Neale Donald Walsch, FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

My photo philosophy is based on my life philosophy. I love life. I enjoy life. I welcome life. I believe that people are created for joy, love, and happiness. Thus, photography for me is a way to express my perceptions of life.

Why do we only have holidays on specific dates? Let us celebrate life by having many holidays with or without an occasion. The day when you have your photo session will certainly be like a holiday to you!

I am convinced that every person is unique and special. EVERY PERSON IS A MIRACLE. That is why the process of portrait-making for me is a celebration of you: your uniqueness, your existence, a glorification of who you are.

My philosophical mantra: LET THE AMOUNT OF JOY, BEAUTY, AND LOVE IN THE WORLD MULTIPLY! That is one of my main reasons for becoming a portrait photographer. My work can bring people joy and inspire happiness. That is why I create portraits with the light of joy. My photographs are about joy and many have told me they emanate joy. Whether it be the type of joy that spills over you like a flood; or a joy that s quiet, peaceful, and tranquil.

My portraits capture the joy of a moment and your experience of living that moment. I do not mean only the outward joy of your smile or your laughter, but most of all - your inner joy, your harmony with yourself and with the universe.

Indeed, your inner state is crucial for creating portraits that you will later admire. A session is a process of creative collaboration. I know from my experience as a portrait photographer that some people may feel tense during picture-taking. I am often surprised at people s needless insecurities about their appearance. That is why I will apply all my effort and warmth to make you fell comfortable, free, and natural during your session. I want you to trust me, which means be able to open up and express yourself. I will try to make your portrait session enjoyable, like something you do on a holiday.

I am thoroughly convinced that there are no unattractive people, just those who mistakenly believe themselves to be unattractive. EVERY PERSON HAS HIS OR HER UNIQUE, INDIVIDUALIZED BEAUTY. That is why, through my photographs, I aim to reveal and convince you of your beauty; convey your inner glow; allow you to open up, to expose yourself in all your splendor and all your majesty, which you may not have even known existed.

Through my portraits I wish to show not only how you see yourself or how others are accustomed to see you, but to reveal new, and perhaps hitherto unknown, aspects of yourself. I believe that every person has many faces. Therefore, my photos expose many different and unique images that may lay dormant inside of you during mundane, every day life.

The highest form of gratitude for me is when my models react with surprise and awe to portraits of themselves. Goodness, is that really me? Am I really so beautiful? One time, a mother was surprised at her own daughters portrait: I didn t realize my daughter was so pretty! I feel honored to share such joy with people.

I adore making photographs, creating new images, and finding extraordinary angles. I give myself up fully to the creative process. To me, the process of taking pictures is more than simply looking through the camera lens, it is a flight of fantasy, of feeling, of thought; there is spontaneity, enlightenment, meditation, intuition, freedom. IT IS A TRIUMPH OF JOY!

I prefer working in nature or at your residence, since the artificial confinement of a studio may prove resistant to connecting with your soul. It is most important that you feel at ease, and your house is one of the best spots. But if weather and favorable conditions permit, I would rather work outdoors, because in nature you ( as well as I ) shed inhibitions, open up, and invite a sense of harmony, inner peace and unity with surroundings. Consequently, you may draw creative energy from natural forces. We will have portraits filled with such freshness and warmth, where you will glow with beauty, kindness, and the light of joy. That is exactly what I wish to achieve.

MY GOAL IS TO CREATE PORTRAITS THAT YOU WILL CONSTANTLY ADMIRE. I feel that photographs on the wall or on book shelves in your home should make you happy and engender warm, pleasant and bright feelings inside you. They should bring a smile to your face and inspire you every time you look at them. And if you happen to experience a difficult period in your life, a glance at your joyful portraits will make you realize that everything will be all right, that life is wonderful, and that you are beautiful!