A Journey Through Shadows and Light: Dana’s Persephone Photoshoot

Every once in a while, I feel the universe paying attention. It hands me an experience I’d been quietly envisioning—a chance to explore what a truly transformational photoshoot could be.

This time, my muse was Dana, and her vision was a journey. Not just any journey—a descent into the underworld and back.

Dana came to me with an idea as ancient as it was intimate: she wanted her photoshoot to echo the myth of Persephone. That archetypal queen of the underworld, caught between two worlds, navigating darkness and light, grief and rebirth. “Can you take me there?” she asked. How could I possibly say no?

We began where all journeys do: with a single step into the unknown. How would this look and feel? 

Dana’s vision was vivid, and my role was to weave her concept into reality—using my lens, lighting, and intuition to bring this mythical journey from concept to print.

The first shots were tender and joyful. Dana's expressions held an innocence that mirrored Persephone’s springtime origins—a goddess who once danced in meadows before the earth split open beneath her feet.

But then, the energy began to shift. Slowly, deliberately, we moved toward the underworld. As Dana stepped into deeper shadows, something remarkable happened. As her sadness transitioned into rage, her gaze grew stronger, more penetrating. She didn’t just pose as Persephone—she became her.

And then, the ascent.

We reintroduced the light, threading it gently back into the frame with the sun spilling over her shoulders. She was no longer Persephone, the abducted maiden. She was Persephone, the queen. A woman who holds dual citizenship in both shadow and light and carries both worlds within her.

And then emerged Goddess Dana, awakened to her own blazing beauty and wisdom, reveling in the exquisite truth that her body is the temple of a goddess—worthy of being seen and celebrated.

Unlike Persephone’s pomegranates, symbols of sacrifice and offering, Dana cherishes her own, embracing and enjoying them as a sacred gift to herself.

This shoot wasn’t just about creating art; it was about transformation. Watching Dana embrace the story of Persephone was like watching her claim parts of herself she might not have known were waiting. She brought her own strength, vulnerability, and grace to the myth, and in doing so, she reminded me of something important:

We are all Persephone.

We all walk through seasons of shadow and light. We all have moments where the ground beneath us cracks open, and we’re pulled into the unknown. But just like her, we have the power to rise again, wiser and stronger, carrying the lessons of the darkness as we step back into the sun.

Thank you, Dana, for trusting me with this journey. Your courage and creativity inspire me, and I hope these images capture even a fraction of the magic we created together.

And to you, my dear reader, what journey are you ready to honor in yourself this year? Let’s celebrate all of your shadow and light together. With my heart and my camera, I’d be honored to guide you on your own transformative path.

Until next time,

Maryanne