON, FL:
To see what our creative process actually looked like, check out this behind-the-scenes video. It’s a great way to see the moment vs. the final photo which is always fascinating!
That’s a wrap! It was an amazing experience working with Anastasia and I wish her good luck on her entrepreneurial journey! ♥
Need personal branding photos to grow YOUR business? I have a Personal Branding Questionnaire that I have my clients complete before we photograph. It helps both of us get clear on what we want to communicate with our images so the client has an entire library of them to use for at least six months. I will be happy to send you the questionnaire for free, just send me an email!
more on personal branding:
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why making your dreams a reality is scary - my Paris story
The closest I have ever been to France is a French bakery. A place where I can practice my bonjour and merci beaucoup and pretend I am in France.
The closest I have ever been to France is a French bakery. A place where I can practice my bonjour and merci beaucoup and pretend I am in France.
I have been enamored with the French language since young age. At the university, I missed the day there were forming foreign language groups, and a friend of mine signed me up for Japanese. "There were not enough people for a French group anyway, and out of Japanese and Korean, I thought Japanese would be a cool language to know." It wasn't until my late thirties when I started taking French lessons. I find this language so sexy and beautiful that I could listen to someone recite the multiplication table and not get bored.
And of course, it has been a dream to visit Paris. The city of lights that every girl dreams of. It didn’t bother me that this dream was not unique to me.
But here is a surprising thing I learned about reaching for my dream and making it a reality.
A few days ago my friend Sasha invited me to celebrate her birthday in Paris. She said the airfare was cheap and we could split accommodations with another girlfriend of hers who would come with us.
(This is Sasha. Look how stylish and cool she is. She is even wearing a French t-shirt. Am I even cool enough to go to Paris?)
Here it is, my dream, within reach. No, wait, it can't be. Let me ask husband first. Husband says, "YES, please go!" Oh wow. Full permission to take and behold my dream, how... scary is that?
What I felt was FEAR. I told Sasha I was coming, still not believing that it was happening, still apprehensive, and only when she said she bought the tickets, I felt that "now it's a done deal, I have no choice but to go, so I better start preparing myself psychologically."
Why was I scared? It's Paris, the city of lights, with its endless cafes, well-dressed people and the French language on every corner. It is the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysee, and endless museums. It is inspiration in every lamp post, history of centuries ago whispering to me through the buildings. Why be afraid of what you DREAMT about, what you WANTED, what you WISHED for?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is the comfort zone that doesn't want to let me go. The comfort zone is soo cozy and our psyche wants to keep us in the familiar and known territory. As much a dream is something desirable, it is UNKNOWN. And if it is unknown, it is scary. And if it is scary, of course you shouldn't do it.
When a dream is just a dream, it is wrapped up in pretty wrapping paper with a bow on top, neatly tucked away on a shelf. It is somewhere on the top shelf where you can see it, and point at it from time to time to your guests who come to visit. And it sits there, slowly collecting dust, and when you do take it down from there to examine it, you wonder if you ever get to unwrap it and look what's inside. And maybe you even convince yourself that having this pretty wrapped up box IS enough. After all, you can brag about it and everyone can tell how pretty it is. And maybe what's inside is a can of worms, and you might not even like it. Let's put this baby back on the upper shelf again and admire it from afar.
That's what it felt like for me.
What I told myself is that I WILL DARE to unwrap it. I DO WANT to see what's INSIDE. Life is not a rehearsal and this is it. I don't know when I will have a chance to go to Paris again. Flying there with our entire family of five is definitely more expensive than me going solo in a company of Ukrainian girls. And maybe if it wasn't up to Sasha, I would wait many years to go visit the city of my dreams, and by then I would be an old wrinkled lady. An old lady with short white hair, smiling at the bustling Parisian life and thinking to myself, "Why the hell didn't I come here sooner? What's the point of all this now?" You know, how people get bitter as they get older in life and teach everyone how to live and say things like "when I was younger..." Who cares about Paris at that age anyway?
Sasha asked me to send her my passport info. There was still hope that this was not meant to be. If my passport is expired, I wouldn't be able to go.
Upon checking I discovered that the passport expires in seven years from now. I took it as a sign.
Sasha booked our tickets and found a cozy little apartment for us to stay in. I booked the AirBnB and the confirmation read, "Congratulations, you are going to Paris!"
It is happening. It really IS HAPPENING.
I am proud of myself for acting in spite of my fear. Words mean a lot to me and I decided to switch from saying "it is scary" to IT IS UNKNOWN. Because it is unbeknownst to me, this magical city of Paris that every girl dreams of.
Why do I dream of going there? Will something be revealed to me there? What will it be like? The mind, or the ego, wants certainty, but it will all be revealed once I get there.
One thing that I know for sure is that this trip will EXPAND me. When I first thought of going there, with all the uncertainties, I felt that if a trip to Paris is possible for me, then anything is possible. We can plan, save up, research, do and make shit happen. I will be leaving my three children with my husband, so I will need to let go of control and practice surrender, having faith, and growing as a result of this. I am teaching my children self-love - Mommy is going to Paris to do something for herself. Oh, yeah, and we also want to pay a visit to Normandy, while we there!
Now the only thing left to do is go shopping for clothes, pack my suitcase and camera and show up to the airport two hours before our flight. Everything after that is just a giant leap of faith. I am open to experiencing, seeing, learning, being inspired or disappointed, being filled up or emptied, and experiencing a dream come true. A DREAM COME TRUE. How cool is that?
I typically use my own images for this website, but since I haven’t been to Paris yet, I have no photos to show and this story seemed so naked without visuals. I expanded my comfort zone by using free images from Pixabay to give you a glimpse of what I will be seeing on my trip. The goal is to update the blog with MY photo essay from Paris upon my return.
I am going to Paris!!!!! What????? Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!
Thank you for reading ♥
GODDESS PHOTOSHOOT STORIES
MY LIFE LEARNINGS:
What is a Goddess Photoshoot and what does it FEEL like? Watch this video to find out:
the photoshoot that almost didn't happen. twice.
While on vacation in Adana, Turkey, I offered free photoshoot to local beauties in an attempt to grow my portfolio and create portraits in breathtaking Turkish lands. Here is how the process unfolded and what came out of it.
Over twenty girls answered my model search inquiry in a Russian group in Adana, Turkey. My whole family moved there for six months to spend time with our kids’ Turkish grandparents and relatives and I thought it would be amazing to do some art experiments in beautiful landscapes that are so different from South Florida, where I currently live. Out of that sea of Russian-speaking beauties who got excited about a free photoshoot that I was offering, I photographed only two.
I guess it applies to a lot of things in life. We see something shiny and exciting and we are a hell YES for it. But then the mundane details of figuring out the steps, and actually TAKING the steps, and then god forbid there are obstacles in the way, and no matter how shiny the object was and how badly we wanted it, we lose interest.
This is what happened to many of the girls. They got excited about a free photoshoot by an American photographer - that was their shiny object. They were a hell yes for it and messaged me saying they were interested. Then we needed to figure out when they were available and what they would wear, and somehow that got difficult. Or maybe they didn’t value that shiny object because they had no skin in the game, they were not invested in it. Another moral here: people don’t value free stuff.
Whatever the case was, this girl Katya is the heroine of my story. After she messaged me about wanting to be a model in one of my photoshoots, we started discussing the locations and outfits.
The location where I wanted to photograph was in the mountains, half an hour outside of the city. In my vision I saw her wearing a light flowy dress as she was looking over the expanses of a country she made her second home. The only problem was that in that mountain area the temperatures were lower than in the city and it was wintertime! It wasn’t too cold maybe around 15 degrees Celsius (60 F), but still.
Katya seemed to like my vision. Then she disappeared for a few days, and later sent me a message that she might not be a suitable model for my art project.
What happened? Am I not meant to have any photoshoots in Turkey? Am I cursed?
I sensed that something was going on and sent her a voice message explaining that we can do it in a way that works for her (the people pleaser that I am - gosh! I though I was over that…) The reason she got scared to do it in the mountains was because she was afraid to get sick. After our conversation she was back in the game again! I don’t regret compromising in this situation because I still got my model and we photographed in a beautiful place.
We decided to photograph in a gorgeous area in the north of the city near the dam, where my husband took me on one of the rides around the city. I was in love with that place and was looking forward to photographing Katya there.
But it almost didn’t happen. Again.
