As I saunter along this undiscovered path, bathing in the forest around me, my senses are awakened at each step and I feel closer to the story I am unveiling for you. 

My bare feet grounding me, as the memory of the magic within the damp, mossy forest opens a portal back in time, in my mind. 

I have many stories waiting to be written, and many that will be left unwritten, but the story I feel called upon to share in this moment, is a story of self-acceptance, discovery and lessons learnt. I am letting my creativity speak, to invite you to dig deeper within, and encourage you to wake up and welcome the magic of acceptance back into your life.

“A little girl born with a gift

Quirky, creative, a moon child at heart

A day dreamer, a lone believer

Abusing her thoughts and believing their words, she stopped growing into her sparkle

Forming layers and layers and stripping her of self-worth

By rejecting her sparkle, she absorbed vulnerable energy

She fell, fed to the wolves, but when the moon shone bright, the sunrise followed and just like the sun she rose shining her light and warmth

She came back stronger, enlightened with lessons learnt and healed scars”- Natasha Holland

Basking in the misty air around me, I am filling my lungs with colour, light and energy. Connecting with nature as the soles of my feet submerge into the damp mud, layered with purple heather, decorated artistically with cobwebs and dew drops. 

My wildness is awakened, and I am experiencing life on another level where colours look richer and skin feels alive, I can hear and feel things around me like never before, truly living. I look around me and I see the forest coming to life. The singing of the birds, the echo of an owl, a small mouse in the distance carrying its supper.

The nature all around me welcomes me in. We are connected, as one, all together. I feel no fear, nor do they. For I know where I am is where I am meant to be, here in this moment. The consistency of the chalky mud between my toes reminds me of a familiar feeling, put to sleep for many years, but newly awakened once again. 

Growing up in a small, remote, village I spent my childhood amongst the trees and in the forest. Where nature and one connect and become whole. Where magic was created and discovered. Bare back pony riding, living without fear of the shadows. I was beautifully FEARLESS in my surroundings, wrapped in the arms of nature, feeling her heartbeat. 

The wild child in the woods, flowing in the river, high up in the trees. I did not need to seek clarity for I was clear of thought. The country was the best place for me to be. It allowed the free-spirited child to roam free without expectation. My roots were firm and my intuition alight. I was free and I was living completely in the now, experiencing life at its rawest. 

I praise and thank my parents for allowing me to be the child I was, as I appreciate how it would have been challenging otherwise. More so when I was ill. That took a lot of my mother’s time, health, and energy. She dedicated her time to heal me and nursed me when I almost gave up the fight. She taught me a lot about motherhood during those painful years. For that I will be forever grateful. She nursed me back to life, nurturing my soul, body and mind, and she breathed life back into my bones. 

Mum says that as a new-born baby I had a gift, able to read people and situations. A psychic gift. I realise now, it is my calling to discover and develop this further to heal, help and guide others. But back then I was simply misunderstood. 

I discovered this around between the ages of five and nine. Stuck in the cage called school, I felt ashamed of who l was. It seemed that society had stripped me of my confidence, labelled me, and created layer upon layer of negative belief. I was never supposed to fit into a box, no box was big enough. School was an absolute living hell. Dimming my sparkle. I stopped believing in my inner voice, intuition, and gift. I shut the moon child away and welcomed in societies voice. 

“You are not broken my dear, you are not lost, accepting is believing and believing starts within”- Natasha Holland

My belief early on was that I was unteachable. I was split in two. The child at home, roaming in the forest, and the child at school, suffocating and screaming inside. Trapped. The product of a system that was not designed to nurture the wild child. 

“Sweet wild child you don't need tamed nor fixed

totally free of thought and holding the secrets to true living

grounded in soils of growth and magical beyond “ - Natasha Holland

A series of events shut me off from learning. I felt like a failure! Punished for my gifted brain. It was not until I was older that I discovered I was dyslexic; another gift that I unveiled and made it my mission to understand. 

Welcoming this gift opened a door that I would have never discovered. The door of creativity, learning and belief. It also released me from the expectation that I had to be “perfect!” (A swear word in the holland household). 

It was around this time I became a parent, which re-awakened the wildness within, the truth of who I was. My true purpose and calling had become crystal clear to me. I noticed my circle got smaller and I was able to control what energy was around me. This was the start of another journey, a journey of awakening. 

