Brand Photo Shoot for Sacred Space at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, California
Earth, water, wind, and fire
Meet Arielle Mesa, the founder of Sacred Space. She is a “holistic practitioner who offers trauma-sensitive psychotherapy, psychedelic integration and preparation services, yoga, and reiki healing sessions.” Her work as a psychotherapist and psychedelic integration practitioner focuses on helping people explore the depths of who they are. Arielle’s goal was to have shots of herself that reflected her personality and professional essence for a brand refresh. She wanted the images to be earthy, classy, and authentic to her and her business. We brainstormed locations and thought Sunset Cliffs Natural Park would provide the perfect balance of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire.
For our shoot, I captured Arielle as she made an offering to the earth and the ocean. She laid out her altar of tools, played her flute and drum, and burned sacred herbs. Spirituality, self-reflection, and growth are major themes in Arielle’s personal and professional life; therefore, I kept this in mind through out the shoot and made sure these aspects were reflected in the final images. I had never experienced a ritual like this first hand and I must say that it was one of the coolest shoots I’ve done to date. Arielle is so incredibly passionate about her line of work and not only do we have that in common, but it was an honor to be asked to capture this passion for her.
As a bonus, when we wrapped up and were heading out, we witnessed a marriage proposal! A photographer jumped up and captured the moment as we ran out of the way. Hopefully the magical smell of herbs and the sound of Arielle’s flute and drum elevated the experience for the newly engaged couple. Thank you Arielle for trusting me with this shoot and I can’t wait to see what is next for you and Sacred Space!
Click here to learn more about Arielle, her process, and the services she offers. If you are in need of your own brand imagery from a authentic, photojournalistic point of view, let’s chat!
Client Review
“Mallory completed a photoshoot for me and my business and the pictures turned out wonderful! Mallory was super communicative and provided a lot of guidance to prepare me for the shoot, and was also really flexible and attentive to me and my preferences for a more natural, candid shoot. She did an amazing job at capturing the essence of me and my business and I could not recommend her more highly.”
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