SOUL STARING -LITERALLY 

words by Adri De La Cruz

 

I’ve never been more excited about a feature. Each of the specific images is like a window to the soul of the artist. It was a theme that quite frankly I was afraid to share because I didn’t think many would embrace, but it turns out I was wrong. Image after image, the thoughts were similar, “this was tough, but I am so thankful for it”. It seems that for most of us eye contact is one of the most difficult things to do. Personally, I have to work on this as it intimidates and set me back when someone expects me to hold their gaze during a conversation, in self-portraits although it’s not a conversation in person. It most certainly feels incredibly intimate to look at one’s self. On top of those feelings of I’m not good enough. I am so grateful for all of the vulnerability and heart reflected through each image.

The month inspiration came from Danielle Serres, and she had this to say :

“I find the emotion to play a large part in imagery and the gaze can really help evoke certain feelings in viewers. Direct eye contact while sometimes difficult, is a great way to make viewers feel something when looking at a portrait. When I first started with self-portraits I would tend to shy away from direct eye contact but as I became more comfortable in front of the camera I play with it more often and really love the results.”

Group project | Instagram | Facebook

DANIELLE SERRES 

LAUREN WEBSTER 

CARMEN POLK 

JENA LAROY 

KYLA EWERT 

YI-CHIA MCMAHON

WHITNEY WILLIAMS 

SAHSHA KOCHANOWICZ 

LAURA WOOD LAURA WOOD 

LIZA HIPPLER 

JILL KOSKELIN

SUMMER HUGHES 

SUSAN RICE 

STEPHANIE CARLTON 

KATIE METKA 

SONIA EPPLE 

KATIE DECKER 

MARGAUX FISCHER 

CINDY KNIGHT

MELISSA BISSELL 

ERIN BROOKS 

DANIKA MILLS 

SARA BLANCO 

KOREN SMITH 

MELISSA BISSELL 

CHLOE KIM 

MORVEN SHAW 

AMANDA BARRIK 

CAMILLA FRENCH 

CAMILLA FRENCH 

KATJA RIGA 

ANDREA LOWRY

ERIKA KAO 

CHELSEA HAREM 

MIKAYLA PENTECOST 

JANEL PEYTON 

ANGELA RAMSEY 

SUSAN BROOKSBY

JENA LAROY 

CAMILLE CAMACHO 

TRISTA VANDEVENNE

 CRIS ROSENBLATT 

BRIDGET PARMENTER 

LESHA PERAI 

SOPHIA ACOSTA 

ANNMARIE DENIS 

SAMANTHA WHITE 

MELISSA WALKUP

ERIKA AVILA

KRISTEY FRITZ-MARTIN

LINDSAY MOORE 

MICHELE FLAGEN 

LYNDA REMUS 

ALY NICKERSON 

DEVON HALL 

BRITTANY DE JESUS 

STEPHANIE MCKENNA 

KIMBERLI FREDERICKS

CHRISTINE MYHRE 

STEPHANIE PATE 

KATIE JENNINGS 

NIKKI HOLLETT MEGAN OWEN 

KATE HOLMES 

NATALIE THOMAS 

ELIZABETH KEEFE 

 

SASHA KOCHANOWICZ 

JYOTSNA BHAMIDIPATI 

BETHANY GREEN 

ERIN AASLAND 

CLARE BAKER WELLS 

JAMYE DENSON 

STEPHANIE MCKENNA 

SARA GARCIA FIONA SEABURN 

TINA BECKETT

ANNE UEBERSETZIG

LIZA HIPPLER 

EMILY FOGARTY 

SARAH GUPTA 

TIFFANY BARFIELD 

MONICA HART 

 SARA LOWING

ERIN MARIE 

MARGAUX FISCHER 

BETH ANN FRICKER 

KAYLA LUNDE 

KIRSTEN YOUNG 

BETH CAGNONI 

ROBYN CHUBEY 

JUSTYNA ZUBROWSKI

KATE CUENOUD

KATE CUENOUD

SANDRA HOLLAND 

ANNA HURLEY MEGAN PRICE 

KENDRA CONROY 

SUMMER HUGHES 

MELISSA VANNUCCI ALLISON GIPSON EMMY LOU VIRGINIA 

SARAH BEDNAR 

HELEN DOL 

F A V O R I T E S

These images were not in the theme selections for the month of February but still just as beautiful.

CLAIRE SEARLE 

MELISSA ORTENDHAL 

KATIE ZAMYKAL MINDY TINGSON 

CAROLINE OVER 

BETH CAGNONI 

LINSEY DAVIS 

JESSICA RAINEY 

LINSEY DAVIS 

JENNA MARSHALL 

AMBER WEST

STEPHANIE TRETEAULT 

MIKAELA BODKIN

CAROLINE LIABOT 

LAURA ASH 

GENEVIE WILLIAMS 

SAMANTHA WHITE 

SARA BLANCO 

JESSICA DUNN 

NIVEA WALKER 

SHAINA SULLIVAN 

SHAINA SULLIVAN 

GENEVIE WILLIAMS 

JOLENE REDFERN 

DIVYA WOLF

CINDY KNIGHT 

LESHA PERAI 

ASHLEY WOODSKE 

JENNA MARSHALL 

JESS MILLER TAMARAH EDEN 

CATHY MURPHY 

DESRA RAMEY 

BRITTNY DEBONIS 

JOY KUBB

AMY SELLECK 

BRIANNA BERLYN

BRIANNA BERLYN

ANGELA THOMSON 

MEGAN OWEN 

JULIA WHALE 

BETHANY MEYSENBURG 

NAOMI OVANDO 

JEN HATCHER 

REGINA MYERS 

CAMILLE ARNER