Intimacy + Flowers
Intimacy is a symphony. A convergence of physical and the abstract emotional. It's tactile-- absolutely sensory, but it's communication, openness, and vulnerability. It's trust.
When you meet someone else who understands intimacy, tension melts. They are available. Every time I work with Cara Totman, I am reminded of the gifts she gives the souls in front of her lens. She gives them space, and support, and security in their individuality.
Photos by Cara Totman.
“They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered.”
Recently, we had the pleasure of combining our creative forces of flower and photo and put together an intimate, portrait session for some lovely ladies. The first in her new studio, she created a little sanctuary that dissipated the intimidation of being vulnerable in front of the camera. It was a full day of shooting and her smile didn't stop even when her shutter did.
We had a sort of light and dark approach. Since Cara works really well with natural lighting, most of the shoots played into that. Not much was needed as accessory since all of the girls were absolute dolls, so mostly I just draped a romantic bouquet across their arms. I also had a few eucalyptus flower crowns on hand, but simple worked best. My favorite pairing by far was the wild bouquet with demure expressions.
To counter the brighter, more exposed set, we also set up a moodier backdrop. I poked little holes in a black sheet and fed red roses through. I must admit, I was more hung up on how killer this looked from behind-- the stems hanging and the sun straining through the sheet.
Photo by Cara Totman.
Collaboration is a beautiful experience. Being able to bring your creative self to another creative and set what collides and fuses is one of the best gifts of humanity. It is the expansive nature of these acts that contributes to a better understanding of our own faults and gifts and hopefully, opens us up to intimacy.
If you have time to get lost in dreamland, visit www.caratotman.com for more of her work.