“she is not lost, she is still there, 

she’s your inner voice, your deep intuition,

 seeking is believing and believing starts from within,

She is is the barefoot dancing shadow in the distance by the trees, 

she is within you and beautifully free, 

the touch of the ground beneath her soles fuelled by years of past treasures and gold, 

within each woman stands a thousand and holds the key,

The key to unlock the wilderness to be free, so if you seek her, she will answer, 

somewhere in between the trees,

so trust yourself and you will see,

the wild women within running free, 

for those who ask the questions receive the answers, 

the wisdom and the magic, she has the spirit, 

she is the soul and all the answers still untold.”- Natasha Holland

I was gifted motherhood at the age of 18, shy, an outcast in society. A truly awakening moment. Upgrading my intuition and acknowledging my true calling in life, enabling me to tap into my creativity through photography. Which I used as a coping mechanism throughout my awful childhood illness at the age of 9. It helped me to believe in myself, and to learn, achieve, and conquer! A true blessing. 

Motherhood came easy, i just knew what to do! it was truly a magical moment. It triggered in me a primal instinct that instantly challenged my belief system and encouraged me to protect my children from society and its devilish ways. It woke the wild women instinct. I felt alive albeit with bags under my eyes!

Becoming a mother ignited my spiritual journey and gifted me the desire to seek the unknown, to raise my children spiritually and encourage their talents. Inspiring them to step into their magic and to be unique, as this in itself is a superpower! Self-acceptance is the key to living your true purpose and a fulfilled life. 

“Free spirited child, promise yourself to never shrink to fit in to other’s exceptions

Use your voice and give yourself permission to live your life with your boundaries

You have the right to have your options, view and to say No

appreciate your talents and flourish and grow

Take risks and learn

be wild and free“  - Natasha Holland

As I am sitting here wondering which way my story is heading, I feel pulled to talk more about the lessons I learnt, and my motherhood journey.  But no, I am going to talk about my experience of human life instead. As this is a story I would like you to question.

Life is a gift for those who seek it. I have discovered that many just get by, they think saving or striving for money or status will give them a purpose for life...happiness, fulfilment. Yet at the age of 20 I discovered that this was an error in the system, a fault in this experience we call life. We have taken life for granted; we have overcomplicated living.

Is the answer to strip back and lead a simpler existence? To desire happiness and fulfilment in the present rather than spending our time striving to meet societys expections? To use our talents to heal, and to reap what we sow? 

We were born with lungs to breathe, yet many of us don’t know how. When did we stop breathing? - Natasha Holland

It is not until we truly accept ourselves that we live our true calling or purpose. Believing starts within, and we have everything within to thrive in our human experience. We are gifted a chance in life to spread love and compassion. To heal ourselves and others around us and learn from our lessons to grow as a better human. 

As a woman I felt silenced in this life, felt trapped in the expectations of an ancient ancestral seed, a seed buried deep inside me. But also feeling a sacred duty to break free from that conditioning.  To wake the wild woman within me. 

Connecting to the elements and experiencing nature is a passion of mine, as well as exploring with creativity, intuition and stepping into my divine feminine energy. I have never felt more alive on this journey! My senses are awakened, and each day brings magic and pure love. Ladies, it is time to remember what it is like to feel alive! 

 GO find yourself! Emerge from the chrysalis! It is time to fly! 

“I hear the call of the forest pulling me into a magical realm of fantasy and growth as i walk under the canopy of trees I feel at home as feel the heartbeat of the roots below me. 

Each turning point is a doorway to a new discovery of imagination and creativity. I wander deeper and deeper but I am not lost, I’m am found.” - Natasha Holland

Above I have touched on acceptance. This is a word that has fuelled my life. A word that welcomed the real me without fear, without the need to hide. Welcomed back the inner child who was shut off. This word freed me, gave me the key, held my hand, and showed me the way. Silencing the imposter as it welcomed in truly living and seeing, it slowed me down to appreciate and question. It encouraged me to write this chapter censoring the dyslexic voice inside. 

‘“Just keep breathing sweet love, this is just a part of your story, a chapter not the whole book, I promise you'll understand when you look back from chapter 20 that this chapter played an important role,

every lesson you learn in this life is an experience, take in the valuable lesson and keep learning and moving forward,

No regrets! Its all part of the plan,

Learn to learn and not hold on,

Find light in the darkest of paths and light the way for others,

Never take a single encounter for granted, never let a conversation pass without meaning, live in the present and evolve each second,

Each moment in your path is there for you…. question and never lose your curiosity” - Natasha Holland

Self-Acceptance 

So, what does this phrase mean and why is it so powerful? Or you may be thinking, how the hell can a word or a phrase really change your way of thinking?

