My experience of my day with Art was the coming alive of me on camera. Who I am showed up in the photographs. They captured who I know as me. The process of allowing myself to be seen through his lens was magical. 

Art lovingly guided me to keep revealing myself with his attunement and invitation to step through the self judgment etc that blocks our true self from view.  He has a gift for seeing the soul.

"Art took me where no one else could. In a photo shoot with Art I told him I wanted to push the edge and we did. He took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotion that included joy, sorrow, playfulness, intensity, and intimate connection.

Some photographs make you feel like a passive voyeur of life’s secrets. Some make things shiny and clear so you want to buy them. And then some bring out the architecture and beauty in the human form.

Art Durand’s photographs easily do all of the above while, simultaneously piercing all of the surfaces we’ve come to know in the art of photography. He moves into the art of the human being. As one of his subjects, I know. You can’t be photographed by him without also thinking—engaging. And then you find that what you were thinking is twisted, turned, and exploded into more layers of living life in that single moment than you could have imagined could be seen in your face, your body, and in that fern behind you.

Art Durand changes how we see. He’s a brilliant photographer—a rarity.

Art's amazing gift for easing my anxieties, and the patience with which he coaxed me out, resulted in an interior journey that could never be expressed in day to day language.  The insights from that time with Art reverberate with me every day and I cherish the time we spent. 

(she wrote again a few days later)

The revelation you fostered when you asked what I was feeling and I answered "clean" was so impactful.  I have been reeling from the clarity that the response brought and completely stunned by my complete ignorance of the fact that an old childhood event was still resonating in me.  For that I can never thank you enough.  It was cathartic beyond anything I could describe.  If your goal is to transform, you certainly hit the mark.

When I look at the pictures I'm filled with the move towards truth. And that's what I get from you & your work-this unabashed revealing of the self in all my parts. Fucked up, in love, crazed, feared, longing, devastated, sexy, ashamed, out of body, sweet, getting use to being naked, angry, in crush...all of it.

I feel a sense of surety not in the world, but in myself. Like I'm in love with me. Meeting the world in that honesty, that's where my feet hit ground, where it's real. I can become it, whatever it is. So, I'm exercising my soul, which is like coming into rhythm in a mad dash on a horse where the fear lets go in the body, and suddenly there is an exhale of freedom in being connected & free.

Just yesterday and many before it

I had been waking up feeling

guilty and disoriented.

This morning . . . Power and Grace.

Feeling like the lion and the lamb,

mother and child,

like a dirty little secret I want

to share,

as if some of

the light caught in my eyes

has pierced my heart,

awash with what's true,

unafraid of the dark,

chapped lips, stretched limbs,

raw nerves, like an 8 year old boy . . .

cocksure, silly, innocent . . .

like I am loved.

No . . . better, I am love.

You are the gift.

Thank you for yesterday.

You have no idea the difference you make.

Or, perhaps

you do and that, my dear, is a

beautiful thing.

Being in front of your camera is a journey; you make it that way. I think that is what makes your work so beautiful - it is not just another shoot, each one is individual. I know that because I have been photographed by you several times now and each is different. Each time I seem to be in another stage of life (I’ve been going through many) and each time you meet me there to help me see myself. You see so deeply and have helped me discover feelings within me that I didn’t even realize were there, or how much they impacted me and how I relate to the world.

Thank you for your presence, your brilliance, and your big love. I feel I am seeing through your knowing eyes when I view these photos, and I am seeing myself as I am, fear or no fear, judgement or no judgement.

My photo shoot with Art was ever more than I expected...in all ways spectacular and magical.  The experience began before even one picture was taken and continues even now.  Art is a masterful wizard for invoking both the sexy goddess, and the total innocent...all in one photograph.  

He captured my polarities and assisted me to feel my wholeness through my imagined contradictions.   I felt myself melt through my own layers, with his loving presence, to remember, see and experience myself in ways that I previously had only imagined.  He made my imaginations become reality.

Spending time with Art is like spending time with a magic mirror that reflects all the things I don't see about myself. He offered me new ways to combine the many aspects of myself - new ways to show up, new ways to mix and match my breadth and depth, and new interpretations of what already is. His deep presence acts as a catalyst. Art is an alchemist.

The first time I looked at the photos you took of me, I felt caught, a catching in my heart and breath, and the thought "is that really what I look like, how I show up in the world??".  I judged myself "too playful, too childlike".

And then I looked again.  And again.  And again. And then I couldn't stop looking.

I swear this time there were photos that weren't there the last time I looked a few weeks ago.  Or maybe I just didn't allow myself to see them.

Because this time, I saw myself as a playful, genuine being willing to take the world as it comes and express myself willingly, with love and authenticity, playing with the moments as I live them.  I saw all the different sides of myself, and this time, I recognized each one as me.  Not "trying to be" anything, as I judged myself the first time, but simply existing.

Thank you, Art, for capturing the me that I didn't know was in there.  I see her now.  I love you for uncovering her before I did, and still masterfully allowing me the space to find her within myself.  I judge you to be a wizard, a seer of the light in others - the grand illuminator.

I feel like I'm only beginning to grasp the magnitude of this gift you have given me.

Arthur, thank you for being big enough for me to push up against, to feel, express, and then see my own bigness, really my magnificence.

