I have been photographing Pearl since she was a wee one who knew she would be an actor. I have written about her determination and grit before, and now at age 16, it is starting to really pay off. She just landed her first big movie, and I could not be more proud!! I was so excited that she and her dedicated mo wanted to do a session with me to commemorate her latest leap onto the big screen!
As I was perusing Instagram one day, a comment popped up on a photo I posted : “Margie, would you ever be interested in coming to Nicaragua to do a photo shoot for me”? Hmmmmm, let me think about that for a while (not really!!)…… I am not sure my fingers have ever flown so quickly across my keyboard as I answered a hearty and resounding YES! It was my dream job: a personal branding session, with a creative entrepreneur…AND it was in Central America, where I have not been in many years, but have always loved deeply.
Courtney Pinkerton and I met online a few years ago when we were both enrolled in Marie Forleo’s B School. Until I pulled up to her Nicaragua home on a rainy night, we had never actually met in person. Courtney is a Martha Beck certified life coach, and the founder of Bird in Hand Coaching. She is also the author of the soon to be published book, The Flourish Formula, dedicated to over achievers who need help slowing down while still staying productive. As a complement to all of that, she leads luscious and supportive retreats for women, the next one being in Nicaragua in October.
Courtney needed some new images for her book, social media, as well as for her website. She wanted to capture the essence of her life as an entrepreneur living abroad. Of course this entire scenario was right up my alley, not to mention that the color pallet of Granada, and her peaceful life with her family there was a perfect backdrop for us to achieve this. I was invited into her luscious world, and got to have a glimpse into her beautiful and rich life as we photographed in all of the places that she frequents in her daily life. My goal was to capture her in her natural environment to provide her clients and potential readers with a sense of her life and energy. We had many adventures along the way, including my first experience of shooting from a kayak on a volcanic lake!
As always I feel so honored to be invited into a client's life and heart. I will always treasure this trip and the opportunity to connect with and co-create with such a wonderful woman and her beautiful family!
I had the best time meeting Kara and collaborating to get some portraits for her new project! She was a dream to work with, and we had a wonderful flow together as we wandered around the streets of Venice chasing the sunset light. Kara is the founder of the Feminine Intelligence, and as such connects with and empowers women to be seen and heard in the world. I am so grateful for our connection, and look forward to collaborating in the future!!
Orly Avineri has been an inspiration and teacher of mine for quite some time now. She has created two stunning books on her artist journals, and also leads beautiful workshops on art journaling and the creative practice around the U.S. I had the opportunity to take one of her amazing classes a few years ago, and I was totally transformed by the experience!
I was so thrilled to be able to capture some portraits of Orly and her beautiful daughter, Maya the other day in Venice. I was totally honored to be in the presence of such a strong mother-daughter connection. Their love was palpable. I am so grateful to know them!
Erin has the BEST laugh you will ever hear, and a knack for bringing our the laughter and fun in any conversation. She is kind, sincere and extremely talented! I loved getting to spend some time with her during our session in Venice.
Erin is a beautiful soul who has an amazing wellness company called Pure Light Wellness. Being with Erin is like basking in the most beautiful light. She is the real deal.....down to earth, warm, authentic and loving! I loved every minute of our sacred portrait session on the streets of Venice, CA!
Olga was in Los Angeles on a visit from Spain. We had a great time capturing some portraits for her in Venice while she was here!
As you can see, Robyn is a beauty! I had the honor of shooting her wedding a while back, and was thrilled when she hired me to do a portrait session honoring the start of her new career in real estate!
From time to time I love to go back and look at the portrait sessions I have done. This last year was mainly consumed by my sailing adventure, but I did manage to get a bunch of wonderful sessions in as well. I love my clients so much. It is great to see how they are all making their mark on the world! Here you'll see a writer/meditation teacher, a director/cameraman, a grad school student, a couple of actors, a professional musician, a hair stylist, a couple of realtors, a spiritual teacher, a craftsman and a jewelry designer/entrepreneur. It feels so great to be a part of these entrepreneurs' paths as they put themselves out into the world!
When Jayne called me to hire me for a sacred portrait session to create her new website, I could tell it was going to be a magical experience! First of all, this is my favorite kind of portrait session...to capture an entrepreneur and creative soul and all of her facets, are you kidding me??? I have died and gone to heaven!! I counted the days until I could fly to Colorado and do our shoot! Jayne and I have many many friends in common, yet have never met. When we did, it was as if we had known each other for a long time. We spent a day together driving all over the roaring fork valley finding the perfect spots to capture her beauty and sparkle. To say she is a dynamo would be a grave understatement. She is manifestation in action. I could see this when we first were shooting, but when we walked into her studio and I watched her interact with her students and clients, I saw her shine even brighter. I told her she was a wizard in her element, and I meant it. She is full of grace and power...two traits which I feel are so beautiful and magnetic when they shine together! Jayne is a force to be reckoned with. I cannot wait to see what she creates next!
