I’m really stoked that I received my Beloved certification badges from the Beloved Collective. I’ve written about the training before, but getting the email from the organizers reminds me that I am part of an exclusive group of professional photographers who offer this unique, experimental technique.
A lot of photographers claim to understand Beloved Photography but in fact only practice some pale shadow of the process. There’s a lot of psychology to Beloved Photography, and during a session a photographer becomes more than a conduit of images. It’s almost like becoming a therapist, an artist, and a magician all at the same time. A Beloved photographer learns more about his or her subject than a regular photographer who merely aims and shoots. A lot of trust and laughter goes into the collaborative process. As a Beloved photographer, it’s my job to astonish my subjects and pull the most natural and beautiful expressions from their faces.
I know I shouldn’t blow my own horn, but I did pass the first certification exams. There were only about fifteen of us in that pioneering group! We came from all over the world too—photographers from as far away as Sweden, Norway, the U.K and Singapore took part in that groundbreaking course. I know many more have taken the program since then, but I think I can be justified in my accomplishment: I am one of the first.
Next up for me, Beloved Teacher Certification. Ohhh…scary but I am so ready for the challenge!
Anyway, enough crowing on my part! I’m just really happy. I also got back from Beloved Collective Festival last month. It happened alongside the Adventure Always conference in Long Beach, on board the historic Queen Mary. It was an amazing experience and just the right time to get inspired. Blog post about that coming soon!