Dawn Arbeau | Portrait Shoot

“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious. If we smile at someone, he or she will smile back. And a smile costs nothing. We should plague everyone with joy. If we are to die in a minute, why not die happily, laughing?” (136-137)
― Sri S. Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras

I’m really not sure how to even express how much I love this photoshoot.  I photographed Dawn playing her guitar in the midst a warm summer night, during golden hour.

Dawn is one of the most compassionate human beings I have ever met on this planet. She is one of my good friends. I thank God for placing her in my life because she is very special. She sees the best in every person she meets and is not afraid to tell you how special you are. Every person in Dawn’s life feels loved and appreciated in her presence. And in return, every person loves her as well.

My vision for this photoshoot was to photograph the true essence of who she is. That is really all I wanted to accomplish with this shoot. I instructed her to play her guitar and act as if I wasn’t even there. The golden sun played an artistic role in this shoot, and I was able to capture a few orbs here and there.

Dawn is a very versatile lady. She has a full time career as a trainer within The Toronto Transit Commission. She is exceptionally gifted in the areas of teaching Yoga (she specialises in Yin Yoga). She currently teaches Yin Yoga at Lava Yoga in Oshawa. She also plays guitar, handcrafts malas with loving intention and teaches all that know her about the Yamas and Niyamas (yoga ethical guidelines). She lives and breathes compassion throughout everything she does in her life, and it shows.

I am very honoured to have taken these photos of Dawn, and I am even more excited to share them!