Behind the Scenes: Jeanie & the Jaguar

Working with Jeanie is always a dynamic experience. I've had the privilege of working other coaching containers with her around shadow and archetype work, so I knew when she signed on for Ritual Portrait Session, it would be not only creative but deep.

She's super adventurous too so I was ecstatic when she wanted to do her shoot at a private pool above a local waterfall.

We met at the trailhead around 10 am that morning and enjoyed a lovely mid-autumn hike. It gave us time to walk off the photoshoot nerves and drop into some deeper conversation around the themes coming up in her life and how they were reflected in this archetype exploration.

When we arrived at the falls, we scrambled up the rocks to a more private spot. Jeanie is an avid forager and mushroom medicine expert so she centered into her meditative mind-space with a gorgeous golden Amanita she foraged locally.

I began the shoot by inviting her to explore first the part of her who needs slow sheltering from being seen, the one who is a bit wary of the jaguar she was seeking to bring forth.

I asked her to be gently and lovingly with this part in a curled up position ontop of this awesome bolder and to carefully move from there into openness reaching her heart to the sun. and back and forth pendulating between those two somatic experiences, using her breath to process any feelings that came up along the way.

I love the shots that came of this! It was super fun for me to explore adventure shoooting as I called on my inner Mountain Yogini to help me capture the angles I wanted...

and it was a perfect somatic coaching prompt to digest the visibility fears early in the shoot.

After moving through a somatic moon phase prompt I offered that led her to basking in the sun in the pools,

She felt inspired to jump into her jaguar suit and more fully embody her boldness...

It's amazing what wardrobe can do, because the black lingerie and slashed black silk skirt helped the transformation along swimmingly

The rest of the shoot she prowled the area exploring her fierce sensuality and ending a in a cold plunge with an iconic hair flip in the water I've always wanted to capture.

During the walk back, we reveled in the delightful tiredness that comes after a long hike and cold dip. I knew we had captured some gorgeous images...

But the landing of the work didn't fully happen for her completely until the days following and finally the gallery reveal. That was when she really got to see herself from the outside and integrate her new identity, updating her inner understanding of who she has become over the last several years. Having a real image to show her family of how she feels about herself inside has proved to be incredibly powerful for her. And I hope they will be a touchstone for her for years to come.

• View Jeanie's whole album HERE

• Book your Archetype Portrait HERE