This is what I have learnt on my journey of self-love and acceptance.

To answer the question, self-acceptance is one hundred percent accepting the person you are. Your personality, talents, looks, and even your current life situation, as well as your past. It is about accepting your lessons, choosing growth, and accepting future lessons. It is about accepting every side of you and looking at yourself with love, kindness, strength, and compassion.

I truly believe that self-acceptance is the key to fulfilment, happiness, self-love, and positivity. A key to valuing your dreams and aspirations, for loving the journey you are on and the person you are. Letting go of the imposters and negative talk and totally trusting the outcome of your decisions. You can do anything you put your mind to, and you have no limitations! You are fearless when you create! And your creativity flows and welcomes in new opportunities. 

If you accept yourself, you will find others around you accept you too, and it will give them permission to do the same. When you raise your frequency and send your vibrations out to the universe you will attract back what you desire. You will step into your own calling with ease and flow and no negative belief system will hold you back. 

Its ok to have crap days. Days where you feel down and not up to scratch. That is normal and oh so very human. Emotions are part of human life and are essential for us to exist and express. Acknowledgment and curiosity about your emotions will unveil the message for you. We listen to others, but can you imagine if you actually started listening to yourself? You would feel loved, honoured, and heard.

“I have come to fully accept myself and the life I am in and I the power within to do anything I wish, If I’m not happy I give myself permission to change and grow.” - Natasha Holland

Self-acceptance is believing in your power and strength, celebrating each other for who we are, our purpose, our divine magic. Its refusing to be crushed, censored, or tamed! It encourages us to take risks, trust our intuitions and the universe! We are all connected as one. We breathe out our thoughts and beliefs into the universe, so raise your vibrations and frequency by accepting all of yourself for who you are, breathing out love and compassion.

Thank you very much for reading this passage to self- acceptance and discovery. Life is a journey and not a destination. Welcome back for you are not lost… Acceptance is believing and believing starts within. 

Love and Light 

Natasha Holland

x x x

New Year is THE best time for fresh starts, as we all know, right?

The 1^st of January is about clean pages, new frames, and brand new stories. It’s a time to move forward with energy and pizazz and shake off any stale energy that’s been holding you back. 

But New Year isn’t just about feeling all rejuvenated after the holiday season annual battery-charge. Nor is it only about shedding old
habits and embracing new ones. Rather it’s THE perfect time to take a real look at your business with fresh eyes, and make your conquer the world plans for the upcoming year. 

Did you know that 2019 is going to see an all-time high of female entrepreneurs? Yikes!

Now, if you’re a glass half-empty kinda woman, this means more competition and fewer chances of being spotted online. Boo!  But on the flip side, you could (and should) see this continuous rise in female entrepreneurship as something to celebrate, and certainly an opportunity to help you shine online. 

One of the simplest ways to make sure you and your business stand out in a busy, noisy online marketplace is through personal branding photography. 

Let me explain the three biggest benefits of adding personal branding photography to your online marketing toolkit.

1. Personal Branding Photography Escalates the Know, Like & Trust Factor – want to increase your chances of standing in the spotlight? Have more eyes on you and your brand? And stop more potential customers in their social media tracks? Yes? Well that’s precisely what fabulous personal imagery can do for your brand. 

1. Want to Connect Emotionally with Your Followers? Talk to a specialist photographer who can bring out your sparkly personality and capture the ‘real you’. Showing your authenticity helps you capture the hearts and minds of your followers with ease, and sparking connections this way is less painful than having to polish your sales technique, isn’t it?

1. Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe – what kind of vibe are you giving out? Professional but friendly? Quirky and fun? Laid-back but efficient? Are you trying to attract a soulful or heart-centred entrepreneur or a network marketing mum? Or are you just doing a half-hearted attempt by sharing past-their-sell-by-date selfies? It’s not always easy to convey your vibe in your social media posts or web pages. But using a camera… well, that’s another story. Let your photographs do the talking because when you send out the right vibe, your perfect tribe will spot it a mile off.

Remember ladies, people buy from people, and being able to see the face behind the brand is often the ice-breaker someone has been waiting for before they have the courage to make contact. 

And if you already have photographs of yourself on your site, let me give you a word of warning… please don’t just make do.

Take a look at the images on your site. See them with fresh eyes, as if you are a new prospect visiting your website and social media pages for the first time. 

Ask yourself:

1. How old are these pictures? Or how long have these pictures represented you and your brand?
2. Do they show the real you? 
3. Do you look comfortable in these photographs? Or are they slightly corporate-y and stiff? 
4. What do they say about you and your brand? 

