What Does Your Soul Look Like?

A picture of you is a little snapshot of your soul. However, depending on the session, it's a different perspective. A headshot is a picture of how you want to be presented to the world professionally. Wedding portraits are a snapshot of your soul madly in love and starting a new journey.  A family portrait is your soul interacting with the other soul's you do life with.

I've been in business shooting boudoir for 10 years this month (CRAZY!) and the part of my photography I've loved the most has been showing my clients a new perspective on who they are. To bring to life the sacred feminine within them in such a way that they can view it in a photo. Each of my clients come hoping to see something when they view the photos. Sometimes they are shocked by their beauty and they can't believe how stunning they are. Sometimes they are surprised by the vulnerability they see. Or they're knocked over by how sexy they look. 

Having an image that reveals to you a part of yourself you aren't sure is even there is powerful. It's akin to learning a new word or phrase that perfectly encapsulates something you want to communicate. It gives you a baseline to understand yourself on a deeper level AND gives you new internal understanding of your worth and value.

That's why Meagan O Photography is pivoting. Not away from boudoir, but toward calling in and naming what you need to see in yourself. For our 10 year anniversary, we are leaning all the way into Soul Portraiture. What is that? Well…I kinda made it up. That’s not true, I actually woke up in Indonesia in 2018 with that phrase in my head. It is idea that showing a client a piece of herself in an image can have an intense impact on her perspective of her identity.

What changes about the session? Well, when you book, I'll reach out to schedule a "Discovery Session", which is essentially a Zoom meeting with me. I will prompt you with questions about where you are in life. We'll talk about the areas in your life where you feel like you're doing the best. Maybe you feel like you're killing it at work. Or that you are rocking your role as a mom. Then, we'll talk about the areas you haven't felt connected to in a long time (or ever). Maybe you haven't felt beautiful in forever. Or you wish you could be as bold as other people in your life. Or life is so serious that you just want to remind yourself that you're fun!

From there, we'll come up with 1-3 words that are the desired direction of the shoot. With those in mind, I'll pitch a few ideas that I feel will give you both the experience you want and the artistic results you desire. We'll discuss if it should be in the studio or on location, what outfits will work best and any other details. I'll also encourage you to make a playlist that helps you connect to the words we discover together. That may not seem like a lot of change, but after practicing this with my most current clients, it is having a powerful impact on not just their experience, but on the art we're creating as well. 

Maybe you've been depressed and your soul craves release, so we shoot something in water as a symbol of things rolling off of your skin. Or maybe you are newly engaged and we shoot something with a ton of flowers, symbolizing the opening and awakening of a new season. Or maybe you need to connect to your sexuality so we add some smoke to a boudoir studio session...the possibilities are endless and don’t require you to wear lingerie!

I believe in the power of your voice. Naming what you want to see also means that will be in your mind every time you do anything in preparation for the session. Having the prompt: "Does this make me feel _____?" when you're selecting your outfits, nail color, playlist, accessories means you are already telling your brain and body that you are that thing. 

For example, if you are striving to feel "free" what colors/sounds/experiences tell you that you are indeed free? Maybe I've suggested a windy meadow or beautiful overlook for the location. And the entire time you're planning, you are actively speaking to the part of your soul that knows it's free. The possibilities for options, creativity and play are endless! But let's work together to maximize the impact it has on your core being and identity.

I truly believe we need women today more than ever. My goal is to empower and elevate as many of you as I can. 

What part of your soul do you need to remind yourself is there? What part of you knows you are more than people think and possibly even more than you believe? I can promise you that you are more impressive, more expansive and more valuable than you know. Which begs the question, if you were aware of your value, how differently would you live your life?