Therapeutic photography

Photography and the process of being photographed can be part of psychological work.
It is especially effective for issues directly or indirectly connected to the physical body.
It supports the growth of self-worth, the experience of being seen, liberation from the opinions of others, and the resolution of inner conflicts.

Scars. How to accept it?

Do you ever feel that the vibrations around us are shifting and that everything we intend is manifesting faster?
It’s enough to form a clear request in your mind — and soon it comes to life through a strangely perfect chain of events or an unexpected meeting.
The moment I truly felt ready to drop the chains that had bound my hands and feet since childhood — ready to open, to trust the world — I suddenly came across an interesting woman on Instagram: Marka, and her incredible project #CloserThanSkin.

A project about love and acceptance of one’s own body.
The body… exactly what I used to deny and reject. What I couldn’t love because of the burns and scars I received in childhood. I’ve been working on this theme for years, and only recently did I begin to make peace with it — to accept it, to thank it.

#CloserThanSkin helps you rethink your relationship with yourself and move closer to yourself.
You can’t simply call it a photoshoot.
It feels more like a session with a therapist who works through embodied phototherapy.
I walked out of the studio feeling more confident and more whole.
To find and reveal the beauty of my scars, to give them full attention…
I could almost hear the heavy metal bar sliding off the gates I had built around myself.
Not all the gates opened, of course — but without taking this path, there is no way to go forward.
Marka, thank you. I bow to your talent and your authenticity.
This word came to me on its own, but it describes you completely.

Tatyana
Sasha
My body and I… we’ve never been very close.
It grew a belly, there are folds on my back, wrinkles on my neck, it’s hard to find clothes that fit, and it constantly wants a drink or some unhealthy food.
But it’s the only body I have, and somehow I need to learn how to make peace with it.
If it doesn’t want to exercise or lose weight — fine.
It’s doing its best.
It serves me.
It carries my not-always-wise head.
Marka showed me this body from different angles.
Exactly as it is — terrible and beautiful at the same time.
And she talked.
She was photographing and talking.
Not about me, but about something else, and through those words the truth opened to me:
I accept my body.
It has many sides, just like I do.
It is me.
And right there in the studio — standing in my underwear, in the bright sunlight pouring through the huge window, before even seeing the photos — I suddenly understood:
my body is worthy of love, first and foremost my love.

To accept your body in its relaxed, non-ideal state — after four pregnancies and years of breastfeeding.

There are moments in a woman’s life when she reaches the peak of her beauty — when everything about her feels right, when she enjoys looking at herself, when she loves being seen, and delights in the effect she has on others.
Right now, I’m in a different phase. I’ve worked hard on my body for a long time, but at this moment I’m drifting a little. I’ve softened, relaxed — and for now, this state feels good.
It was fascinating to look at myself not in a period of “full readiness,” but in this more “unarmoured,” relaxed version. That’s why Marka Kondrateva’s project #BodyLandscapes became a unique opportunity to explore my body: to really see it, to move closer and further away, to shift my attention from small details to the overall impression and sensation of myself.
Yes, I fully agree that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and Marka sees you through the lens of her own beauty — inner and outer. She has the ability to look at you with loving eyes, the kind that don’t judge and don’t wound. My husband looks at me this way, and I’m deeply grateful to him.
Not everyone has the gift of acceptance, unfortunately. And accepting ourselves is just as difficult as accepting another. We all remain hostages of the “perfect image,” harshly judging the body as a measure of success.
My body has been through a lot: pregnancies, births, breastfeeding, gaining weight, losing weight. I’m deeply grateful to it — it has rarely failed me, it has supported me in everything I’ve done, allowed me to pursue my desires, and has given me so much joy and pleasure.
I’m grateful to Marka for the chance to see my body not through the eyes of a critical evaluator, but through eyes full of gratitude and love.

Anna

Being independent from other people’s opinions is an act of courage.