I met Melody several years ago in Dallas. We met through a mutual friend who was adamant that we meet (thank you Trina!). We hit it off right away, and I was immediately entranced by her sparkly-ness and dynamic energy. Melody is a clinical psychologist holding her PhD in the same field, a yoga teacher, and the founder of The Embody Love Movement. The way I see it, she is a facilitator for healing through spreading love and wisdom. I am particularly moved by her work with girls and young women surrounding body image and self-love. By founding and growing The Embody Love Movement, Melody has empowered so many young women to not only love themselves and shed negative self-talk, but to facilitate this work out in the world with other young women. I have had the honor to witness her in action in one of her seminars. It was life changing for me even as a 40-something woman!
I am blessed that she is now living here in Venice, so that we can once again connect and collaborate! She is a beauty inside and out and I am honored to know her.
I feel so very blessed to have this woman in my daily life. We serendipitously met over a year ago, and since then she has become one of my dearest friends and soul sisters. Whether we are sailing to Catalina, hanging out having deep talks, cracking up over some silly shenanigan, she graces my life with more than I could ever put into words. She is an angel on this earth who exudes love and compassion out of every pore of her being. When she walks into a room, it lights up and you feel better for sharing any moment with her. She touches everyone she comes into contact with with her grace and beauty. When I count my blessings, I count her as one of the most treasured. I was so honored to be chosen to capture some images of her as she enters into her 30’s!!
Last year we started the annual Goddess shoot featuring local women wearing Harmony's inspired designs. This year Harmony's idea was to have her lovely employees and friends wearing her designs in their way, showing their unique style. The idea was to show how versatile her pieces are. One can wear them anywhere from a formal event to working out. I personally wear Harmony's designs in all f these settings. I have been friends (and a collector of her pieces) with Harmony for over 20 years, and have witnessed her grow tremendously as a person, a business woman and an artist. Each piece has a unique energy and vibe and can also be combined to create even more of the same. I hope you enjoy seeing all of the ways that her lovely ladies have combined her beautiful masterpieces. We had the best day tromping around the forests and streams of Aspen to create these images. I cannot even begin to adequately express what an honor it is to work with Harmony and her amazing right hand women. It was a true collaboration!
I have known Trevi for many years, and have always been amazed by her passion and honesty. She is a beautiful person in every way. She is an entrepreneur, mama and all around stunning human being! We had a great day wandering around Venice, CA for her sacred portrait session. She wanted some images for her various business ventures and websites. I think we got a great cross section of her many layered skill set and multi-faceted self!
This was one of my favorite shoots all year! Harmony of Harmony Scott Jewelry Designs organized a portrait session in Aspen with a handful of her lovely friends and employees. Everyone showed up in an outfit that made them feel feminine and beautiful. Harmony then bejeweled us all in her gorgeous and timeless designs. The most interesting part of the day for me was that I was still on crutches. I was recovering from achilles tendon surgery. My ladies took good care of me though following me around with my gear, a glass of wine and anything else I might need. It was a fabulous afternoon in the mountainson a perfect Colorado summer day! I feel grateful for all of these lovely women, some of whom I have known for years and some that I met that day. Here they are in all of their loveliness.......
I was so excited to get to drive out to the country and do this sacred portrait session with Leah. I am a country girl at heart, and every time I get the chance to leave the city in my rear-view mirror and head out to the open space (and even into a few hills, which is very exciting in Dallas), I am thrilled! I loved Leah's homestead, complete with an amazing barn, pastures and a menagerie of animals, where her 3 horses were the royalty. She is a therapist that does equine assisted therapy, and is so passionate about her work that it is contagious. She is graceful, tender and grounded. I appreciated our time together so very much! Here are a few of my favorites from the session!
Jenny is a beautiful soul that I am lucky enough to learn from every week. She is such an inspiration to me, which is why I take her yoga classes whenever I get the chance! I feel blessed to know her and was so excited when she asked me to take her portraits. We did a combo head shot, portrait and yoga pose session down in the arts district! It was very fun. She was SUCH a trooper despite the cold temperature!
Being around Karla one cannot help but feeling energized and inspired. Herjoie de vivre is completely contagious. When I arrived and she started pulling out brightly colored fabrics like a kid in a candy store, I couldn'thelp but giggle out loud. I felt so inspired as I followed her around with my camera taking in her light and joyful energy. Karla is extremely creative and passionate about what she does. She creates patterns for local clothing designers, and has lovingly and expertly been doing so for over 10 years. I loved being invited into her studio for a glimpse into her colorful world and her creative process! Here are some images from our time together. She is wearing dresses that are her clients' designs.....perfectly feminine and functional if you ask me!!!
Andrea started Take A Smart Step in 2007, to (in her words)," to educate people about money and to help them make the world a better place". She is smart, funny and compassionate and I loved working with her. Our portrait session was so much fun, and reminded me once again why I love what I do. Getting to connect with entrepreneurs like Andrea is so inspiring!
Gay is a soulful artist who was gracious enough to invite me into her lovely studio. I felt so excited to be able to memorialize a glimpse into her creative process. I am always so honored to be invited into someone's sacred space. As an artist myself, I know how vulnerable it can be to invite someone into your studio. It is a precious thing to share though despite that vulnerability, because sharing our process is like providing a glimpse into our own soul. That sharing can only enhance the lives of others and encourage them to do the same (or so I hope). I love doing personal branding sessions like this, because I get to share, though my lens, the beauty of another, and what they have to offer the world.