Katya didn’t have a car and the plan would be that my husband and I would pick her up. My husband had a brilliant idea that we rent a car right before we head to the photoshoot and then have the rental car for the weekend, instead of using his dad’s car. Do you see any potential problems with that? I was almost in tears as we were sitting in the rental car place and the guy was saying to us that he couldn’t give us a car for some reason. It was fifteen minutes before we were supposed to pick up Katya. The one and only photoshoot that I managed to set up in Adana might not happen after all.
I am not sure what happened exactly but fifteen minutes later we did have a car and as we were driving through traffic to pick up Katya, she texted back saying “Don’t worry, everyone is always late in Adana”. Even though Katya didn’t mind us being late, the sun surely wouldn’t wait for us, so we had to hurry.
We made it to this gorgeous place just in time. The sun was about to set, and Katya looked gorgeous in her red lace dress. As most other women, she was a little nervous in the beginning, but after I guided her through posing, she started feeling more relaxed and natural.
Once the sun hid behind the horizon of tall buildings, it was officially blue hour and Katya had changed into a simple outfit of a white jeans and a blue sweater and we took a few photos by the water. Besides a couple fishermen meditating over their fishing rods, and my husband waiting in the car, there wasn’t a soul around. It was serene and that entire outdoor studio of rocky mountains, glass-like water and enormous mountains belonged to us. The photoshoot that almost didn’t happen twice, finally happened.
Here are some behind-the-scenes from our photoshoot:
And a few more images of the gorgeous Katya:
Did Katya’s story get you thinking about what would a portrait photoshoot look like for you? Whether you are just toying with the idea of having your photos taken or are ready to schedule one, I am happy to answer any questions you have. Please reach out and let’s start the conversation!
other turkey vacation stories:
portrait photography session for a military veteran Courtnee
A portrait photography session for a military veteran named Courtnee in West Palm Beach.
“I’m a Goddess!
I don't think I am the only one
but I will confess that I haven't ever thought
I was beautiful.
As a kid, I was the skinny, freckled faced Punky Brewster lookalike.
I compared myself to everyone.
Especially all those women my mind had convinced me
that were prettier than me.
I didn't love myself for most of my life
and had no concept of self love until
I looked in the mirror one day and didn't know who I was.
I had been a chameleon, changing who I was to suit others but never myself.
Since that day, I have poured into me
and continued to discover who I Am.
That meant loving my body
and as much as that is still a work in progress...
I am embracing it as much as possible.
This woman here has been through 20 years of military service
and has seen things many couldn't or wouldn't want to see.
You can't see my injuries and scars but they are there.
Wearing a uniform for 20 years meant
I hid behind the name tape on my chest
and found comfort in looking as uniform as the women beside me.
It wasn't until I retired that I started to embrace my true divine feminine energy.
That is what you see here.
A woman whose is like a lotus that has grown
and blooms despite the muddy environment in which it lives.
Blooming out of darkness and radiating for all to see.
Thank you Francesca Bliss for capturing such a deep but beautiful part of me and my journey.”
When I see women and then get to know their stories, it always amazes me how these gorgeous, powerful, regal creatures have gone through periods of being unhappy in their skin. And I’m ecstatic when I see women coming to embrace their quirks and “imperfections” and start loving themselves and feeling powerful and juicy in their skin. I hope the work I do helps along the way in this self-love journey.
The first time I met Courtnee was right before the photoshoot. After she booked her Goddess Photoshoot with me, I did my research, and was intrigued by the tagline she uses - fearlessly freckles. That’s her Instagram handle (@fearlesslyfreckles) in case you want to look her up. And, of course, I was fascinated by her freckles (something that probably caused her a lot of grief as a kid - I remember trying to get rid of MY freckles when I was little. But mine are not as gorgeous as hers. Wait, what? Stop comparing yourself!)
And what makes her fearless is that this goddess was in the military for 20 years!
We photographed in a park that had a pond and lilies were in bloom at that time. Both of us had zero expectations and we agreed that this photoshoot would simply be a play in the park and whatever comes out of it, so be it.
Courtnee had sent me photos of her outfits beforehand and I told her which ones I thought would work best for the location we chose and for the mood of the photos. I loved the dark green dress and when she showed it to me in the parking lot when deciding what to wear first, she said, “I never got a chance to wear this dress. I bought it to go to a wedding but when the pandemic hit, everything was cancelled.” I thought the dress would almost blend in with the green backdrop, so the focus can be on Courtnee’s fearless freckles and stunning tattoos.
Some of my favorite images from this series are the ones of Courtnee looking toward the golden light of the setting sun. That light was pretty harsh and it is what most beginner photographers avoid at all costs - harsh lines that fall the wrong way are a nightmare. But I have been enjoying harsh light lately because it creates very moody images. The trick is to turn the face toward the light, or just slightly away. Courtnee’s most favorite is the one at the top of this article, with her eyes closed, as if internalizing the self-love she is finally welcoming into her life.
For a more dreamy look in photos, I used Lensbaby Composer Pro 35 mm lens. I love Lensbaby and the dreamy out of focus images it creates, like the ones below.
For the second part of the photoshoot we moved to the pond with lilies and Courtnee changed to a green skirt and a top that accentuated her breasts.
The light was softer by now and when Courtnee sat by the pond, she looked like she was the Queen of those lilies who came out ashore to enjoy her Queendom. I wanted to get as close as possible to the lilies, and even had visions of her in the water, but even though I am crazy sometimes when it comes to getting the right shot, safety comes first.
We then walked over to the other pond where waddling ducks graced some of our photos with their model strut. I love the photo of Courtnee looking fearless as ducks make their way past her, minding their business. I love how feminine and at the same time powerful she looks in these photos. And I love the half-crooked smile that you will recognize in the selfies she posts online. We were able to capture slightly different version of her and I can tell these photos will help her learn to admire and love herself even more, as you read her own words in the beginning of this story.
And of course I made her scream into the sky as she was lying on the ground :) This throat chakra activation/sound healing/permission to be loud/permission to take up space, time and wave lengths is a powerful tool I use in most of my photoshoots. It can seem silly, but it is also liberating and empowering. (If you want to learn more about the tricks I use during Goddess Photoshoots, check out this story.)
To sum it up, I had lots of fun playing with Courtnee :) Here’s some behind-the-scenes magic from our photoshoot:
And this is what Courtnee wrote in a review about working (aka playing) with me:
“I discovered Francesca Bliss on Facebook and reached out to her to inquire about her Goddess Photoshoots. She was super professional and provided me times and dates she was available. She was gracious enough to come closer to my city to shoot. I was very comfortable shooting with her, she demonstrated and explained what she was thinking and made it all seem effortless.
I have photographed with other professionals but she was so down to earth and easy to work with. She made me truly feel like a goddess. My gallery was delivered to me today and it's hard to believe that the goddess in those pictures is me. I don't mean that to say she made me look like someone else but she exposed my true beauty so naturally. I truly feel like a goddess in these photos and what better way to celebrate turning 40 and blossoming into the woman I am becoming.
Need to discover your inner goddess? Let Francesca Bliss guide you. She is her own goddess.”
Curious about your own Goddess Photoshoot but don’t know what that might look like? Check out my article 6 Ways to Do Your Goddess Photoshoot and see if any of my ideas inspire you. And feel free to reach out if you would like to discuss your questions, concerns, inspiration in an online or in-person discovery call.
Remember, having professional photos of yourself taken is a way of honoring yourself, honoring the Goddess within you.
yoga content creation for a Delray Beach yogini
The clouds were dark grey, thick and heavy with rain as I was driving to Keslee’s photoshoot. Will we be able to create the photos she needs ASAP for a yoga clothing company sponsoring her posts?
It definitely didn’t look like photoshoot weather when I was driving to the agreed location to meet her. Keslee and I made plans for a one-hour yoga content creation photoshoot in Boca Raton. The clouds were dark grey, thick and heavy with rain and as I was driving, a torrential downpour started. Windshield wipers swinging like crazy from side to side, I could hardly see the road in front of me. “It’s pouring where I am,” she texts me. “Let’s meet at our location and see how it is”, I reply to her. Will we be able to create the photos she must create for one of the brands sponsoring her posts?
When we get to our photoshoot location by a lake, the skies have cleared, there isn’t even a drizzle, but for how long?
Keslee has one outfit, but a series of poses she must capture in photos for the campaign that a yoga clothing company Alo is sponsoring. She made a list of poses which makes our flow more efficient. We get to work.