At first I thought, wow, that’s bold — not for me.
But then my body remembered that joy: the joy of being photographed, the joy of photographing others. And I became curious to get answers to my own inner questions:
Do I feel the ground beneath my feet?
Do I feel my own sense of self, my inner fullness?
Do I want to be liked by the outside world, to please it with my appearance, with the quality of my body?
I was nervous, I’ll be honest.
At first I thought: What nonsense — you just go, pose in your underwear, and that’s it.
But immediately I felt the urge to suddenly lose weight, remove extra hair, become a slightly “better” version of myself.
Funny, right? :)
I’ve always noticed that I like myself in the mirror in the morning, but not in the evening — especially after that peaceful moment when you can finally eat after a long workday.
In the end I almost overslept. I didn’t manage to “beautify myself,” lose weight, get a manicure or pedicure — and that was perfect.
So it was just me, my wild curly hair (which seems to live its own life), my amber necklace, and that was enough. That’s who went to meet Marka.
It turned out I am brave.
I’ve wanted to be in front of the camera like this for a long time.
I didn’t want to take off the amber — amber is almost like skin, like the body of the earth itself. So it stayed with me.
And I was brave — almost a conceptual artist.
Not a single thought crossed my mind like:
“Pull in your stomach!”
“Straighten your neck, don’t sit like a goose!”
Everything felt harmonious, truly. And that happened largely because of Marka.
She is gentle and intelligent, and that made my time in front of her camera peaceful, even though I was still nervous inside.
I left the studio feeling: I exist. I am who I am. I like myself — even if others don’t.
And I will protect my inner vessel of femininity as best as I can.”
Elena

Anxiety and curiosity in meeting your own body.

First, about the process.
I really liked how quickly and effortlessly you slowed me down and guided me into my own sensations.
The anxiety disappeared instantly — I felt very comfortable.
You directed me gently but clearly, and I never felt lost, even in such an unusual situation.
You asked good questions — the kind that stay with you afterwards.
About the photos: I was waiting for them with both curiosity and anxiety.
My initial reaction was actually better than I expected from myself.
And of course, the anxiety wasn’t about the quality of your work — it was about how frightening it still is to meet my body this closely.
Then something interesting began to happen.
(I’ve heard clients describe this many times, but I experienced it myself for the first time.)
As I looked through the photos again and again, I became less critical each time.
“Yes, this is me. This is what I look like right now.”
I smiled at myself.
Afterward, I started looking at my own reflection a little differently — with more curiosity.
I didn’t expect such an effect. Thank you.
It was important.
Natasha
Зачем тебе терапевтическая фотосъемка?
  • Ты хочешь принять себя и полюбить. Найти свое лицо, освободиться от стыда, проявляться.
  • Ты устала бороться сама с собой и ищешь внутренний баланс и гармонию.
  • Ты хочешь принять особенности своего тела после травмы, операции, после родов или врожденные особенности.
  • Ты хочешь научиться разбираться в своих чувствах, в том как они проявляются в твоем теле.
  • Ты хочешь заземлиться, найти центр в себе, усилить личные границы.
На чем основан метод?
Отвечу на основные вопросы, которые возникают
Каждая приходит на фотосессию со своим внутренним вопросом,
любопытством или страхом.
  • Яна
    "Мне очень понравилось то, что мы быстро нашли контакт, я чувствовала себя комфортно во время съемки. Самым ценным было то, что я получила очень много, действительно, полезной информации и стала на ступеньку ближе к принятию себя.

    Когда вы мне отправили фото со съемки, я была очень удивлена какой я могу быть разной, но все равно красивой. А другим девушкам, я бы посоветовала предварительно изучить свое тело. Я для этого использую зеркало. Но на фото получилось лучше, чем в зеркале! "

  • Вика
    "Я словила много инсайтов во время съемки. о том, как важно выгнать из своей головы установки о том, что с тобой что-то не так. Жизнь настолько коротка, настолько интересна, что глупо тратить время и энергию на то, что у тебя не такие руки,
    не такие ноги, не такой нос.


    Сам процесс съемки принес мне огромное количество положительных эмоций."
  • Татьяна
    "Это удивительный проект не про позирование, не про продающий Инстаграм, это про осознание самой себя,
    такой какая ты есть.


    Марка, спасибо за опыт и за новый взгляд и, конечно, толчок, некоторые называют это "волшебный пендель", но мы знаем, что он в нас самих. И здесь должен быть саундтрек Перукуа, "Я горжусь, что я женщина".

ТЕЛО СОЗДАНО ПРИРОДОЙ, ОНО КАК ВАЗА, ВМЕЩАЕТ В СЕБЕ ВЕСЬ ОПЫТ ВАШЕЙ ЖИЗНИ.

ТЕЛО УНИКАЛЬНО, КАК КОРА ДЕРЕВА, ЛИНИИ ОБЛАКОВ, РИСУНОК НА ПЕСКЕ.
ЖИЗНЬ САМА ПО СЕБЕ - ЭТО ПЕРФОРМАНС ДЛИННОЮ В ЖИЗНЬ.
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