this. shoot!
It was so beautiful. They each are in their own unique way. Just like each individual.
Violet recently had felt a strong impression to shave off her waist length hair as part of her personal journey. Her journey within. To heal. To love. At a deeper level.
When she first told me she was going to do it, I immediately asked if we could do a shoot sooner after. I could feel the journey it was going to be and that’s about as ‘bare bone’ as you can get as a woman. Make-up less with a shaved head. I wanted to have that experience. Capturing HER beauty. On the inside. She is strength. She is courage. She is soft and she is fierce. She is a healer with healing touch. She IS beauty.
This was the first shoot that I have continued to capture DURING the release of her suppressed emotion. I am so glad I did. They are my favorite ones.
We had about 40 minutes before the sun went down and the results were magic.
The feelings that rushed through me when she asked why I thought I wasn’t beautiful, was both confusing and a relief. I had no idea that I had those things buried.
She picked up that I took on a belief about beauty when I was 4 years old, to which I have no memory of.She took my face in her hands and asked, “Do you have any idea how beautiful you really are??” “You know, don’t you?”
A piece of me wasn’t so sure, then another piece just knew.
As tears rolled down my face, her words soothed me as she started to speak the truth of who I really am.
Intense sadness moved through my body.. it felt amazing to leave.It’s crazy the things we take on growing up. Most aren’t even ours.
Could be from a mother, from an ancestor, society.This woman has a way of bringing out the deep seeded stories that we took on at an early age, then filling it with the truth of your pure essence.
I had not a clue that those programs were there until I was in the spot-light of her camera.
I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into.
All I knew was I was suppose to show up without makeup.
I asked Violet if she would write our her experience… these gorgeous words below were part of that.
All the stories we as women believe about not being beautiful without makeup is heart breaking to me.
What is beauty?
For me.. to come to a place of knowing and feeling that beauty is much deeper than skin, hair, the clothes we wear, is a place where nothing exterior can shake.
Beauty is the Divine Mother that we get to embody.
Beauty is all the heartbreak we endured.
Beauty is the shame we moved through.
Beauty is our mess we embrace.
Beauty is compassion, empathy and love we show people.
Beauty is inside the windows of the eyes
when you look into the soul of another.
Beauty is being true to you no matter what is happening around you.
Beauty is the way you humbly step into your power.
Beauty is being you…completely.
Beauty is all of the “imperfect” things about you.
Beauty is the way you are tender with yourself even in the most difficult situations.
Beauty is you. Raw, heart wide open ready to love, even if it scares the hell out of you.
Beauty is knowing when to let yourself cry it out when you need to.
My dear, there is no such thing as ugly crying.
Beauty is knowing when to be gentle and
when to be fierce.
Your scars are your beauty.
Beauty is letting yourself be loved in ALL of it.
To me, the more you let your inner beauty shine outwardly, that’s true beauty…That’s you beauty.
YOU ARE beautiful even on the days when you don’t feel beautiful. The mirror doesn’t always tell the truth. Doesn’t always contain all the beauty that’s really there.
Your beauty runs deeper than a reflection. Reflection is but a gift bonus from the Infinite Love.
Beauty is letting forth the innocence of the child that is within you. This piece that may have been buried in all of our fears, doubts and beliefs about ourselves.
In truth, you are a Goddess. Full of both sacred fire and water. Earth is your sacred body. The air is the sacred breath in which the gift of life breathes through your lungs.
It is written in your face.
It is all there.
If you haven’t yet freed this woman, let her come out. She’s been dying to meet you.
She is sacred. You are sacred. You are the vessel balancing act in which this Mother-Goddess lives through. The child within is your innocence that cannot be tainted from the outside world.
She lives!
Beauty is a wild woman in all her glory.
Beauty is not merely how you look. .True Beauty is Who You Are.
-Violet Renae Wayman
What a joy this shoot was! I recommend it to any woman.
Such freedom!
I danced, I cried, I laughed. I loved every piece.
You are so worth Every. Shot.