We start on the sidewalk next to the lake and play there first.
We then go to a different section with tall grass, and I LOVE the photos we create there. See if you can spot two dragonflies in one of them ;)
My goal as a photographer is to create a variety of images for my clients.
Even though we are photographing in ONE general location, I aim to find DIFFERENT BACKDROPS for photos so photos don’t all look the same.
As we venture into a woody area, Keslee attempts another handstand on the path and says, “No, there are no more handstands left in me for today.” Here is what we create under the canopy of freshly washed oak trees and shrubs:
In precisely one hour we finish all the poses Keslee needed to capture, and it starts drizzling again! We are elated - perfect timing for a perfect photoshoot!
As we head back to the parking lot, I get inspired by the bridge (that I have seen thousands of times! photographers love bridges - leading lines, you know :)) Keslee is game to play even though it is raining. You can actually see slight streaks of rain drops falling in these photos.
And on the very final walk back to the car, I take a couple of photos by the lake, with a heron in the back as a supporting model.
When I was a beginner in photography, rain was my worst photographic nightmare. Now, I love the dramatic skies of before or after the rain, and even photographing in the rain is something I find inspiring. Pretty blue skies get boring after a while, and since we are looking to create scroll-stopping images for a social media content creator, different is good.
Check out this reel see some behind-the-scenes magic of that day.
I cannot believe how strong and powerful this Goddess is and I admire the pretzel shapes that she bends herself into!
behind-the-scenes magic of a yoga photoshoot
Interested in a content-creation session to boost your social media growth? I love working with creatives and spiritual entrepreneurs and helping them grow their businesses.
Just like that, in one hour’s time we created all these photos. I sent all color corrected photos to Keslee less than 48 hours after we photographed. I knew she needed them as soon as possible and I was excited to see what we created together. I have even put together this piece for her, which my followers suggested a title “The Thinker, The Observer, The Doer.”
other yoga photoshoots:
portrait photography session on my trip to Adana, Turkey
A Boca Raton based portrait photographer goes to Adana, Turkey for a vacation. These are the portraits of a Dutch-Turkish goddess they create one fateful evening.
We were planning to photograph in the cotton fields at sunset, Ellen and I. Given the fact that I am new to the area, I asked my father-in-law to take me there the day before so I would scout the location and save it on the maps in my phone.
Cotton fields were gorgeous - fluffy snow white pieces the size of my fist were coming out of seed pods and the whole field like it was covered in giant snow flakes.
“I will wear a knit dress (great texture, I thought!), boots and a beret” Ellen told me about her outfit as we were figuring out what colors would work well together. This would be my first time photographing in cotton fields, I was ecstatic.
The day of the photoshoot she comes to pick me up and we drive off to the location that my husband (my technology guru) saves into Ellen’s phone. We start driving.
We drive and chat (her English is excellent, because my Turkish not so much), and we drive some more. And then we drive, and drive, and drive, and there are no cotton fields around.
At a certain point, when I see golden light flood the streets of the city through which we are driving, it dawns on me that it is not in the cards for us to find the cotton fields.
“Change of plans”, I say. “Let’s go to Central Park and photograph there”.
We make it there and jog to take photos while there is still light - the sun is already behind a tall Hilton building. I am just using available light, a 35 mm lens for wider shots and 85 mm for tighter portraits.
As it gets darker and darker, I get really inspired by the view of the mosque against the dark blue sky. I use the street light to light my gorgeous model. As she turn her face up and to the right, she is lit perfectly, and I am very happy with the final shots.
I wanted to create some photos of Ellen looking back at the mosque. I had Ellen turned toward me, but whenever I gave her a signal, she would turn back to look at the mosque behind her. It created beautiful movement in some of the shots and made her hair fly.
Some of my most favorite photos are these:
The moral of the story is this: flexibility is key. If you can’t find what you are looking for, “settling” for another option might be the very option that was meant to be for you at that moment ;)
other stories from Turkey:
6 ways to do your Goddess Photoshoot
These 6 strategies for going about planning and preparing for your Goddess Photoshoot will take the overwhelm out of it and give your creative process direction.
The idea of a Goddess Photoshoot sounds exciting, but then the questions of what to wear, where to photograph, what else to bring can overwhelm you. The 6 ways to do your Goddess Photoshoot that I am suggesting below will help answer some questions as soon you decide which method resonates with you.
“Goddess Photoshoot? Uuuu, sounds juicy. But what exactly does it look like?”, women sometimes ask me.
A Goddess Photoshoot is a photography experience.
“So it’s a portrait photography session? Like photos in a studio?”
Kind of. But it is more than just pretty pictures of you smiling into the camera.
I am a portrait photographer - women are my inspiration, and so is nature. And since our human nature in its origin is wild, nature is where I love to photograph my subjects. Nature is a safe place where we can connect to the deepest parts of ourselves, our primal parts, the wild parts of ourselves that we have been suppressing to fit in, to be “normal”, to be liked.
During a Goddess Photoshoot I invite you to allow Your Inner Goddess to come out and play. We play in nature and create portraits of you that show different aspects of your essence. Like an actress in theater who steps into a role, with each outfit change you have the permission to portray parts of you that are wanting to be expressed.
When women see photos of themselves, their perception of self changes. “I never realized what a beautiful, soulful woman I am, thank you so much for showing it to me”, one woman said. Anyway, I am not here to sell you on a Goddess Photoshoot, I am here to educate you on 6 different ways you can go about doing your Goddess Photoshoot.
You can think of the suggestions below as THEMES for your photoshoot. It is something that gives direction and narrows down your options and thus makes it less overwhelming. And if you are deeply spiritual and feel connected to a particular deity, these suggestions will only seem natural.
6 ways to go about your Goddess Photoshoot
1. EMBODY YOUR GODDESS.
Have a Goddess Card reading to find out which Goddess energy resonates with you, or what your Goddess archetype is and EMBODY THAT GODDESS during your photoshoot. A Goddess card reading is an intuitive card reading that can be done in person or over the phone.
If you already know to which Goddess you feel strongly connected, you can embody that Goddess during your photoshoot. For example, Claudia of the Red Tent Goddess Sisterhood has a very strong connection to Isis, a Goddess that she has been working with for many years. Claudia used golden wings, an ankh cross and included other symbols of Isis in her photos.
Once you know your Goddess and what colors and symbols are associated with her, we select the location for your Goddess Photoshoot that resonates with her, and your outfits and props are inspired by your Goddess.
Here are several examples of women who did a Goddess reading before their photoshoot. Please note that these photoshoot happened a few years earlier, and I feel like my skills have evolved since then, so don’t judge my photography too harshly :)) Aside from my photography, you might find some of the stories interesting.
2. INVITE THE GODDESS INTO YOUR LIFE.
Think of what you want to bring more of into your life, for example, prosperity, compassion, fertility, creativity, success, etc. Then find out which Goddess boasts those attributes and resonates with you and embody that Goddess. Think of it as an INVITATION OF THAT GODDESS INTO YOUR LIFE. Then all the details of your Goddess Photoshoot will be inspired by your Goddess - from the location, to props and the color of your outfits.
The best example of this type of photoshoot is Lina’s Lakshmi Photoshoot. Lina wanted to invite more abundance and prosperity into her life. That is why she chose to embody Lakshmi and wore a red dress and lavish gold jewelry. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes video of how her makeup was created and how we photographed, and the final images of four-armed Lakshmi on a blue lotus.
3. AWAKEN THE INNER GODDESS.
“I’m a Goddess and I know it.” said a woman named Jennifer Nicole during her consultation once. “I am going to be myself”.
YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF THE DIVINE FEMININE and YOU ARE A GODDESS! Just be you and you have yourself a Goddess Photoshoot.
This type of photoshoot can also be called your INNER GODDESS PHOTOSHOOT and there are two ways to do it:
a) You can either come as you are - just bring several pretty outfits and we will play to create your portraits. Or,
b) spend some time reflecting on what your inner goddess is like (journal about it, visualize, think of what colors you see, maybe even create a mood board of images that inspire you.
Examples of INNER GODDESS PHOTOSHOOTS are:
Powerful and Gentle - Jennifer Nicole’s Goddess Photoshoot
Eliza - includes the behind-the-scenes movie about that photoshoot!
