cul*ti*vate: self portraiture

i have been so darn excited about today.s post i could hardly stand it.

i am honestly thrilled to share with you my very first "guest"on cul*ti*vate.

this woman is one of the most beautiful, authentic souls you will ever meet.

her photography is going to knock your socks off.

her self portraits are especially jaw dropping and i am joyful to share that viv is on a mission to bestow unto us many of the truths she has learned

through her journey into self-portraiture and photography.

i can truly say "i love her to death!" and mean every scrumptious letter of it.

VIVIENNE McMASTER

Letting Ourselves Shine {a Guest Post by Vivienne McMaster}

I met the lovely Chrissy last year at an art retreat. I adored her the moment I met her. Why? Because she is radiant. Truly.

Her spirit shines through her so brightly.

So when pondering what aspect of self-portrait photography

I wanted to share in this guest post I thought of talking about radiance and letting our inner spirit shine through.

Perhaps you, like me, have struggled with getting your photos taken. I never felt like who I really am shone through and I get critical of the physicalities of myself in the photo. What is really at the core of whether I like a photo or not isn’t about my body (though my psyche sure likes to pretend it is).

It is whether or not my essence shone through.

It was a big realization for me when I saw that I was capable of taking photos that did indeed let that spark of who I truly am appear.

Sometime I let the sunlight help me radiate my own light, other times playfulness and movement bring it out in me.

Perhaps for you it might be your radiant smile or the way your mama self shines when you are in photos with your kids. Maybe it is when surrounded by friends or after a beautiful walk. What makes you shine?

Let’s try and remember to shine our light when someone aims the camera at us or we aim it at ourselves. Let’s remember what makes us feel like our most true selves and let that radiate. Sometimes it can be awkward or challenging to push through and find ways to do that but I swear it makes all the difference with the way we relate to photos.

Of course there are some days when we don’t want to be shiny and bright. I’ve learned through continually aiming the camera at myself that those photographs are equally valuable to me.

Whether it is someone else taking our photo or inviting ourselves to step into the photo as a self-portrait I am on a mission to encourage us all to play around with how we can find ways to feel seen in photographs, to feel beautiful or playful or truthful when we see them and to capture moments along the way.

Let’s let ourselves shine.

Vivienne is a photographer that is head over heels for self-portraiture and the potential it has to shift our self-perceptions. She teaches e-courses in self-portraiture and developing our visual voice through photography. You can find out more about her and her courses at www.viviennemcmaster.com