A Storyteller With A Camera

Special thanks to Serena from Italy for this beautiful illustration!

It has taken a significant amount of people telling me the same thing the last couple of months for me to finally get it. I'm a storyteller.

My brother wrote a comment on one of my blog posts:

"Is wonderful how you write, you've always had the 

gift to show the world in a beautiful way regardless of  

the medium."

- "Fela, didn't you know this already?! Is kind of obvious!".

I know, I know. But first let me explain why it took so long to hit me. I'm a bit of a weird combination; I can be very creative (out of the box) but at the same time be IN the box, full on. Which I've been told is rare for an artist. My head is processing storytelling and portrait as 2 different things:

- Storytelling goes in my procrastinated box of "Writing"

- True Beauty goes in my current box of "Photography" 

Therefore, since it has been categorized, in my head, Storytelling is not part of the same box where Portrait goes, so is dismissed. I can be non-artistic like that...

But put me inside the Writing box or the Photography box and my imagination and creativity goes wild, jumping into an infinite world of possibilities; kind of a Narnia effect (the world inside the wardrobe).

So, I was completely oblivious to it, but people kept saying it and Storytelling started planting a seed in my Photography box and a lot of things started making sense, and my Photography world expanded more; kind of the world of Fantastica in "The Never-ending Story": the more you imagine, the bigger it gets (yeah... I'm applying my book geekiness right now if you have noticed...).

"If you were doing this unconsciously already, what's the difference now and why should I care?"- You may ask.

Well my friend, it makes a HUGE difference! 

First, it's a conscious decision now, which makes me more attentive to telling your story when I photograph you. I'll be able to discover and reveal more of your amazing self.

And second, but most importantly, I'll be able to tell YOU your story. I'll be able to tell you how amazing, strong and smart you are. I'll be able to tell YOU how, despite all the hardship in your life, you have been able to conquer it all and stand victorious in front of me with the courage (that is not found so easily) to make yourself vulnerable to me and my camera so that I may see it all and show it to you so that YOU may look at yourself and FINALLY realize, that you are standing pretty good in life, that God has shaped you into an AMAZING woman, that your body is just the shell that contains all your awesomeness and THAT my friend is not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.

Revealing Rosemary

Hair and Makeup by Kada Bombay Beauty Loft. Styling by Chantal Studio Intent Boutique

Who did I think of when I met Rosemary? Julie Andrews. Being a wonderful humble lady, Rosemary finds my remark funny. But I'm not alone on this. She definitely evokes the lovely actress; not because of her appearance but because of how her personality is. She is one of those people you just want to sit with, let her do all the talking (though she's more interested in listening to you) and let yourself be captured by the beauty of her elegant and fluid movements, the way she talks and her beautiful warm smile. Every time I think of her, I picture her with a warm yellow light coming from her; the kind of light you want to be in all the time (have I mentioned before that I remember people with coloured light?) even if you're not talking but just being in her presence.

Her husband's words describe her perfectly:

"Rosemary is elegant - Audrey Hepburn elegant -  with farm girl in the mix. Unique style.  She is honest,  fiercely intelligent and literate".

She also happens to be an amazing poet. Being a book geek myself, of course I had to read her book "YES". I took it out of the library and couldn't put it down. to the point that I bought it right after I finished it and asked her to sign it.

She IS an amazing poet with a long list of national awards up her sleeve. Her poems are so beautiful and inspiring that woke up in me the dormant writer that has been in hibernation for more than a decade. The simplicity and beauty of her verses reminded me why I love writing. You can see and feel her personality in the words she writes.

To simply put it, Rosemary is beauty.

To finish, here are Rosemary's words about her True Beauty Experience:

"I can't tell you how honoured I felt to be a part of it. 

Fela, your photos are amazing. I have never thought of myself as photogenic, but you somehow achieved that... I will always treasure the memory of the reveal event".

Revealing Jaimie

Hair and Makeup by Kada Issa - Bombay Beauty Loft

Jaimie and I clicked at the first mention of books at her REVEAL YOUR TRUE BEAUTY  session. 

Have I mentioned how much I like reading? I like getting lost in the stories, living them and breathing them through each written word. I used to spend a whole day or weekend reading a book. Just couldn't put it down until it was finished. In fact, as soon as I learned to read when I was little, I spent my recess time at the school library; I had finished the children's book section by the end of the year.

Yes, I'm a book geek and Jaimie too and that is how a lovely book relationship started. We have already swapped books and we could talk for hours about it. Even our literature tastes are similar! Isn't simply awesome?

One of the things I love about photographing people is meeting them, knowing them, and sometimes, more often than not, being at awe with how amazing God is to put them on my path.

We had a great time with Jaimie, trying to remember that we were at a session and we had to get back to business. We just kept talking and laughing so much! 

Jaimie deep in thought checking a book I had brought to the studio. Happy I captured the moment!

Her husband's description of Jaimie sums it up pretty well:

"Smart, spunky, friendly, energetic, loving, low maintenance. Looks great dressed down or up, would fit in perfectly in the 1920's as a flapper in one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels".

And to finish, her own words about her experience: