Topanga Canyon SACRED Maternity Session / BETSY
Betsy is the kind of person who immediately feels like home. Her energy effortlessly draws you in — like a honeybee returning to its favorite spring flower. She is genuine, grounded, fierce and vulnerable, with an enigmatic air of playful mystery.
Her maternity session was a love spell from the start — a wildly loving gift from a group of her dearest friends. I was flown down to California and asked to create an intentional, ceremonial photography experience for Betsy to fully honor and celebrate her pregnancy.
We chose Tuna Canyon for the location; a mystical expanse along the Pacific Ocean. Being in direct communion with the rhythms of nature was deeply important to her. A place where she could feel wild and free, connected to the power of her body and to the bright, bold spirit of her unborn daughter.
On the afternoon of her session, we opened ceremonial space in a shaded grove, nestled under the limbs of an ancient Oak tree. Through a guided meditation, space was held for Betsy to intimately connect with the essence of her girl — resting in the precious connection of their shared home and eternal bond. A radiance emanated from Betsy through their connection — tears streaming down her cheeks, lit up with powerful purpose and devotion. True beauty. Fierce, embodied grace.
We spent the next hour exploring barefoot; climbing trees, nestling into warm rocks, picking Anise flowers, and drinking in the shimmering horizon line — resting in the liminal space where ocean meets air… where mother meets baby… where cosmic soul meets planet Earth.
As the sun began to sink behind the coastal mountains, we drove down the winding, sun-drenched roads to be with the Ocean for the closing moments of Betsys session. We let our intuition guide, pulling over at a stretch of beach that called to us. Toes warmed by the sand, Betsy ran straight into the crashing waves. Soaking wet, her eyes lit up with laughter, she held her belly close as the last gleaming moments of light danced off the surface of the water.
Betsy, mother of Summer, you are a woman of oceanic depth. Thank you for trusting me to tell your story.
This was such a powerful level. This was such a gorgeous day. To be remembered and beloved forever!
Words from Betsy on her experience with this session:
“Working with Olivia is so much more than a photoshoot. She ushered me into a sacred space and I was able to connect with my unborn daughter and with the earth. It felt supernatural, wild, powerful, and true. Having these beautiful photos to commemorate our beautiful time together is just the cherry on top of an experience that I wish for every mother-to-be.
In a world where maternity photos can all start to look the same, Olivia took the time to get to know my heart and what it loves, and carefully constructed our time around those things and those places. Through meditation, she helped me to feel into my daughter's spirit, and the fierceness that motherhood has proven to be. Because of her intentional and soulful approach to our shoot, I have photos that my family and I will treasure throughout generations.
I cannot recommend Olivia highly enough! If you're like me, having your photo taken while pregnant might be the last thing you feel like doing, but I promise that you will not regret taking this special time for yourself and your child.” -Betsy J.