Katie’s Goddess Photoshoot (she is a South Florida Drum Temple leader/facilitator and an amazing digital art creator)
Lourdes’ Sexy over Sixty Photoshoot
An example of “come as you are” inner goddess photoshoot: Sasha’s Palm Beach photoshoot I guess this type of photoshoot is what normal people would call a portrait photography session, but I am not normal :)) And Sasha is such a Goddess - she deserves nothing less than a Goddess Photoshoot!)
4. SENSUAL GODDESS PHOTOSHOOT.
If you feel that at this stage of your life you want to express your sensuality, let it become the main theme of your Goddess Photoshoot. This type of photoshoot can be done in nature or indoors - think boudoir photoshoot, but the main goal is not just the outward seduction, but also a deep connection to your own body and sensuality/sexuality. Depending on how brave you feel, you can be partially nude, completely nude, or implied nude (where you appear nude but breasts or private areas are not showing).
5. ELEMENTAL GODDESS.
“I feel very drawn to fire lately”, Christina said to me before her last Goddess Photoshoot. I have photographed this woman several times and because she is a wordsmith, she writes very poetic essays about her Goddess Photoshoots with me :) This interpretation of a Goddess Photoshoot came to me just recently but I find it very inspiring: ELEMENTAL GODDESS.
Explore the element that you feel drawn to, or YOUR element and we build your photoshoot around it. If it is water, we can create some sensual photos of you submerged in the water, you pouring water, playing with water, or simply being next to water.
6. BRANDING GODDESS PHOTOSHOOT
If you are a healer, a spiritual entrepreneur, or an artist, we can translate your energy into unique photos that you can use not only for your personal enjoyment, but also for marketing of your business. In addition to a two-hour option, this type of photoshoot has a longer and more expensive four-hour version which allows us to strategically create visual content for your upcoming offerings. This type of photoshoot typically requires more preparation, but I guide my Goddesses every step of the way so they don’t feel lost. And the results are also very rewarding - you get a ton of amazing content that you can use for months to come.
Some examples of Branding Goddess Photoshoots are:
Branding Photoshoot for a Holistic Healer and Yoga Teacher - with step by step breakdown of a the branding shoot process and behind-the-scenes magic.
Goddess Photoshoot for a Nomadic Ecstatic Dancer
Personal Branding for a Chef, Health Coach and Green Goddess
Coming up with a theme for your Goddess Photoshoot gives it direction and takes the overwhelm out of it. I always recommend to my clients that they create a mood board for their photoshoot. Think of all of it as creative play and let your inspiration lead you to, perhaps, discovering parts of yourself that are ready to see the light ;)
And I better wrap up this story now before I come up with 27 other ways to do it, because other themes that come to mind are Warrior Goddess, Wise Woman, Rewild to name a few :)
I hope the examples above help you decide how YOU want to be portrayed. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment or send me a private message - I will happily answer! ♥
With love and gratitude,
Francesca Bliss
the official story of how I got started in photography
The story of how it all started. Plus the wisdom to those wanting to follow their bliss. Read it all here.
I was sitting outside of my apartment smoking as I saw them carry furniture and lots of boxes into the apartment two doors down.
She was a below average woman with disheveled strawberry blond hair, glasses, and plump cheeks. I shyly waived, said hello and went back to my smoking meditation.
One thing smoking does for you is that it allows you to see your neighbors much more often than you would otherwise. I was born in Russia, where you go to your neighbors to borrow salt, eggs, or a chaser for your vodka. The lady’s name was Kimberly and when I ran out of cigarettes, I would bum them from her. We would talk more and more. One day when I knocked on her door, she was on the phone so she waived for me to come in.
As I crossed over the threshold, it was like I entered another world. There were books everywhere - in the bookcase, on the table, some books in freshly arrived Amazon boxes on the floor next to her desk. I saw an altar set up next to a Quan Yin tapestry on the wall, but back then I didn't know it was Quan Yin. The scent of incense was filling the air, candles burning among crystals and statues of more than thirty Goddesses all over the room. Her apartment was like a Goddess wonderland, something that I had never seen before in my life.
Kimberly was the one who taught me about Goddesses, took me to my very first Moon Circle, gave me books about spirituality. She opened up a whole new world for me. She also showed me her digital camera - it was a Canon Rebel 3Ti - the camera she used for taking photos for her food and Goddesses blogs. When I told her about how photography always fascinated me, she said, “Why don’t you get a digital camera and give it a try?”
Don’t you love it how people who give advice always make it sounds so easy?
Spend $600 on a camera and do it.
Is there a guarantee that it will all work out fine and it will be the correct decision? $600 is a lot of money after all! And how do I do it? I have never studied photography.
“You can sign up for a class at the Boca Raton Museum School of Art so they can teach you the basics.”
Oh… Well… If you put it that way it doesn’t sound that complicated anymore… I think. I have always liked it, after all. Maybe it is worth a shot?
Maybe it is worth a shot... or maybe two! who's counting anyway? Shots is what I loved doing at that time. Along with beer and wine of any color. The wine had a tendency to run out when you were having the best time and forced me to go get another bottle which ended up being too much. This was the story of my life for many years. I knew I had a drinking problem and my attempts to stop the addiction ended in me in front of the bottle sooner or later. After I realized I needed help, I went to an all-women’s AA group on April 18, 2013 and have been sober since. Oh, I also quit smoking on the following day.
Now that my evenings and weekends were not filled with the fog of inebriation, the little voice inside me was getting louder and louder. The voice that I had been ignoring since my early twenties. The voice that kept telling me to try my hand at photography. The voice that was filled with trepidation every time I would spend my last college money on a fashion magazine to look at the pictures inside. I handled each magazine with so much care as if it was sacred.
That voice that I no longer shut up with alcohol made me by the same digital camera as my neighbor Kimberly had. And to make things easier, I followed Kimberly’s advice to the tee. I signed up for Introduction to Digital Photography and Photoshop for Beginners class at a local art school. If I fail miserably, it wasn’t my idea - my neighbor made me do it.
And here I am, nine years later, calling myself Francesca Bliss, the artist, the Goddess photographer, the intuitive artist… I cannot imagine my life without photography and the women whose lives I help transform. I have followed my bliss and became Francesca Bliss :)
As I reflect on this experience of getting started I have a revelation.
Our brains love certainty. It is predictable, therefore, safe.
Starting something new means UNcertainty = scary
And because we want a guarantee of a pretty outcome with a bow on top, we decide go forego the experience altogether.
There is no bow on top and it’s NOT pretty.
It is messy, it is awkward because you have no idea what you are doing.
Sometimes it is expensive and it makes you make sacrifices.
It is also joyful, makes you meet new friends, and opens up a whole new world to you and it makes you grow, grow, GROW.
I am so thankful for Kimberly and other people on my path who have encouraged me to follow my bliss. And I feel that it is now my duty to pass the same teachings onto other people who might need a nudge to pursue their dreams. My words of wisdom are the quote by John Burroughs that I first read in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way:
“Jump and the net will appear.”
The Universe is mysterious this way, it supports you in your desires of the heart. You just need to start. There is magic in action. The magic that will take you onto the other side, the side where your dreams live. The worst thing that can happen is that you try and you don't like it. And the best thing? Well... The best thing depends on HOW MUCH you end up loving it :)
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If you want more nudging in the direction of your dreams, get this book:
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3 goddess photoshoot poses and prompts that work every time
A lot of the things I have been doing during Goddess Photoshoots to help women relax, be themselves, and step into their power have been intuitive. Lately, as I started thinking more about why I do what I do, I discovered the psychology of why these little prompts, or techniques, work!
In this story I will outline the prompts I use to empower women and will show photos from Amy Shine’s Goddess/branding Photoshoot. Amy is a movement facilitator and a goddess of many talents. It was my second photoshoot with her and this time around we photographed in a park near the beach. That location offers access to gorgeous banyan trees as well as the beach, where we played at sunset.
Whenever a photoshoot begins, I expect myself and my client to take about 10-15 minutes to become fully relaxed and melt into the creative process. It’s like a warm up before you start lifting heavy weights. The same with photos - it will take your body some time to get comfortable with the camera pointing at you and I will also need some time to see what angles work best for you.
goddess posing prompt #1: open up that throat chakra!
One prompt that I use in almost every Goddess Photoshoot is this: I ask the woman to scream as loud as she can. We are usually in the forest or on the beach, and there's hardly anyone around so it's not like we are in Whole Foods during evening rush.
The screaming does two things:
1). it is a release of tension, emotions, and sound healing all mixed in one. When you allow whatever you are bottling up to come out, you feel better, your cheeks blush more, you come back to your self in a way. It is also a great way to open your throat chakra.
