Behind the Session - Amanda’s Initiation
Amanda's Initiation is one I will never forget. It feels nearly impossible to convey with words what happens when someone allows themselves to be seen so honestly and so vulnerably, even before the camera comes out. Amanda reached out almost a year before our ceremony took place. She opened her heart to me and shared some raw, soulful insights into her why for wanting an Initiation session.
Initiation ceremony sessions are so unique and meaningful for several reasons. These sessions intentionally call to anyone going through a transformation or metamorphosis, and that’s precisely what connected with Amanda. Without getting too detailed, one of the things that stood out to me in chatting with Amanda before our photo shoot was that she had never had images taken where she truly felt like she saw herself reflected, despite having been in front of the camera multiple times.
I have been doing this work for a long time, and unfortunately, I hear all too often from clients and friends about experiences with photographers that ultimately leave them feeling self-conscious, uncertain, and awkward. Every photographer has a unique approach, and I’m all about doing what works for you, but when you leave a wake of dissatisfied clients, or worse, clients who feel harmed or negatively impacted by their experience with you, that's a problem.
One of the most foundational parts of the Initiation experience is to make sure you are in a place where you feel comfortable and confident getting in front of the camera. When that time comes, it's paramount that we find a location that can hold the energy we are working with and provide the perfect surrounding for you and your magick to come to life.
On the day of her Initiation, Amanda and I met at one of my favorite spots in New Hampshire: a private trail with the perfect mix of woods and water.
We started with a moment of gratitude. For Amanda for allowing me to hold the space for her to show up in this way, for each other, for the experience, and for the creative energy to come to life however it needed to. Deep breaths, eye-to-eye, hand-to-heart. It is one of my favorite ways to genuinely slow down and open the creative space between us.
I asked Amanda to create an altar to open our ceremony. Beginning our ceremony by honoring your journey this way always sets the stage for the magick we're about to create together. It allows you a slow, intentional moment to drop in and reflect on everything that led you to this moment, it helps give you space to warm up to the camera (which naturally always feels a little awkward at first), and it becomes an offering to the transformation you are experiencing and who you are becoming on the other side of that.
We spent the next two hours slowly moving through various spots along the trail that called to us. We knew we wanted our final moments to involve the water and some black smoke bombs we had to help us really capture and solidify the powerful, magickal energy Amanda was calling in.
We may or may not have also incorporated a bit of biodegradable glitter to add some extra shine.
Every single moment of this ceremony felt full of intention and deep power that I will never forget. Even in the moments of silence, I could feel Amanda softening, letting her walls come down, and by the end of the session, she was fully in her power in front of the camera.
These are some of my favorite images I have ever captured, and each one feels like such a powerful co-creation. The love and gratitude I have for Amanda for letting me witness her this way are immeasurable. This session is exactly the reminder I need of why I created the Initiation ceremony and why it is forever one of my favorite ways for us to create magick together.
“I LOVE THEM SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH, OMG! These are ABSOLUTELY MORE THAN I COULD DREAM. I have been feeling some kind of way about myself and life in general lately and these are fucking perfect!”