(Have I started a shame spiral now? Sorry!)

If you’re doubting the impact of your imagery, your potential audience will doubt you too. So if your look has changed, your business has grown, your mission has altered, or you’re keen to move with the times and inject fresh energy into your business, then personal branding photography is a great venture. 

And what better time to do it?!

Find a photographer who specialises in personal branding photography, take a look through their portfolio, see what their customers say about what it’s like to work with them, and only when you’re 100% happy with their vibe, consider making that investment in the future of your business. 

You could always call me, too. I’m a happy traveller, so just because I’m in the north-east, don’t assume we can’t work together. 

Love Tash

x

Introduction 

We all know the importance of making our businesses look gorgeous through our branding and how much value it brings to our business. But did you know that by introducing personal branding photography into the mix you can ramp up your reputation to an even higher level?

I’m Natasha Holland (Tash) and I’ve been a professional photographer for over 11 years now. Working with women in business, and helping to sprinkle their personality all over their branding is something I’m really passionate about.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

What is Personal Branding Photography? 

In a nutshell, it’s about creating well-crafted photographs which bring your brand to life, and show your audience the ‘who’ behind the brand. I’m not just talking about capturing professional headshots here but also those behind-the-scenes images (we’re all a little bit nosy, really, aren’t we?), pictures of your team and products, and lifestyle shots taken at different locations (my favourite kind of photographs). 

Personal branding photography allows you, as a successful entrepreneur, to blend your professionalism with your personality – show your ‘you-ness’ if you like, without having to let potential customers into the finer details of your personal life.  So, for example, you could have your photographs taken at the beach, the forest, the local coffee shop or boutique hotel.  If you’re into all-things-vintage, or you love baking cakes, or you play a musical instrument, or you’re a mountain biker at weekends, you can add all kinds of props into your photographs which depict this side of your personality. And who in their right mind wouldn’t stop to look at a gorgeous cake? I don’t know anyone, that’s for sure. 

Why Personal Branding Photography Paves the Way for Deeper Business Success

Think of a successful female entrepreneur you look up to – can you picture her face, her brand colours, and/or the type of locations she chooses for her photographs? Do those images make you smile and instil a strong feeling that you know her? Do you associate her with being authentic as well as an expert because she lets us peep into her life a little? Does this give you a sense of trust?

All of these feelings are thanks to first-class use of personal branding photography. As well as evoking all kinds of emotions and personal reactions (which are key for any woman in business, right?) these purpose-built visuals are also a godsend when it comes to boosting your online presence. 

• Adding the ‘personal’ to your branding imagery means you’ll never be stuck for fab and highly professional visuals for your online content, ie social media posts, website and newsletters. 

• They allow you to tell your story, which again, is fundamental if we want to connect with our audience on a hearts-and-minds level and kickstart the relationship-building process. 

• They stop the scrolling fingers (visuals get way more attention than text posts) from whizzing past you on social media. 

• They speak volumes to your followers (powerful, personal branding translates as, ‘She takes her business seriously… I’d love to work with her… I want to find out the kind of things she offers’ etc, etc).

• And because they make you instantly recognisable they also encourage your followers to stop and take note of what you’re talking about or sharing. 

We all spend soooo much time online these days, that without personal branding photography, our business can easily struggle to be noticed. 

So if you’re interested in breathing more life into your branding, grabbing an extra few layers of kudos and bag-fulls more respect, I’d recommend booking your very own photoshoot, at your chosen location, and with a creative personal branding photographer who tailors her service to your specific needs (and makes sure you enjoy every minute of it – even if you hate having your photograph taken!). 

Lets chat and start planning your vision! 

Natasha x

Don’t worry at not ONE point in this blog post will I ask you to actually ‘write a note to your future self’. You can stay with me and be assured that I’m holding back on the cheese just this once ;-). 

I’m guessing (if your anything like me) you made a million resolutions in January, stuck to them for what . . . a day (Nutri-bullet I promise I will use you again . . . promise). Very soon after that it became February and now it’s blinking March!! Needless to say I am not the meditating, green juicing yogi I envisioned channelling in 2017. 

Never mind ay, I’ve got plenty of time to take up yoga and to fall in love with kale. So what did I do next?! Firstly, sharply disposed of the half eaten ‘Kit-Kat’ and then secondly decided March is for new resolutions. Resolutions that I will keep and most importantly that I can cherish in years to come. 

