By now, you’ve probably heard of the lovely Senora May. However, if you haven’t: you are in for a real treat. She is a talented singer songwriter from the foothills of the Appalachians in Eastern Kentucky. She writes of her truth in her life in Kentucky. And her haunting, melodic voice has always left me with chills in the best way.
Senora was one of my favorites muses from the birth of our friendship in college and continues to be to this day. We met while attending Berea College in Berea, KY. We instantly bonded over our love for art, nature, and the small joys in life.
I was so honored when she asked me to come photograph her maternity photos. After viewing this gallery, I think we succeeded in collaborating on photos that speak to this beautiful season of life for her. When creating alongside another talented artist such as Senora May, it is so easy to be inspired and creative. A side note–her dresses were both gifts from friends of hers, and all photos were taken on her beautiful sanctuary of a property in Eastern Kentucky.
For the first of the session we started chatting in the hand-built home over hot herbal tea and fresh flowers picked from the garden outside the window. A true treat and delight for all of the senses!
Here are just a handful of my favorite images we created
For the last part of our session, we moved outside to a cold and clear creek where she wore a dress gifted by her friend and colleague Margo Price. Her being the brave and daring soul that she is even offered to take a refreshing dip into the creek to celebrate her growing life. It was so fitting and so moving to witness this take place! We had a few laughs while we were at it, of course. But mostly I watched her move so gracefully in the forest, in awe of how comfortable and beautiful she was with the growing life inside of her.
To say these photos were life-giving is not and understatement. It was such a pleasure to witness my friend and muse Senora May in her growth into motherhood. And my word–how beautiful does she looking growing into it? While looking back, I can still feel the rush of cold water on my feet and I can still hear the sounds of the wind in the trees, the babbling creek, and joyous laughter. Upon first look I audibly gasped and squealed in delight at some of these beautiful scans. (Shout out to my wonderful scanning techs over at The Find Lab!)
It was truly as honor, and I hope they bring you as much inspiration and delight as they do me.
Some important details to note
If you’d like to take a listen to her beautiful voice and music you can find her at https://senoramaymusic.com/.
If you’d like your own photos taken on timeless analog film you can find more of my work here. Additionally, you can find all of the juicy details here.
Reach out–I’d love to collaborate on your own love letter!
