r o o t e d - in your body - introducing a new portrait series launching in january, 2021
am i sharing a photo of my ass just to get your attention?
well, partially.
i am using it to introduce my new photography series which has been on my heart and mind for years now:
introducing
kristin abigail's
rooted | in your body portrait series
this is a series about the body. a series about unearthing the beauty which lives always within us. a series about reigniting our bodily and soul connections through first, recognition.
you will find many photographers who aim to capture you in your most visually palatable state.
these photographers find ways to help you eliminate imperfection.
they help you look more like, well, everybody else.
self portrait taken in my old office (which my husband has now officially taken over due to covid lollll. i work in the dining room now. it's fine!! pahah.)
i believe this has led to an incredible loss of self recognition.
we quite literally no longer know what we look like. or are unable to accept an image of ourselves that is contrary to our expectations. our desperate need to come across as perfect, or thin, or poised, or successful, or sexy, or happy...leads to a collaborative distortion of your true identity (the collaboration being between you and the photographer).
the filters, the perfected angles, the perfect heavenly light, the chic clothing, the curated makeup, the flawless + minimalistic compositions.
these are no accidents. they are all learned by those of us who lead businesses in photography/videography/design, etc.
and if you're not doing all these things for your clients and marketing your work this way - you're probably not that monetarily successful. (like me lol!!! but seriously. it's true. please send people my way lol. poor af artist over here. hello@kristinabigail.com)
double exposure self portrait with my favorite plant, pillow, free chair (found it on the side of the road in queen anne score) and my fave book at the time: "the count of monte cristo")
but seriously.
it's not easy to be in a business like this as a human who sees SO MUCH beauty in raw uniqueness versus palatable sameness.
so i've decided to be more transparent about my differences. to be open on how i feel about the horribly misguiding and destructive forces that take place when photographers keep encouraging their clients to LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. (i must add that this is very clearly taken on a shit ton by white photographers like myself and perpetuated by our white supremacist culture. we love sameness. we love palatable. we love something we can digest easily with dinner.)
as a photographer, i have the power in telling YOUR STORY.
and i seek only to honor it to the depths of my very being (so dramatic i know but it's TRUE!!)
so here i offer a series on something very vulnerable, and valuable, - the body.
as a womxn - and as a human who has experienced sustained and repeated trauma events as a child - my relationship with my body is fucking difficult to say the least.
in january of 2018, when i started to explore self portraiture, it felt, at first, to me, quite superficial.
but then, a shift occurred.
i started to take self portraits as a form of connecting and familiarizing myself with my body.
and i started to see my body for what it is:
- my body is a vessel of life, joy, pain, pleasure, hope, rebirth, loss
- my body is a holding space for self reflection and self love
- my body is a world of possibilities, not just limitations
- my body is beautiful, because i am beautiful
self portrait polaroid from 2019.
in the rooted portrait series i invite you to join me in recognizing your body once again and unearthing the beauty that lives there, always.
in an age where our president is openly permitted to be sexist, racist, homophobic, etc and FUCKING GET AWAY WITH IT.
i encourage all of us womxn identifying humans to give ourselves permission to be openly
SEXY, STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, SHAMELESS.
this series is in tentative launching stages.
i plan to book my first group of clients for dates to be determined in january-february of 2021, seattle-tacoma area clients only.
we will work together to shoot in a socially distant + COVID safe manner.
sessions take place at a selected studio so I can control the health environment and avoid entering your homes.
hit me up if you are interested in booking!!
hello@kristinabigail.com
and we can at least get our conversation started!
in the spring/summer of 2021 i plan to launch the second of this series:
rooted | to the earth portrait series
helpful FAQ to potential ROOTED clients:
this series is open to any and all who identify as a womxn. not meant to be exclusive in ANY WAY - my experience of the body is as a white cis gendered female. i feel i am anchored and most familiar with this bodily lived experience. it does not mean i am not open or willing or desiring of photographing other gender identifying humans. hell no. i just want to honor your story so fully to the point where i am transparent and it may mean i lose your business because i think you may be taken care of better by someone who has lived more of your story. make sense? if you disagree tell me. i want to know what you think.
your boundaries and sense of safety are my number one priorities. we will honor COVID health restrictions and any physical/emotional boundaries you have. no questions asked.
the intent behind the rooted series is not to always get naked or strip down. unlayering ourselves can look like unlayering our clothing, yes. but it need not look this way at all if this is not your desire at this time!
while it's not expected, i do feel this session could serve at some level as a healing measure for many humans and their bodies. i am not a trained therapist or energy healer or anything. but i am grace-filled being and seek to honor those around me through encouragement, love, compassion, and helping guide them back to their own internal beauty. i feel this is a gift in my social life, and am curious to see if this can translate into my photography work through this project. ask me more about this if you choose to contact me.
every client booking includes a 45 MINUTE CONNECTION CALL - this creates spaces for us to go over any concerns, some of the fine print, as well as connect on why it is you are booking this session and what you are aiming to explore in regards to the theme of being rooted in your body.this may look like sharing some of your personal story - while it's not a requirement, i feel this can help guide us immensely. as a form of vulnerability and transparency, i plan to share aspects of my own story with every client.
this is a new project - so i welcome feedback and ideas! any suggestions or thoughts you want to share?
email me: hello@kristinabigail.com
