Is Sensual the same as Sexy?

Short answer - no.

Long answer - here we go…

Sensual is about engaging the senses - touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound. As engaged they evoke pleasure, intimacy, or deep emotional connection. It’s more about feeling and atmosphere, often subtle, soft, and intimate. Sensuality doesn’t have to be explicitly sexual; it can be present in the way someone moves, the textures of fabrics, or the lighting in a photograph.

Sexy is more direct and overtly appealing to desire and attraction. It’s about being physically alluring and evoking a reaction based on attraction or seduction. Something sexy often has a more explicit intent to arouse or entice.

In photography, a sensual image might focus on soft lighting, gentle curves, and an intimate mood, while a sexy image might include bolder expressions, provocative poses, or revealing clothing. Sensuality can be more about suggestion and feeling, whereas sexiness tends to be more about direct attraction.

More clear now?

This is what I stand for and this is what I offer to my clients - a visual experience where they feel seen, acknowledged and heard, not just photographed with or without they intimate clothing.

Photography is 2 demential form to visualise reality, moments, people. It has power hold by the photographer and inevitably being their responsibility to what and how is captured and shown.

Sex sells, yes, for a lot. But how much would you pay to be fully seen and valued?

Portrait of a Woman & an Artist

When the client’s requirements are to hit more with one shot - I’m always up for it! Especially if is working with artists.

Talents are one of my favourite people to photograph. They have this different point of view about the world that you can easily catch if you observe them for some time. Not all artists dedicate themselves to make a living from their craft, yet each of them incorporates their art in everything they do.

This is also the case with Dominique. An incredible woman I saw on the beach playing on her violin one winter morning while the sun was rising over the sea. I count believe my eyes. Sunrise, music, woman… what more I can wish for? It was a pure inspiration for my eyes and one of the loveliest sunrise experiences I’ve had.

Normally I’d pass by as I like having my mornings for myself, but I couldn’t resist to go find out more about her. So after I took some photos and videos, I went closer and introduce myself. Told her how inspiring I found her practice and gave my contact, hoping we can connect.

And so we did. She invited me to open mic sessions, I went to some of her events, she came to some of ours in Art Project Poblenou. And on top of that she became my client.

This is her portrait session where we focused on professional portraits for her day job and artistic portraits for her music performance. What an honour it is for me to be able to serve her and fulfil her photography requests.

Beautiful soul! Thank you Dominique for the trust in photographing you!

More about her work you can find on IG https://www.instagram.com/la_lionne_75/

I will allow photos of myself when I loose the weight

But what are we really missing? We’re missing the true meaning in the record of our life, ourselves and our work. Record that helps us see our progress as well as adds to the history for future generations.

Waiting to be ready, get ready, feel ready, look ready is a futuristic moment in time that might never comes around. Our lizard brain is trying to protect us and puts us in procrastination mode to wait for a time in this imaginary time where everting is perfect and we don’t feel any resistance. Both you and me know this moment in time is a pure illusion. It was never there, it will never be. So then, aren’t we simply wasting precios time instead?

Yesterday I heard it again - “I want to come for a photoshoot, but first I have to loose the weight”…
Do you really?

I’ve spent years of my life hiding, not allowing myself to appear on photographs with friends and family, not attending events because I didn’t feel good in my body. Years passed to realize I’ve lost recording special times in my life what will never come back again. Looking with a wiser eye now, I see the weight wasn’t really that bad and even if it was, life is a constant change, things transform, body size too. What never returns are the experiences that shapes us, that nurture us, that help us become the people we’re meant to. And this is exactly what we have to celebrate.

It is one thing if you want to put an effort and look the best while having your photoshoot and another if you’re actually hiding. Are you not allowing yourself to see yourself in your glory?

How you feel is important, but we wait to find the moment where we feel perfectly ready inside and out to do something for ourselves. There is no such moment. We can always find an excuse, something to insult ourselves for, something to compare with others, but that only stops us of feeling the love and joy of being alive, being here, experiencing life as we do.

Furthermore, artistic photography is not about purposefully pointing your flaws. It’s about celebrating them instead. It’s about capturing your energy, your essence, the soul that lives in this body that you constantly insult and harm. It’s your vehicle, your house, and has nothing to do with your sense of worth or beauty. Yes, it can help if you feel good in your skin, but you might be surprised that after a sensual photo session you will feel more connected and inline with the body you so wanted to change beforehand.

You don’t need to change to feel worth it, to feel beautiful or special. You don’t need to loose the weight, buy the clothes, find the partner. You need to change the way you look at yourself - to learn to accept this magnificent being you are with flaws and all. We’re not here to be perfect but uniquely ourselves.

Workshop Content for Non-content Creators and Highlights...

Here we are, after another workshop. Our busy digital life and desire to somehow get to do what we love and care about leads us to content creation despite the fact we like it to not.

Don’t worry, I’m here for you!

So many professionals and service providers literally “need” to create content for their business, but might not have the technical tools or the budges to hire someone who can do it for them. This is the exact reason I decided to create this workshop to help them and make it easier. Content is not scary and it doen’t necessarily has to be perfectly polished to seat with. What is important is to market your business, be “out there” on social and show what you’re about.

Personal connection is more important than the most perfect photo or video, because your clients will connect with you first and then the product/business. This is especially important for small businesses. Once you got it going and with practice you’ll see how easier it hets ever time to create and publish the content. You can literally make every little this a reason to post and connect with your audience.

Don’t wait until things are perfect or you feel ready - this day will never come. Start now, start as you are, start scared - it’s ok, we’re all on the same boat even if we might upgrade to better seats.

Here is a little behind the scenes from the workshops.

If you have any questions or would like to boo your spot - send me message.

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A post shared by Mariya Mileva Photographer | Barcelona (@mariyamilevaphotographer)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

How do you feel about mirrors? Do they excite you? Or maybe scare you? How much time do you spent looking at yourself? And out of it for how long do you truly see yourself?

While living your unique life you spend most of the time looking the world outside of yourself. This includes other people’s faces, eyes, features, behaviours.

We know that the eyes are the window to the soul, so how much time daily you spent in looking at your own soul?

Many people feel resistance, guild and shame while looking in their own eyes. Why is so uncomfortable looking at the person who knows you best? The person who is with you everywhere you go, in any situation, consuming every thought, doing their best to help you and guide you?

Your eyes are the window to your soul - your unique soul. A soul one of a kind, never repeated, experiencing life in different ways.

Pay attention to the person in the mirror - it has a lot to tell you, a lot to share. It’s not looking to blame you, only to love you, to compare this wonderful life with you in the best possible way. You can always rely on him/her - it will never betray you, rather always protect you.

The anger, guild and shame you feel are not yours. Never were. They have been shown to you and you copied the patten, serving it for years. Looking at your own eyes will give you strength and power that no-one else and nothing else outside of you can ever give you. Knowing your true self will free you from the burden you’ve been carrying for all those years, a burden that was never yours in the first place.

Don’t believe it? - I challenge you. Spent some concious time in front of your mirror. sit down, look at your eyes. Tell your name and tell yourself you love yourself. Cry if you feel it. Let it all out. Turn this into a regular practice and you’ll see how the would will change. Have this tough conversations you always wanted to have but never dared to. Build the bridge towards yourself again.

Learn to truly love yourself again…