2). it is permission TO BE and to BE LOUD. If we are on the beach and there are people far away, when I ask my goddess to scream, she looks around and I know what she is thinking. "What might those people think?" goes through her mind. We need to learn to not give a f*ck. We are not bothering anyone, nobody is getting hurt, we are just releasing some stuff by means of sound.
I always lead by example when I show my model what I need her to do: I take a deep breath and I scream as loud and as long as I want to. And it feels so amazing! And after she does get the courage to do it, she laughs or smiles. Maybe it didn't feel good to her. Maybe it felt awkward and horrible even. But she is excited that she is being loud. We have been conditioned to be quiet since childhood and this is her chance to be as wild and as loud as she wants to be. After several screams (we do two or three) it does feel GOOD and we carry on playing in the woods or on the beach and creating beautiful photos of a woman who is claiming her power back. or stepping into her power for the first time in her life.
And here is the video of Amy letting herself be heard over the Atlantic ocean:
goddess posing prompt #2: drop into your body
We don’t even realize how much we are in our mind. A great way for my subjects to feel relaxed is to get them to drop into their body. What I do is I ask my goddesses to dance.
Dance to the music of the trees or waves around you.
Dance to the music if we brought a speaker.
Dance to the silence.
Dance to the music inside your head.
Dance while I am watching intently with my camera and catching your every move. Sound awkward enough? :)
As with screaming or the beginning of the photoshoot, it is uncomfortable at first. It is awkward. But after a while, the woman starts trusting her body, moving in a way that makes her feel good, focusing on her observing herself as she dances, or losing herself as she feels as ONE with the nature around her.
Some of the best photos come out from the dancing series because the woman doesn’t think about posing. Instead, she is flowing, consciously occupying every cell in her body, feeling.
goddess posing prompt #3: take up space
This third prompt echoes the previous one and has to do with being confident and comfortable in your body. I have been using this prompt for years until I consciously realized the power behind it.
There is a TED talk about how to feel confident. The speaker gives an example of how to feel more confident before a job interview. One way to FEEL BIG is to BE BIG in your physical body. Poses that make your body feel big - standing with your legs wide apart and arms above your head make you psychologically more confident.
When I photograph my Goddesses, I ask them to stand with their feet firmly planted on the ground and ask them to reach their arms high toward the sky. “Touch the clouds”, I say sometimes. “Imagine you are holding the sun” is a very powerful way to outstretch your arms. “This is your Queendom, try to embrace it!” I yell to her as she looks over her land. These powerful poses make you feel powerful for sure, just look at these images.
more goddess poses and prompts
If you are curious to learn other poses and prompts I use during Goddess Photoshoots, get my guide The Secrets to Posing Like a Goddess. This comprehensive guide offers a detailed description of each pose and offers several variations on how it can be done, with photos.
And if the idea of your very own Goddess Photoshoot resonates with you, please reach out and let’s create some magic together.
With love and gratitude,
Francesca Bliss
sexy over sixty: goddess photoshoot for sexty-three year old Lourdes Starshower
I knew she would say “I feel the most alive at the ocean” when we were discussing the location for her Goddess Photoshoot. And she did :)
I knew she would say “I feel the most alive at the ocean” when we were discussing the location for her Goddess Photoshoot. And she did :)
Lourdes Starshower, a tantra healer, had turned sexty-three earlier that year. That was a reason enough to celebrate with a photoshoot! In addition to that, to embrace the feminine AND masculine in her, she had just changed her hairstyle. Her hair was now cut short on one side and was longer on the other side. And on top of that, Lourdes wanted to connect more to the sensual, sexy and playful goddess inside her; she felt that she had shut that part off a little bit in a way when she was with her previous partner.
The video below sums up Lourdes’ photoshoot into four and a half minutes. The part of the video you do not want to miss is at 3:50 - please be sure to check it out.
And here is how it unfolded from the beginning if you are curious about the whole process step by step ;)
I got to the park well ahead of time because I wanted to prepare everything for this one shot… I had a vision for an image I wanted to create when Lourdes sent me photos of her outfits. I saw her lying on the ground in the red dress, surrounded by green fern leaves and red roses. I didn’t tell Lourdes about my idea, but got all my necessary supplies before heading to her photoshoot.
Check out a quick video below about how we created this photo:
I must also mention that we created the shot with the roses much later, not in the beginning of the shoot. You see, when Lourdes got there, she was like a toddler - wanting to go here and there and climb the trees. She ended up changing into a more tree-climb-conducive green dress and we created the images below first. I set up the fern and roses on the ground but we got to them much later. The light shifted by then but we were lucky that it still worked well, though there were patches of bright direct sunlight on her body, but I am ok with that.
Lourdes changed into the red dress and we created the images on the ground plus photos of her with the crown, which I love!
And a few playful images with another fascinator right after that:
It was now time to head to the beach, before the sun set completely.
The waves were so loud on that day, we heard them from the woody area. They were also so powerful that when I was photographing Lourdes kneeling on the sand, I almost got knocked over by a wave and washed away into the ocean!
Lourdes really got into her sensual playful lioness spirit while posing for me on the sand. The images we created are so playful and joyful, take a look:
And this sequence of images of Lourdes being splashed by a wave is one of my favorites!
It was an incredible photoshoot and I am so happy with the images Lourdes and I created. Her Goddess Photoshoot was a great fnew beginning of bringing more of the sensual and playful Goddess into her life. ♥
Is ocean and the beach a place where you feel most alive? If you were to have your photos taken at the beach, how do you envision them? Please reach out for a free twenty-minute discovery call if you want to talk about what your beach photoshoot would look like.
other goddess photoshoot stories:
branding photoshoot for OZO2 eco dry cleaners in palm beach
“We want people to think of us as a SPA for CLOTHES, not as dry cleaners” says Irina with a smile about their business, OZO2 eco dry cleaner.
“We want people to think of us as a SPA for CLOTHES, not as dry cleaners” says Irina with a smile about their business, OZO2 eco dry cleaner.
And their Palm Beach store has exactly that luxury vibe! It is not a place where you just run in to drop off your stuff to be cleaned. It is a place where you bring clothing you love, perhaps designer pieces, or items you have curated and collected over the years, to be cleaned and cared for. OZO2 cleaners Palm Beach location looks and feels like a boutique, and its owners are Irina and Jurate, two fashionistas with a sense of humor.
When the ladies approached me for a branding photoshoot, we talked about ideas for images, and most of the visualizing had already been done by the very creative Irina. Having worked in a marketing and modeling industry before, Irina knew exactly what kind of images would convey the message of their brand.
To demonstrate that an item of clothing receives personalized attention, and to illustrate the idea of laundering and what kind of clothing they can take care of, Irina suggested we pin a blouse or another fashionable piece of clothing to a rope/clothesline and Jurate and Irina would both hold it. Whimsical exaggeration at its best, I immediately loved the idea (and to this day wonder if I would have ever thought of it myself!) We recreated that image in several variations to make sure we got the winning shot which would then be published in this edition of Modern Luxury Palm Beach magazine.
While we were at it, we also captured some images of Jurate and Irina working side by side, choosing the best detergents and cleaning products for their clients and the environment:
The company offers pick-up and delivery services so we grabbed one quick image with their van, which can often be seen on luxurious Worth Avenue and streets of Palm Beach:
Irina had another brilliant idea of a photo with the van, but we ended up not executing it simply because we did not have time. We did create other images of them working in the store:
Individual photo of each wonder woman during our branding photoshoot was a must:
And a few more images of the two women together:
To create variety in the photos that we created, not only did we use different backgrounds for the photos, but Irina and Jurate changed their outfits several times. And being true fashionistas they are, their outfits ranged from simple and tasteful to dazzling and glamorous.
To illustrate individual attention to very delicate items we shot this image of Irina talking an employee while looking at a lace blouse:
Going along with the brand image of being fashionable yet tongue in cheek, we created these parody of high fashion photos image. It was lots of fun to create these!
We also took a couple of shots of owners outside of their store, with the sign in the background, set against gorgeous Florida blue sky.
For the last part of our shoot we headed to a Palm Beach boutique to recreate the image of a blouse hanging on a clothes line. Since that image would be used for a publication, we wanted to make sure we got our bases covered, so we re-created the same shot in another boutique.