After all life is too short and I want to spend as much quality time with my two girls before they become hormonal teenagers with mood swings *cry face*!! Oh . . . If you’re reading this Mum I whole heartedly apologise for my “attitude problem” between the ages of 13 and 16 . . . I now realise my attitude did in fact stink. A blog for another time perhaps!!! 

My idea for my new and updated resolution came when I had the long and menial task of sorting through my backup drive. I realised that I have very little images of me with the kids…Ok yes I have a few of us on family outing for example me and Imogen in the hay field but not nearly enough to fill a photo album. I have such fond memories (and still do now) of flicking through our family photo albums. Mums fabulous bouffant 80’s hair do, dad’s lavishly loud printed shirts and myself and Maxine either posing, grimacing, eating (ice cream) and on the odd occasion smiling. 

Hats off to my Mum and Dad they really found the art of capturing the mayhem in the moment. Perhaps this is where my love for photography stems from or perhaps there was a lot of mayhem created by us crazy kids?! Either way, the photos tell stories, stories that even years later we will never forget. 

I want the same stories documented, not necessarily the staged occasion shots we all own. I want the everyday pictures documented. The tears, the giggles, the moments of exhaustion everything….ok maybe not everything …but most things. Of course I have a few obligatory selfies kicking around ...but hey who doesn't? It does generally worry me that my girls won't have many photographs of us together...Will they remember that I was the one taking them all and that back in the day cameras weren't on drones following our every move?! 

Technology has moved on sooooo much in the past twenty years and it saddens me that these days were more likely to have our favourite picture as our screen saver rather than in an album. Creating albums/updates on Facebook/Instagram is way more common than framing our chosen memory. Don’t get me wrong I am hugely guilty of the above and think both are great for documenting memories but I do think it is important to still print and keep photographs and to cherish that nostalgic feeling that flicking through an album gives . . . after all we spend enough time with our eyes and fingers glued to our phones . . Surely it’s time for a breather?! 

So a note to myself, my other half and all of you kind folk taking the time to read my blog, this year let’s make a conscious effort to take the pictures (of all the family) capture the mayhem in the moment, fill those blank walls with prints that one day we will treasure and forget. The moments that sometimes go unnoticed are just as beautiful as the moments we take time to document. 

And if taking photographs just isn’t your thing, then there is always the option of hiring a professional to do it (he he)!! 

Lots of Love 

Natasha

xxx

Hello my name is Natasha and I am a Blogging Virgin! 

Agreed, I am very late to the party but here I am. Complete with my (necessary) coffee, log burner lit and Mac at the ready. 

I would be telling lies if I said I hadn’t attempted the idea of a Blog before. I have. Several times! However, as much as I love to chat (friends and family will be nodding in agreement) I found putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard a little daunting. I guess capturing moments through a picture comes much more naturally than through literature. Even as a child, I would rush pages of my book just to admire the pictures, creating my own little story as I studied them intently. 

I decided to take the plunge and do some Blog research, after reading a few I began to realise that it’s a really cool way to connect with people who appreciate similar things to you. Not so scary after all, maybe I WILL start my own Blog. That and the constant nagging from my sister, pushing and pleading with me to start writing . . . if your reading this Maxine, I’ve finally caved. 

As a lot of you probably know I have my own Photography business, if you didn’t know that . . . then I am very surprised – I am quite familiar with ‘Facebook’ and have been known to post A LOT of work . . . on a daily basis. Sorry about that (hehe) but I have a business to run and two hungry little Diva’s to feed. 

I thought about writing a small life story about where I studied Photography, my journey, trials and tribulations on the way but then I realised that if you’re anything like me you reallllllly don’t have the time or patience for that, so instead I thought I would just tell it how it is. 

I’ve never really wanted to do anything else, even from a young age I knew that I wanted to take pictures. At family occasions I was always the one stealing the camera and ushering everybody to pose on my count. Some family members thought of it as bossy, I preferred efficient. Even behind the camera, I had that moody pout down way before ‘Gigi Hadid’ (see picture below). 

For me Photography is magic, it’s about capturing those moments, the little moments that can sometimes be ignored. A flick of the hair, a sideward glance, a nervous smile and engaging with those quirky little mannerisms that we all own. A photo tells a story and the magical thing for me is that everybody’s story is different. Bringing me to naming my blog ‘Snaps&Stories’ because for no other reason than it just fits. 

So, there it is my first Blog and nobody died . . . phewf! I think it is fair to say you will be seeing and reading a lot more from me. 

Lots of Love 

Natasha X