What is Transformational Photography? A dialogue between Tess and Rolf+Karina, creators of Transformational Photography, Bali, May 2009. What are the core intentions of this work? Rolf - To inspire and support people in moving from self-consciousness to self-awareness. To stimulate transformation on the level of Being. Karina - To create stunningly beautiful photographs that capture the essence of the subject in such a way that the subject can actually see it for themselves. I keep thinking about my own transformation that has taken place in the past 3 years, and how much I want to share that gift with other people. What did you experience? Karina - In the beginning of our relationship , when Rolf would photograph me a lot, I experienced discomfort when the camera would be out. I had never been observed so much before. In some ways, it felt good to be receiving so much attention, but it was also uncomfortable to see my unconscious habits in the pictures -- the way my shoulders sometimes hunched over, tension around my mouth, and a strangely limp wrist. Then I noticed, over time, the habits would dissolve. In new pictures, I looked different. I did not try to change anything, it’s just that, by becoming aware of it, I naturally let go of the habit. Rolf - Karina was resistant to let herself be photographed, and I would say, “Hey look, this is how beautiful you are; this is how I see you... What about in this picture, can you see it now?” It was a process, then she began to say, “Yes, I can see what you mean…” She began to admit it, to admit she could see her own beauty. And there were always extraordinary shifts in these moments, like something slipping away. And I started to notice that this beauty that I had managed to show her, started to appear more and more in front of the camera. There was an acceleration in the frequency of pictures where her true essence was shining through. Around this time, we both started to witness changes in her face and body. There was a transformation of the way that Karina looked, and it was being confirmed on every level; from how she felt in her health, how strangers would respond to her, how she felt about her body, and how she lost over twenty pounds. There was this palpable shift taking place as we worked with the photography alongside our other consciousness practices, such as meditation, dance, intentions, etc. We created a life with the freedom to take pictures of each other whenever we want. It’s an ongoing training for both of us. Rolf - It changed when Karina started picking up the camera and taking pictures of me. She had very little experience of photography. She would come up to me and say, “Hey look at this photo. This is why I love you.” But I didn’t recognize the man in the picture. It was of me after dancing. I was all sweaty and looked like the kind of man, that if I was in the same space with him, then I might feel somewhat inferior to him… He was a real man. And yet, I’ve got this woman standing here saying “Hey Rolf, this is you. This is what you look like.” With each new photo I saw, I started to believe that it wasn’t just a fluke and that there was something attractive about me. I could actually experience it, as if I were getting to know somebody, to acknowledge a man’s beauty. So, we both went through big changes. After three years of this constant focus, we have encountered, and dealt with, most of the triggers that come up around this subject. We have experienced the power of this technique, and are now discovering that when we work together intentionally, we are able to facilitate this process in others, too. What are some of the core elements of a Transformational Photography session? Karina - All the exercises that we do with our subjects are activities that are designed to bring people into a state of presence. This may be through taking a shower, exercise, body movement, meditation, or engaging in focused conversation. One of us photographs the subject in each situation, while the other is participating and engaging with them. Rolf and I pass the camera back and forth, allowing our intuition to guide us. We love to create together, so that’s why we are working like this. We are noticing many advantages of doing this as a couple: we create a loving and comfortable field into which to bring a subject. We balance each other’s masculine and feminine energy. Rolf - There is always one of us who is more available to connect with the subject, while the other becomes the witness, capturing the essence and beauty that they see. We change roles, back and forth as we go, agreeing to release the camera when the other reaches for it. I noticed that you would sometimes pick up the camera and photograph each other. Rolf - We are still in this constant practice of paying attention to what is beautiful. So even when we are photographing another subject, we still keep some awareness for noticing and appreciating each other. Karina - We both have experience with letting go of the self-consciousness that most of us feel in front of the camera. And the easiest way to teach it is to demonstrate opening ourselves to being witnessed. What is it that you bring to photography that makes it transformational? Rolf - We are simply recognizing it as such. We have already experienced transformation in ourselves. We see that the camera is a powerful and sacred focusing tool, it creates reality. Until now, its use has been primarily to sell ideas and products or, at best, to bring attention to war or injustice. Through awareness and intention, we are imbuing it with extremely potent healing properties. Karina - We are bringing the camera to places where it typically hasn’t been welcomed before - into the deeply personal and therapeutic realm. We are working with people who are ready for transformation. Ready to see themselves in a new way. Rolf - With over a decade of photographic experience on a world-class level, I know how to create and recognize beautiful images. This combination of conscious, loving witnessing, coupled with a high level of photographic expertise, and the welcoming balance of energies we offer, creates a unique field for stimulating personal development. Tess tells of her own experience with Transformational Photography: When you say self-awareness and self-consciousness, what really are we talking about here? In some ways, it connects to what Karina said when she talked about seeing the unconsciousness in herself. The transformative power of photography: that it can make the invisible visible to oneself. It can make the unconscious conscious. We are used to doing it through the mind – using psychotherapy, but not so much through the visual sense. Making the unconscious conscious in the visual mode feels like accelerated transformation. Looking at the pictures, there are some versions of myself that I am very, very familiar with. I’ve already seen myself in those moments. Others feel really new. There are some photos where I can see the mask. I can see the power of the work, especially with multiple sessions. A process that teaches people how to drop the mask, and the automatic responses, to actually discover how the authentic self wants to communicate and show up, when it’s no longer worried how it will be received. I was really aware today, during our transformational photography session. I didn’t feel any inhibition. You both created a space that is inviting, giving me freedom to show what I am usually afraid to have seen. Being witnessed by other human beings, and then witnessing myself, looking at the photos. Having experienced being witnessed as safe, it loses it’s weirdness. Any inhibiting power just disappears. A little map of some key transformative aspects that I can see are: - Physical changes: losing or gaining weight, posture improvement, etc. - Emotional Authenticity: the freedom to drop habitual interaction habits, being comfortable staying present and relaxed while being witnessed. - Self-Love: ability to actually love rather than judging, cultivating that as a habit. - Confidence: there is less need to hide Because things during the session went very fast, it didn’t leave me much time to go into my mental challenges around it. I love that you are showing by example, and creating a space where one doesn’t feel isolated. There is power in doing it as a twosome. There is always someone participating. Takes the power away from only one person. The camera is very powerful tool and passing back and forth between male and female distributes the power a way of being responsible with a powerful object. There are always two people on the vulnerable side and one behind the camera. I have enjoyed this journey with you both, and feel deep appreciation for being involved in the early phase of the development of such a deep and exciting process. Bali, May 2009