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{Beloved} a personal journey [essence images brisbane portrait photographer]

[audio:https://www.essenceimages.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/07-Beloved-MP3.mp3|titles=07 Beloved-MP3]

 

“I surrounded myself with creative inspiring people for a week, I didn’t make my bed or tidy my room, I wrote poems, sang songs and drew – I took some photos, I watched the sunrise – it was awesome xxx”

I’m trying to find the words to describe my recent little trip away to a workshop and retreat faciliated by the amazing Jesh De Rox, but it’s proving really difficult. I’m not sure what drew me to Jesh’s message in the first place but it has a lot to do with his heart centred approach to photographing people and creating authentic genuine moments they share whilst you photograph them. SO to get to this place everyone (including you as photographer) needs to be in this heart centred place. So for me his workshop and the retreat are about connecting more with my heart and then allowing this to flow to all areas of my life – not just my photography. And connect to my heart it DID!

During this time I made lots of new and amazing friends (including becoming better friends with me!), and I also got to share the first part of my journey with my sister-in-law and a dear friend. I also got to see my little bouncy noisy thing-of-a-friend called Hope with whom I roomed with for the whole duration – I met her at a previous workshop I did last year in Melbourne and we are now set to be friends forever!!!!

So these new friends, amazing souls, who I shared this journey with, I thank you, each and every one of you, Jesh, Cristina, Angie, Mish, Melissa, Craig, Melinda, Ben, Ness, Anna, Jo, Heath, Danielle, Victoria, Sarah, Bronwyn, Anthony, Johl, Robyn, Renee, Katie, Sarah, Liz, Hope, Robeccer, Melody, Mel, Bec, Kirsty, Kirstie, Kerina and Amy.

Thank-you for sharing your stories, opening your hearts, listening and being present with me for this time, and thank you for listening to and seeing me as well.

Also a massive thanks to Jesh firstly for being such an inspiration to many, and also for bringing along his gorgeous friend Amy Seeley to Legacy to share it with us (and thanks for the image of Cristina and I!!!). Amy is one of the most amazing artists I know, her music resonates with me beyond words (I listen to her music A LOT) and she’s also a fab photographer and poet. It was such a treat to have Amy and Jesh perform for us in an intimate concert at our retreat – I will never forget this and many other moments – *sigh* Please go and check out all these links I’ve posted within this post, and if you are a photographer/artist and would like to know more about my beloved journey please get in touch with me……………..

Thanks to Hope for getting Jesh to use her camera for our workshop group shot! And thanks to Bec for the group shot of us all glammed up at our Legacy Retreat!!!!

Here’s the lyrics to one of Amy’s amazing songs, Beloved, it brings back such special memories and I feel the words are apt, for the still small voice in us all.  Enjoy the music and if you’d like to use any of Amy’s tunes, head over to With Etiquette 🙂 Jess xxxxxxxx

beloved .

there are voices that find us wreaking havoc in the most subtle of dialects

youʼre small .
youʼre not good enough… and youʼll never be .

we listen
and we gather enough courage in our defense

while with a glance
they say, “believe in us” .
they say, “concede to us”
they say, “make peace with us” but you …

you …

your heart your hands your eyes your dreams

are beloved

your heart
your hands
your eyes ..
and everything that you see in your dreams

beloved

 

(the images are a mix of my trusty iPhone and also my Fuji X100)

 

 

 

COMMENTS

this is so beautiful Jess – oh my goodness, so many yummy memories and so pleased to have shared so many of them with you xx

Loved this Jess! Loved meeting you and spending time with you and I love seeing all these little snippets of the time we shared!!! So much love to you. xxx

My darling, darling Jess.
Meeting and knowing you has been so wonderful. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only being there for my on one of the most difficult days of my life while we were away, but for being there for me always. Your soul and heart are beautiful.
I love you my gorgeous girl. x

Seriously awesome collection of images that bring back such warm memories. So wonderful to meet you, and spend such a lovely week with you.

Awww Chia – you just keep getting more & more gorgeous to me as the years go by !!! I feel blessed that God made me your sister-in-law…..BLESSED!!!!!! Totally loved the blog – the images and your words. You are a talented, loving soul who will continue to soar xx

This looks so amazing. I am going to follow your links to find out more.

Wow Jess, looks (and feels) like it has been one amazing life-changing experience. (pity I am not a photographer… ) Think of you all often when looking at your gorgeous pics of our family on the walls all around the house. Get lots of wonderful comments too. Shame we live so far away now, I could have send many new clients in your direction!!

Perhaps some sessions while I’m in England will need to be organised! 😉

Oh Jess, I don’t exactly know where to start.
Firstly I’ll thank you, thank you for being in my life.
Thank you for inviting me to the land of Jesh…
Thank you for this eloquently written blog.
You have brought happy tears to my eyes again.
I’ll never forget our unspoken language, our nods of understanding.
Our time.
I love that photo that Jesh took of us. How lucky are we…
(I’ll need that memory in a frame)
I love you my dear friend.
all my love,
Cris xoxoxoxoxo

Oh gosh!!!! I am in love!!!!

What a beautiful, amazing awesome post!

Made me teary seeing all the photos!

So much love to you girl. You are amazing. xxxx

Meagan Longstocking

Wonderful. Looking forward to hearing more when we (finally) catch up xx

[…] I don’t even know where to begin with this one! I met Hope 2 years ago now, and we were thrown into the deep end of getting to know each other – eye balling each other right from the start at a photography workshop with Jesh De Rox, that may not sound like fun, but meeting Hope along with many other amazing souls on this adventure has been incredibly transformative to say the least. You can see some shenanigans here . […]

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