balance

What I Learnt From My Professional Photo Shoot

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This post was written back in February, for the (very) soft launch of this new site in March. The crazy amazingness of Acupuncture Awareness Week 2014 then took over and the blog took a back seat… Read on to see what I learnt about perspective in the process of my re-branding and relaunch…

Welcome to this new space of mine, I’m so glad you’re here!

R x

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Rhiannon Griffiths Acupuncture paul wilkinson shoot proofs montage

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My intention for this new website was to show the world more of me, more of my true self. Whilst the old site was great, it was functional, clean and promoted me as a respectable white-coated acupuncturist, it had little of my true essence.

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It didn’t give you an idea of the kind of energy you would feel in my treatment room, nor the kind of deep, transformative support I foster in my patient-practitioner relationships, or actually who I am, and what choosing me as your acupuncturist or coach will bring in to your life.

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Then, after many months of procrastinating, putting it off, coming up with excuses as to why “now was not the right time” because of how I looked, or how I felt, or it wasn’t the right season for the photos I wanted, I actually booked a session with local photographer extraordinaire, Paul Wilkinson to portray me, my magic, my energy, my intention, on film.

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It was quite an experience. For someone who is not entirely comfortable in the spotlight, someone who can be hideously self-critical and doesn’t relish being centre of attention, having a solo photo shoot where all eyes are on you and you have literally no where to hide, is, well, very illuminating – on many levels.

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Paul is some kind of wizard with an incredible skill of calming nerves and allowing you to relax into the unfamiliar process. This means he captures the genuine spirit of his clients, minus all the BS, the insecurities, filters, preconceptions, and crappy stories we tell ourselves about ourselves – his shots are absolutely pure and true and magical.

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On getting the proofs back, I literally could not believe the photos were actually of me… and yet, I could also clearly see my true authentic self staring back at me. And it was THIS energy that I had wanted for my new site, for the world to see, to be able to connect with the real me.

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I learnt a lot about perspective. Your perspective of anything can change in an instant if you look at something through a different focus, a different lens. And in this instance, it was incredibly LITERAL – I had the lens of a camera focused on me for hours and it FORCED me to view myself from a different perspective.

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Having someone as skilled as Paul looking at you through a photographic lens SHIFTS the energy immediately. The detail he sees, the way in which he constructs the photos, the beauty he recognises, articulates and encapsulates, it cannot help but change your perspective, whatever you are looking at.

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camera lens perspective

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It is akin to the way your man looks at you, holding you in his gaze as though you are entirely magical, and wholly beautiful. Looking at yourself through his eyes is enlightening, helpful and reassuring. It opens up a new level of truth, coming from a place of love, goodness, compassion and connection. It utterly negates the self-doubt, the overly critical voice, and the fear of truly being seen. Seeing yourself through his eyes allows you to be out in the world as your deepest authentic self, and allows you to connect to this space in the purest way. His gorgeous eyes are a different lens, an alternative perspective, a different pair of glasses to look through.

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Similarly, seeing myself through the eyes of the camera opened up a whole other way of looking at me. It was an empowering, positive and transformative experience. Something inside me shifted, put me into a different space, and I am truly thankful for the universe guiding me towards working with Paul.

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Perspective is a powerful tool by which we can shift stuck energy in relation to ANY circumstance, not just how we feel about ourselves or view ourselves. I use it in my coaching sessions (and sometimes even in my acupuncture clinic) so that my clients can come to a better place of BALANCE.

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Often the “glasses” we have been wearing for many years are cloudy, scratched and do not reveal the sparkling, crystal clear truth of matters. We can become stuck in one way of viewing the world and believe it to be the only way. We re-tell the same stories about ourselves, repeat the same patterns, inevitably getting the same results.

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Sometimes the other perspective is something we could NEVER have imagined, or seen on our own, we need something or someone else entirely to help us to “see” differently. For me, it was a photographer, for you it might be a coach – tell me in the comments below how you have changed your perspective, I would LOVE to hear.

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© Rhiannon Griffiths 2014

See me on Instagram

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Free Five Element Ebook CF

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© Rhiannon Griffiths 2013

Visit the website

Now on Instagram

Like on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Visit the YouTube Channel

Check out my Pinterest

.

– See more at: http://www.rhiannongriffiths.com/blog/#sthash.xZAxaN7W.dpuf

.

© Rhiannon Griffiths 2013

Visit the website

Now on Instagram

Like on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Visit the YouTube Channel

Check out my Pinterest

.

– See more at: http://www.rhiannongriffiths.com/blog/#sthash.xZAxaN7W.dpuf

.

© Rhiannon Griffiths 2013

Visit the website

Now on Instagram

Like on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Visit the YouTube Channel

Check out my Pinterest

.

– See more at: http://www.rhiannongriffiths.com/blog/#sthash.xZAxaN7W.dpuf