Which image won? Well, the image that got printed in Modern Luxury Palm Beach in an article called Dynamic Women was this one:
This branding photoshoot with two powerful women was lots of fun and very inspiring. It was good to be around women who see dressing up as art, in a way, women who value beautiful pieces of clothing. Because what we wear is an expression of our inner world, it is a form of art, and the fact that they have built an empire around that is even more inspiring. Serving other fashionistas like themselves and other affluent clients who value quality and personalized attention, while using eco-friendly products, these dynamic women are surely changing the world. For more information about OZO2 cleaners, please visit their website and follow them on Instagram. And here are a few more images from our branding photoshoot in fashionable Palm Beach:
Have a small business and would love images that translate your company spirit, values, services or products into powerful photos? I would love to work with you! Send me a text or an email and let’s talk!
divine feminine power: what it is and 6 ways to step into yours
You know that feeling when you have your hair done? You feel magical, notice the attention you get from everyone, can’t stop admiring yourself in the mirror and even when you are NOT looking at your reflection in the mirror, you can’t help but smile because you KNOW that you totally ROCK? That feeling. Would you like more of that?
You know that feeling when you have your hair done? You feel magical, notice the attention you get from everyone, can’t stop admiring yourself in the mirror and even when you are NOT looking at your reflection in the mirror, you can’t help but smile because you KNOW that you totally ROCK? That feeling. Would you like more of that?
You might also feel this way when you wear an outfit in which you know you look good and in which you FEEL CONFIDENT. There is this electrifying energy that comes FROM INSIDE OF YOU and people can’t help but SEE and FEEL it.
When you feel all magical after a haircut or feel like a superhero when you are dressed for success, YOU ARE IN YOUR POWER!
When you are in your power, you are aware of your awesomeness.
When you are in your power, you know that you are amazing and it shines so brightly that others KNOW it too. It’s like a blinding light that radiates from you that people simply cannot ignore. That’s what being in your power is.
For me, being in my power means fully owning my talents, special gifts, knowledge, wisdom, and expertise. Growing up in the Soviet Union, talking about yourself in a positive way always meant bragging and it was not good. You were supposed to be like everyone else and not stick out.
Because of that, I learned to downplay my strong sides, and say that they are “nothing, not a big deal”, that “it is not me, it just happened to me, it is genetics or whatever”. When someone would say “You are so good with languages, it is incredible that you speak several of them”, I would say “Oh, with good teachers anyone can do that. Languages come easy to me, it is not a big deal.”
Even now, when I seem to be doing much better in owning my power, when someone says “you are so talented”, I say, “no, i am not, it is not something that I do consciously, it is something that happens through me, i am just a vessel.”
Though there is a lot of truth in that last sentence when it comes to my creative process, owning my creativity and talents is exactly what being in my power means.
I am talented.
I am creative.
I am proud of myself.
I have worked hard to get to where I am (though it didn’t feel like hard work, more like creative play) and I will continue to grow. That’s what being in your power means.
“Being in my power means listening to my own voice over the voice of others & following through with my word on my beliefs.” another woman said.
Being in your power means not being a victim of circumstances. You have the power to change either your actions, or at least your attitude so you are not in a victim role, ever. You don’t blame others for what happens to you, but you also don’t blame yourself, you just learn from the experience and move on.
When you are in your power, you don’t use excuses to cover up your inability to do something. Instead, you find ways to do what you need to do. You don’t say “I can’t do this because of something that is outside of my control.” You say, HOW can I do it? Is there any way I can accomplish this?”
As my mom used to say (in Russian), “Those who don’t want to do something, find reasons and excuses, those who want to do it, find ways and opportunities to do it.
When you are in your power, you understand the power of the words you use. You say things with intention. Every word has meaning. You don’t say “I am trying to get in shape”, you say “I am getting in shape”. You also speak lovingly about yourself and your body.
When you are in your power, you take good care of your body because you understand that you need your physical body to be capable of doing all the things you set out to do. You admire your body and thank it for all the simple yet wonderful things it enables you to do.
So using simple language, you could say that being in your power is being CONFIDENT.
Confident that you are smart, capable, beautiful, to do whatever you set out to accomplish.
Confident that you are enough.
Confident that you have all the talent, wisdom or access to resources that you need to complete a task.
Confident that everything will work out well.
Confidence is awesome, I just like the word POWER better because it’s more electrifying. It makes me think of
MIGHT
DRIVE
ELECTRIC
PASSION
CHARGE
ENERGY
SUPERPOWER
AUTHORITY
POWERHOUSE
POWER UP
When I taught American accent training to foreign students, one of the tips that I gave them was to EXAGGERATE their American accent when we were practicing. Because when they went back to speaking English in their everyday life, they would shrink back to about 30% of what they learned in class. So the more they exaggerated their American accent in class, the higher their chance was to sounding more American in everyday interaction.
The same with being in your power and confidence. The more passionate you are about your talents and positive traits in front of a bathroom mirror, the higher the chance you will actually speak and act confidently in the real world. (A bathroom mirror is like our classroom :))
There is nothing wrong with the word “confidence”. But I feel like it is being shy of its accomplishments, that’s why we need to give it a boost and talk about electric words to get ourselves powered up. That’s why motivational speakers sound like they had a six pack of Red Bull or a pot of coffee when they teach. They need to energize you to their level so that you can affect change in your life.
Only people who are PASSIONATE about something can affect change. Many humans seek the path of least resistance and to really affect change you have to be a real powerhouse that can get others to believe in what you believe.
So I don’t invite you to become confident.
I invite you to STEP INTO YOUR POWER.
I invite you to put on your SUPERHERO outfit and follow your PASSION. Be the AUTHORITY to your clients if you have a business, be the LEADER to your followers. Use your ENERGY to live a full and rich life and by shining your light CONFIDENTLY this way, you will give the permission to many others to step into their POWER.
(Uff… I feel like I just ran a marathon. Being a motivational speaker is not easy :))
Check out this video to learn more about the Goddess Photoshoot and how it can help you connect to your divine feminine power:
Here are few simple ways to step into your power:
Move your body, literally electrify your body through walking, dancing, doing some yoga, running outside with your kids
Make a list of all the qualities that you admire or like in yourself, hang that list by the mirror and read it aloud to yourself when you look in the mirror daily.
When someone pays you a compliment, don’t rush to answer it. Hear it, digest it, and think whether what you are about to say downplays your role in it, or if it affirms your special efforts, or talents. Remember, OWN YOUR AWESOMENESS.
Be mindful of how you speak. Use empowering language that sets you up for success, talk lovingly about your body, never make self-degrading comments even if jokingly.
Have a digital portrait of yourself created. Basically, you email your photo to a digital artist and she creates a piece of art in which you are depicted as a goddess, superhero, whatever you want to be. Check out my girl Katie for this service. This one requires a larger investment that the previous tips, but it is totally worth it,
Have professional photos of yourself taken. Another way of stepping into your power that costs money but that can enhance your life in so many ways. Having an artist create portraits of you so you can see how powerful and beautiful you already are, so you can admire yourself and see how the world sees you. Have your portraits printed and display them in your house for a daily reminder of your amazingness. You can also use these photos for your social media or website, if you have a business or service.
When you are in your power, the sky’s the limit! When you have the confidence that you are enough, that you will succeed, even if it is on twentieth time, you boldly go in the direction of your dreams and create the life you want. By being in your power you give others the permission to do the same. By being the most unapologetic and strong version of you you are making the world a better place! If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for the good of the world!
Now to you.
What does being in your power look like to you? Please share in the comments or send me a personal message.
With love and gratitude,
Francesca Bliss
life lessons from a chicken
My husband promised our daughters (6.5 and 5 years old) baby chicks when we got to Turkey. His father, the Turkish grandpa, got two hens before we came here. The girls named them Raspberry and Chocolate.
One afternoon I noticed a box in the chicken coop. It had holes in it for air.
I told Lila (my five-year-old) there was someone in the box and we should let them out so they don’t suffocate. We opened the box and let out a very fluffed up white rooster and a giant white hen with some rust stained feathers.
The rooster got whiter over time and we named him Snowball. The hen got even rustier, but we still named her Marshmallow.
The new hen, the one that came in the same box with the rooster, was very big. At times, she challenged the rooster. She was the first one to chase away the cat when it came near. “This hen has balls” we thought. My husband and I didn’t even call her Marshmallow anymore, we called her Alpha Female. And I was so proud that this girl was standing up for herself in the animal kingdom.
