the magic of vera pash | in the woods on lake sammamish, washington
well, this was one of
those days
you can't really plan.
you know, one of those days that
carries with it
undeniable
serendipity.
-
there was an energy about this day;
guiding us in our decisions.
and what i believe
is that
this energy was cultivated by
both vera and i.
though it was
"just another rainy-ish + cold winter day
in the pnw"
vera and i each brought along with us:
(
our creative imaginings,
our collaborative soul searching,
our mutual desire to make something for ourselves
)
this collaborative energy
carried us beautifully
into the flow.
i use the word flow to describe;
that feeling we get when we are energetically
in sync with
the world
people
+
all other living things
around us
that easy kind of energy
that comes when
two or more individuals
decide to create
something together
with equal levels of
care
and enthusiasm.
for vera and i this collaboration was much about
exploring our relationships with
how we
as fellow photographers/womxn/creatives
experience/see our
own bodies.
our identities.
and accepting who/how/why we are as we are -
right
now.
not looking at what needs to be changed.
but celebrating what is.
we
are all
so often thrown off balance when we see
ourselves in images.
we look, immediately, for our faults.
for the "embarrassing" facial expressions.
or the "imperfect" hairdo.
the "awkward" wrinkles.
the "unseemly" shape we feel our bodies make.
"be perfect!" the world keeps screaming at us.
well, vera and i discussed how very tired we are of this.
so we said fuck that.
let's make something
that sings
truth
for
us as individuals.
as artists
as womxn
as living breathing human beings.
as i photographed vera
i
tuned into her movements.
i looked for opportunities to create images that were
not "the normal portrait" - how?
by adjusting my camera settings to a
slow shutter speed
and shooting (as i like to) in manual focus
as well
these tactics together can make for some fun af + trippy images
that
i just
love.
my goal over the past year or so has been to lean in to the uniqueness of
how i see the world.
and for me, much of the world i see can be summed up in that one line sung by billie eilish in "ilomilo"
"the world's a little blurry
/
or maybe it's my eyes"
so,
i decided to just start shooting this way more often.
plus it has the added benefit of allowing me to feel
more like
i'm painting with my camera.
for this session i brought along with me also some props:
i feel the details of this session all came together
divinely.
the soft textures
the airy florals
the deep greens juxtaposed with the
warm and cool tones
of vera's yellow skirt + her purple hair.
and the
playful
feeling
of the overall
setup/composition
(not to mention vera's naturally
poised
and
playful way of being
in front of the lens).
as vera said to me,
this day was a breath of fresh air.
it was a remembering of where my heart is in my work.
sometimes it just takes
hauling your ass (and a shit ton of lovely florals/props)
down to the lake
with a friend and fellow
creator -
and making something you're proud of.
something that makes your heart sing when
you make it.
something that doesn't compete for "likes"
or attention.
rather, something that's
quietly
fierce.
something that honors
its maker +
its subject.
(which do you like better - the color or bw version? i personally can't decide)
truly i feel that when we make something (art, images, writing, music)
with "likes" and approval in mind -
we weigh ourselves down to the point of drowning.
this collaboration
was all
about
being
free.
being free
to feel;
free to see
free to enjoy and
free to let go.
well as always
T H A N K Y O U
for following along & supporting my work/business.
it means the absolute world.
and thank you to this amazing soul who inspires me to no end.
all inquiries and collaborations | hello@kristinabigail.com
CHECK OUT A SNEAK PEEK OF VERA'S IMAGES!
i'm not gonna lie. she made me feel queenly af.
