Lunar Allure

Brisk winter air and sun rays of warmth highlight the skin of my good friend Taylor as we embrace our Sedona film journey. If you've ever experienced Sedona Arizona first hand, you may know the exact air I am talking about. It is so pure, as if you were drinking the finest mineral spring water through your skin. True nourishment for the soul.

Now this was breathing.

I have always had a love for film and photography. Taylor has always had a love for dance. So, we decided to shoot a video for her to audition at various festivals along the West Coast. I got to play creative director and she got to play herself, Miss Lunar Allure. We chose to shoot in Sedona for a few reasons. First, the breathtaking scenery. There is no other land like the Desert, and being an Arizona native herself, Taylor knew some of the best secret spots around. We rummaged through trails and rivers, hiked to the edge of a mountain, and wandered around the flat lands, flowing with Spirit to find the best places to shoot.

These photos were taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9, though I actually did not use the photo feature at all. Full transparency... every photo you see here was taken as a snapshot while I was filming. Samsung has a feature where you can capture a photo while shooting, so in order to keep our flow rolling, that was the tactic I used to take these shots.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 takes breathtaking videos and photos, as you can see by the quality of these images. I myself was completely in awe with how everything turned out. It has a dual 12 megapixel camera with built in variable-aperture technology which means that as I am filming, it automatically adjusts the aperture to keep the lighting consistent throughout each shot. As much as I would love to say I got all fancy with the settings, the truth is, I really didn't! I lowered the F stop slightly during sunset, but aside from that, my phone did most of the technical work. I got to focus on setting the scene and getting all the best angles during our time-sensitive shoot.

One of my favorite parts of this shoot was filming Taylor. She is a Goddess. She is brave, bold, and fearless when it comes to getting adventurous. I admired her mentality of "do it for the art". Roll around in Winter river water? Hike through beaten trails of broken branches? Light fire fans on the side of a cliff? There was nothing this girl wouldn't do... and I loved it.

Another reason why we chose Sedona is because the land is truly magical. It really is. I don't know if you believe in cosmic energy that powers our world, but we certainly do. Sedona is known to be one of the world's most powerful vortexes. I believe that one's manifestation powers become heightened on this land. It is like the heavens open up and the sun heals all wounds, banishes any negative energy, and transmutes it all into love.

With all of these amazing shots, it was difficult to choose which one I would feature. Throughout the day, I felt a range of emotions. Passion, expression, softness, darkness, light... and each shot portrays something different. I felt that my featured photo, which was one of the very last shots of the day, encapsulated it all. The sun grazing her chest; highlighting her tattoo "keep moving forward", her head surrendered back, arms open wide.

Keep. Moving. Forward.

To me, this photo exudes 'breathe'. Vital life force energy. Our greatest gift. Without it, we are nothing but decomposing matter and a free Spirit. But what if we could keep our Spirit free while still experiencing this human existence? In order to do that one must trust, surrender, and let go of all expectations and limiting beliefs. The Sedona land helps to do just that. It is so vast and expansive, like the ocean but on land. It will carry away all your troubles. The only way to be free is to breathe.

Liberation.

My editing style is to keep it simple. I use Adobe Lightroom to darken shadows and enhance highlights, but only slightly. I like to keep the natural aesthetic of each image, especially with the photos being naturally gorgeous. It's hard to go wrong with a stunning subject and a breathtaking background. My featured image is just faintly enhanced. I used the radial gradient tool to highlight/darken 15 different points. The sun, Taylor's golden red hair, her sacred geometry earrings, her lashes, neckline, collarbone, and a few spots on the land. My favorite aspect of this photo is the placement of her face amongst the mountains. It is as if she is one with Mother Earth, shaping the horizon with her bones. If you look closely, you can see a single sun ray beaming from the sun, directly in connection with her silver sacred geometry earring. Our universe is made up of sacred geometry, and here we see the sun is reaching out. So powerful.

What a beautiful and unforgettable moment.

Bless the ones who walk the Earth, and the ones who watch from above.

-Katie Shay aka @bosskatie

Model: Taylor Marie @lunar.allure

Phoenix, AZ

If you'd like to see our finished video project, I've linked it below.

This story was inspired by the empowered sacred feminine. Embrace who you are, unapologetic for your essence. You are a Goddess. Yes, you. Embrace all sides. Light, dark, feminine, masculine. For you are all, and we are one.

Here's to you. Yes, you.