Restore Retreat Kentucky
Words will always fall short when I try to describe the soul of the experience that is Restore Retreat Kentucky.
Tucked inside a working farm, this magical off-the-grid retreat created by my dear friend & incredible teacher Aubrey is one of the most potent and powerful gatherings of womxn I have ever witnessed.
At Restore Retreat Kentucky in 2019, I had the honor of holding space for each of the 18 attendees with mini Initiation ceremony sessions.
After being able to spend time with them for a few days, we gathered at sunset in the riverbed and one-by-one, each woman and I had a chance to tap into what they were feeling, and capture them in their most raw, wild, magickal essence.
In the days leading up to the sessions, I had a few of the womxn approach me individually to express that they were more than a little nervous about their upcoming time in front of the camera.
Nerves and fears are totally understandable, especially if you’ve never been in front of the lens before. And each time these fears arise, it’s my work to hold space for you. To reassure that you that there is no pressure to do anything other than show up as yourself.
When the time for each person’s session came, I explained to them my process, took a moment for us to breathe together, and then I followed their lead. I tuned into what each womxn was feeling in that moment, where they were being drawn to, and how we could capture their spirit in the few moments we had together.
When it’s all said and done, I reassured each of them: “I got you.”
“These pictures are everything!”
“These images mean everything to me. They show everything about myself and all of you lovely ladies. Monica, your photos of us are like reading a book with incredible detail. Simply beautiful Thank you.”
“You have a gift, sister. Each and every soul is captured so beautifully in their own very special variety. It’s like I got to see a still frame of my sisters’ souls. Thank you, thank you.”
“Wow. I don’t know anything about photography but these are some of the most gorgeous images I have ever seen!”
“Looking through these feels like revisiting with each of you individually again. Monica, you killed it, sister!”
— The women of Restore Retreat Kentucky