One late night, when we came back from a two-day road trip, the grandpa, who normally goes to sleep with the chickens, was still up to greet us. He was so excited!
“I have a surprise for you, kids!" he said.
We all go outside to the chicken coop, the headlights of the car lighting it up.
“Two baby chicks have hatched!!!”
They were tiny, fluffy little things, you could fit them in the palm of your hand. Total cuteness overload not just for the kids, but for us, adults.
The next day another one hatched, and one more the next day. We now have four chicks! And if you want a visual definition of "smothering", watch these girls pick up the chicks every two minutes to play with them.
After another four-day road trip to Ankara, the capital, my husband asks, “Did you notice that the rooster’s voice got deeper while we were away?”
But as it turned out later, it wasn’t the rooster whose voice got deeper. It was the Alpha Female who was making that noise! She turned out to be a rooster!
“But her crest is so small, how can she be a rooster?” I asked.
“He is still growing, and his crest IS getting bigger, look." I didn’t know roosters don’t start crowing until they mature.
He pulls his neck down, forward and up and crows like a grandpa, a faint scratchy sound barely escaping his vocal chords. Then his crowing becomes more confident. Now we call her The Hen Who is Actually a Rooster.
Why am I telling you this story? Well, first of all, it’s funny. Second, it teaches us a powerful lesson about life.
How often do we jump to conclusions that something is not working, that something oughta be a certain way but it’s not and we just give up on it?
I can especially relate to it as an entrepreneur. When at times I put so much into my business but there seems to be no growth, there’s no sound of it getting to the next level. And I can relate to it as an artist. When I am agonizing over wanting to get getter, learning, trying out new techniques, but don't see any improvement.
But in reality, growth happens.
Slow, incremental, almost invisible growth, that when compounded, helps you make a quantum leap into a full blown cock-a-doodle-dooing giant rooster.
We just got to be patient, allowing that inner growth to take place, observing it and continuing the work.
With love and gratitude,
Francesca Bliss
more of my personal stories:
portrait photography session in palm beach or what to expect before, during and after a photoshoot
The idea of a professional photoshoot can be exciting and intimidating at once. Even the most confident women have insecurities and they all come out when you are about to face the camera.
The idea of a professional photoshoot can be exciting and intimidating at once. Even the most confident women have insecurities and they all come out when you are about to face the camera.
To give you an idea of what a photoshoot with me looks like, here is how the process worked for me and the gorgeous babe Sasha in these photos. She looks like a total supermodel, right? But, believe me, even she had her fears before and during the shoot.
Creating beautiful portraits is a three-part magic process:
preparation for the photoshoot
the photoshoot itself
editing of the photos
part I: preparation for the photoshoot
Before the photoshoot
We clear our calendars for the evening of the photoshoot. Husbands are notified of their children-caring responsibilities so we leave knowing we have several hours of uninterrupted time just for ourselves. Keeping our fingers crossed for the weather to conspire with us (spoiler alert: she does).
Important questions to answer now:
What to wear?
Where will we photograph?
What do I do with my hair and makeup? (gosh, I am already freaking out!)
I provide guidance with all three questions and here is how we handle them:
What to wear to a photoshoot?
Go through your closet and choose several outfits that you like and that resonate with you. It is important that outfit colors harmonize with the location and make your photos look cohesive. For that reason I ask my clients to send me selfies or pictures of clothing beforehand. This way we can dial in on the two or three outfits for the shoot. Another way to handle this is to bring four to five outfits to the photoshoot. Right before we start photographing, I will tell you which clothing combinations will photograph better. This second option adds a little more stress to the day of the photoshoot and I only recommend if you absolutely cannot zero in on two outfits.
Remember your accessories! Jewelry, a purse, a scarf, a hat, bracelets - things that will complete your outfit and will bring out the Goddess inside.
Sasha’s case: Sasha used to have a fashion blog so this goddess knows how to dress. “I wanted to show two different moods, both of which represent me” she says about how she chose what to wear for her photoshoot. One was very feminine and sophisticated (a white vintage Ralph Lauren dress) and the second one was bold and daring chic (green jeans and screaming colorful jacket). Sasha accessorized both outfits with a green belt, green purse, and a straw hat for the first look.
Where will we photograph?
Some women I photograph know exactly where they want to be photographed. Others don’t have a clue. I will provide you with a list of places that I think will be great for your photoshoot and you choose the location that speaks to you and that you are excited about.
Any place we choose usually offers several backdrops so that we can create a variety of photos for you. If you love the beach, it can be photos on the sand, on the rocks, against the backdrop of water, in the water, in the green area near the beach. Variety IS the spice of portrait photography, especially because you are paying for it!
Sasha loves vintage stuff, details, unique things with history and character. Based on her preferences and taking into consideration the outfits she chose, we decided to photograph on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.
What do I do with my hair and makeup?
First of all, breathe! The basics: your hair must be freshly washed the day before or on the day of the photoshoot. Your eyebrows need to be plucked. Your fingernails either painted or completely without nail polish. The camera sees everything and it is not as easy to “just remove it in Photoshop”. You can style your hair they way you normally do. If you want something extra special, for $100-$200 a hair stylist/makeup artist can do your hair and makeup. If you normally don’t wear makeup, you might want to add some mascara, foundation and lip gloss for your photos. You can also go completely au naturel, or go all in with makeup, it all depends on the look you are going for.
Sasha’s case: Sasha did her own makeup.
The hardest part is done! Now the only thing you need to do is SHOW up for yourself. Show up to acknowledge your beauty, your strength, your uniqueness. Show up to LOVE yourself and to be seen.
Try to get adequate sleep and eat well before your photoshoot. You want to feel rested and replenished.
part II: the photoshoot
How will I know how to pose during the photoshoot?
We meet at the location of our photoshoot and start photographing in the first outfit. From this moment on, you don’t need to worry about anything. Most likely, you will be VERY camera shy the first ten-fifteen minutes. Most people are. But after that, you will get more relaxed. I will guide you in terms of how to pose and if you have some ideas you want to try out, we will try them out. We flow from pose to pose, then switch to the second outfit and do the same. At a certain point you will feel confident enough and your inner super model will come out. I want you to remember this feeling of confidence. You will see it again in your final photos and remember feeling powerful.
The important thing: I might ask you to dance, I might ask you to make a fake loud laughter, I might ask you to scream (not in a crowded street, I promise). These things might sound and feel awkward. They are. But once you do them, you will let your guard down, you will relax some more and allow my camera to see a little bit more of the REAL YOU. So I can show you how the world sees you, so you can witness what an amazing Goddess you are.
Sasha’s case: Sasha is basically a supermodel, and she did work for the camera. I also gave her suggestions on what to do when she ran out of ideas. In the photo below she is looking at her reflection in a window. A few minutes after that I made her dance. We were both laughing and pedestrians were wondering what celebrity Sasha was ;)
“A photoshoot with Francesca is a chance to release tightness and stress, it is a liberating experience. At a certain point you allow yourself to let go of control and let the flow of the creative process carry you. And you enjoy being the REAL you: light, joyful, relaxed, unique, special. ”
When will I receive my photos?
You did it! The photoshoot is over and you feel amazing! You did great! You know now that it is not as scary to face the camera, and you know how that those photos we created today will be ah-mazing! And now you can’t wait to see the final images. “When will the photos be ready?” you ask me impatiently.
part III: editing of the final photos
This is the part you don’t need to worry about at all, it is all on me! The third part of the magic process is editing of the photos. Editing means I load the photos into my computer (I usually can’t wait to get to see them on a big screen, the magic we created). Then I cull the photos. “Culling” means I delete the photos that don’t pass the quality test (eyes closed, lack of expression, awkward pose, bad lighting, picture out of focus, etc.). Then I go through those best images of you and color correct them in my editing style, remove any blemishes, fly away hairs, etc. I don’t do extensive face and body retouching because I want you to admire the real YOU, not the dolled up version of you that doesn’t exist. I may remove a pimple and soften the skin under the eyes, but I don’t do heavy retouching.
Oh, and I know that you CANNOT WAIT to see the photos, and I, equally impatiently, CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW you how beautiful you are. I usually send out a couple of edited sneak peek photos a few days after the photoshoot. At that point, sneak peeks don’t quench your thirst for wanting to see the photos. Once you see one or two photos of how amazing you are, you usually cannot wait to see them ALL.
Within two-three weeks from the day of your photoshoot you will receive an email from me with a link to your gallery of images. I recommend you download the images onto your computer right away. It is also a good idea to backup the images somewhere else just in case.
Sasha’s case: seeing the woman’s face when she sees the photos we create together is absolutely priceless. So if it physically possible, I present the digital images in person. In addition to that, I also present you with box of printed 8 by 10 images for you to frame and display in your home. These images do you no good if they are living somewhere on the hard drive of your computer and you get to see them only when you remember where you saved them. I am also offering a large canvas/metal/wooden wall art print that you can purchase at additional cost.
classy Palm Beach portrait photography session on Worth Avenue
The day of the photoshoot will forever live in our memories as a day when you got to show up for yourself and channel your supermodel. It was fun, we got to see a gorgeous golden sunset, and now you have a collection of amazing images that show you how beautiful, playful, sexy, confident, strong you are. Look at these images often to remind yourself what a CONFIDENT, beautiful, powerful woman you are. A woman who respects her boundaries (and makes other respect them, too), a woman who loves herself and takes good care of herself, a woman who knows what she wants, a woman who is not afraid to take action and goes boldly in the direction of her dreams.
As Sasha blows you a farewell kiss, here are her words describing how she felt when she received her final photos.
“When you see the final images, you see yourself the way you never see yourself. We all have some horrible notions about ourselves, about our flaws, what is good and what is bad, and usually it is a lot of bad and not a lot of good. And when you see photos like this, your love for yourself awakens, as if you remember how much you love yourself, and you feel very touched by what you see. And it really changes the way you perceive yourself, it is very therapeutic. You remember the moment that photo was taken and you try to remember that feeling of being liberated, relaxed, joyful, beautiful, light, magical, wonderful. And you think to yourself, just chillax, take it easy, BE YOU. Because when you are the real you, there is nothing more beautiful. ”
If this is the time for you to have a confidence boost and see how the world sees you, please reach out to me and let’s talk about your photoshoot experience. I would love to create transformational portraits of you, for you and with you! ♥
Goddess Photoshoot in a Secret Garden
This girl made me break the law.
But in a very innocent type of way, the way jaywalking is kinda breaking a rule but it is not serious offense :)
This girl made me break the law.
But in a very innocent type of way, the way jaywalking is kinda breaking a rule but it is not serious offense :)
And she didn’t really “make me”, but what she suggested was sooo good, that I couldn’t resist.
“Well, the Arboretum has been under construction for a while, but it is SO BEAUTIFUL in there, we HAVE TO photograph there, I know how to get in there.” she says as we brainstorm location ideas for her Goddess Photoshoot.
So we did it. As we were sneaking in, I realized that I forgot a whole bag of props that I prepared for Katie’s photoshoot at home! It turned out to be perfectly fine because the props might have gotten me too distracted and rushed. Instead, I was able to focus on the goddess in front of me and she brought enough outfit changes that we were able to create a variety of images, especially because the location offered as so many gorgeous backdrops.
There was a peaceful little lake, gorgeous trees surrounding it, and a huge banyan tree, and a Rose of Venezuela (also called Panama Flame Tree) flower, which I fell absolutely in love with:
Katie trusted her instincts about what kind of photos she wanted to create and we tried out the ideas she had. She was also open to posing suggestions that I had and the entire experience was a beautiful collaboration of two creatives. (When I work with people who are not officially considered “creatives”, it is the same thing: we create TOGETHER. I offer guidance in terms of where and how to photograph, but these are YOUR photos, so we try out YOUR ideas too because there are no right or wrong ideas when it comes to creating).
On the day Katie’s photos were ready, we met in a park, sat on the grass, and we looked at all the photos we created together, prints and digitals. I felt like for both of us it was an incredible experience, and we both received deep satisfaction from the process and outcome of this Goddess Photoshoot.
Here are a few reels that show a sneak peek into our creative process, enjoy:
The digital portraits and digital fantasy art Katie creates are out of this world. Katie can take an ordinary photo of you and by adding ethereal skies, gold jewelry, glowing third eyes, sacred geometry and other symbols, she is able to create truly divine pieces. These regal portraits of you will help you see yourself in your highest power and you can use them in your sacred business or for your own empowerment.
Katie Berns Lee talks about her creative journey:
”Originally a painter and drawer who was ADAMANT about never getting into digital art, I one day decided to download Photoshop…just to add my signature to my nature photography shots so I could sell them.
But then I started playing around. And I started to see what could happen when I would add this or that, blend here and there, change the color of that…and so on, and it EXCITED me.
I started creating portraits of myself and friends as a space queen, an Aztec warrior princess, a faerie…anything I could think of. And then I felt the draw to GROUND my work. So I began adding art historical elements, ancient artifacts, ancient symbology, and lots of architecture. And I fell in love.
Already on the spiritual path, this was a natural extension of me. I was just starting to deepen my connection to the ancestors, to all things ancient, and to the old ways of being. So I began creating out of ritual, in trance, and for goddesses,”
To get to know Katie better and to work with her, follow her on Instagram @of_our_ancestors. She is also an amazing djembe and darbuka player and I love watching her stories as she creates these magical rhythms with her fingertips.
personal branding photoshoot for a Men's Sexual Health and Wellness Educator
Olga came down from New Jersey for her personal branding photoshoot and we got lucky because we got to photograph in a location that perfectly suits her brand!
“This woman knows what she is doing and she means business!” I thought to myself when I got her email. Olga, who was coming to Boca Raton from New Jersey and who was referred to me by another client, emailed me a document that in great detail explained her brand, services, and ideal client which made my job of preparing for her shoot so much easier! Of course, we spoke on the phone first and it was clear that we were a good fit, so we proceeded with preparations for the shoot.
With a branding photoshoot, there a so many different possibilities of how you, the business owner, the face of the brand, can be depicted to visually communicate your process and what it is like to work with you. I suggested several ideas for Olga of what I thought could work for her brand. She preferred to focus mostly on headshots and lifestyle photos of her so we did exactly that. I also knew that many of the photos we were creating would be used for Olga’s website, which was under construction at that time, so I was mindful of that and created many horizontal photos which usually work well for wide banner images on a website.
Because of who Olga’s ideal client is, it was important for us to find an upscale, luxurious looking backdrop for her lifestyle photos. We got very lucky and were able to do our photoshoot in the gorgeous Boca Raton Resort. (Honestly, we were so discreet and almost invisible, that it is almost as if it didn’t happen. :))
Olga brought six or seven outfits with her, as well as jewelry to match it, and once we met, we chose which outfits would go best with each scene. We ended up not using all of the outfits, but I definitely think it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. I did a beach photoshoot for a yoga teacher once and the only pair of shorts she brought got splashed by the sunrise waves and she had to wear wet shorts for the rest of her shoot (so I photographer her mostly from the waist up). You don’t want that. Bring more than you may need, you never know how the photoshoot unfolds, you may even use all of the outfits and create a great variety of images!
“Oh my, I look so good!” she exclaims when I show her one of the images on the back of my camera. This makes her more comfortable, she relaxes more into her natural state and starts being more confident in front of the camera. I love it. For me personally, it is like an explosion of visual orgasms when I look on my camera screen. I have this wise goddess in this gorgeous setting and she looks amazing, I just want to scream (and I normally would, when I photograph in nature, but we were trying to be invisible, so I kept quiet and just grinned from ear to ear :))
“Can you imagine that we got to photograph in this beautiful place?” she laughs in disbelief.
“I know” I reply. And like two giddy little girls we go from one section of the hotel to another to see where we can play.
I create several images like the one above where Olga’s graphic designer can add text off to the side. If a client who hires me has a graphic designer who is very specific about the types of images they need for the website, a client will provide me with a list of shots they need. Oftentimes, however, it doesn’t work like that. People come to me because they know they will need photos for a website, and we create a variety of images. Having created several websites and marketing materials (even though I am not a graphic designer) myself I know what kind of photos work well and I always create them for a client.
Olga received 30 images from her personal branding photoshoot and the ones presented here are my personal favorites. In my opinion, Olga looks classy, elegant, refined, knowledgeable and projects an image of wisdom, trustworthiness, and warmth.
Need to create brand photos for your business? I would love to work with you! If you are just in the beginning stages of starting a business, or if you are rebranding an existing one, I have the experience, talent, intuition, gear and desire to create great images for you :) Please reach out and let’s see if we are a good fit.
A portrait photography session for a military veteran named Courtnee in West Palm Beach.