You evoked/provoked the boldness of who I am, the softness, vulnerability, and lovability of a woman exploring the knowing, forgetting, and remembering of who I am, and the awareness that I choose every moment who I am. You reading this might think this is nuts, it was just a photo shoot after all. But it was much much more.

The time we spent together was a true gift to me.  Thank you!  I write poetry sometimes--and share it very rarely. Before you came by I sat down to write. I was trying to capture how I felt.  I left all my papers with my goals, the poem, my thoughts for the day in a pile on my desk and didn't get back to them until tonight.  Then, tonight, when I wrote again, well--everything was different.   I hope you understand how gifted and generous a person you are.

Before

Fear permeates my soul

And I run,

Breathless

From pain buried so deep

I can't touch

I can't feel

The person that I am

After

A day in the light

Of my own reflection

A mirror on my soul

Softly unfolds.

The gift of a lifetime.

To simply be

While safely letting go.

As armor falls away

I'm recapturing my soul.

To touch my very essence

Unmasked.

Feeling me unfold

Touched by your light

Reflecting back my own

Artful Delight

Working with Art was a most loving and cherished experience. In short time, I found myself bringing forth a graceful, peaceful, centered me, I didn't even know existed!

I am writing here is to say to everyone if you haven't experienced Art's Transformational Photography Experience you are missing out.

Prior to my photo shoot I experienced most photos of me as "that doesn't even look like me" "I look ugly"

Now I experience big joy and a sense of pride to display my essence in one simple click of a button.

Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!

What an empowering experience it was to be in your presence this afternoon. Our session together gave me the opportunity to drop into my essence, to feel, explore, discover and be in me. I felt your joy, love and care in giving - what an amazing experience.

You are a powerful man, I experienced you as caring, playful, daring, authentic, holding yourself with love and being present with a deep wisdom. Thank you for showing up as your full being, dancing with me to the edge and beyond and celebrating with me as I spread my wings and soared.

Art Durand’s powerful and loving presence guided me on a profound exploration into the deepest truth of myself.  In that place, I discovered and fully embraced my feminine beauty and strength.  I revealed the true essence of myself under the many protective layers I have used to feel “safe”, and the shame connected to certain facets of my self melted away. 

Like a maestro, Art noticed the quieter notes within me and called them forth to play loudly for all to hear. I fell in love with myself through Art’s seeing and found value where I did not know it existed.  A truly priceless experience!

Being photographed has been an uncomfortable and self conscious experience for me, most of my life. Working with Art changed that completely.

During my shoot, it was as if Art were drawing me forth. I started out shy and withdrawn and soon moved into feeling beautiful and sexy and awake and open.

What used to be a grueling experience for me, became outrageously fun and deeply satisfying.

Art has a gift for seeing beauty.

The other gift he has, which is critical in his work, is the ability to relax his subject (namely me). I felt comfortable, safe, happy, relaxed AND I also had a lot of fun on our shoot. I've seen the results of many of his shoots and he consistently creates beautiful and powerful photos of people.

Art helped create a space where I felt able to integrate my value of integrity with my desire for a truly authentic image.

His mastery supported me in seeing where I could bring even more of myself forward, which has allowed me to be more confident expressing the passion I feel for what I do. I highly recommend working with Art Durand.”

Art's passion and energy invite wonder. He creates a unique context for exploration and play and captures feelings and images from where people are in the moment. His genius creates a conduit for being and expressing essence.

He sees beyond the veneer of personality into the deep aliveness of people.

I really didn’t know exactly what to expect but as soon as we started, I realized this was no ordinary photography session!

Art is a genius at getting people to feel comfortable in his presence. I was astonished at how easily he got me to show, show off and then remove the masks that I routinely wear as I move through my world. I found myself experiencing and expressing my feelings and emotions as we got to know each other. I came to trust that I could talk to him about anything and everything important in my life. It was a day of significant conversations, of life, of love, of family, friends, the women in our lives and what we have learned from them. The experience was remarkable and the pictures serve as a reminder of who I am, and where I am heading in my journey.

I am grateful to have met and befriended this amazing fellow life explorer. I deeply admire and appreciate his creative genius!

If you want a “photo shoot,” go to Google or the yellow pages—you’ll find a zillion “photographers.’ If you want an “Essence” shoot, there’s only one person to call: Art Durand.

The combination of his kind-direct-soothing-challenging manner and magical camera, produce soul images that capture who you really are.

"Before working with Arthur, being in front of the camera was right up there with receiving root canals and paying taxes on my Favorite Pastimes list! I still remember the magic moment in our session where the veils of separation I had between me and the camera, me and myself, fell away, and vital parts of me emerged to be SEEN (and heard for that matter).

It was a year of major challenges, as a dear friend battled with cancer, and our time together helped me move some BIG energy that had been bottled up inside me. Your presence and encouragement were key for my healing release

- thank you, Arthur."

I consider Art a visionary.  He is masterful at both photography and coaching – and seems to share these gifts out of a true passion for assisting others in revealing their essence to world (and perhaps, more importantly, to themselves).  For me, exploring with Art has been one of the boldest, sweetest steps I have taken along my journey toward wholeness. 

I appreciate you for the way you combine big, strong space-holding with the most delicate tenderness. I loved getting to see your many facets, your readiness to play, willingness to receive outrageous requests, and above all, your steady love.

I am in awe. Thank you so much for catching my essence, my playfulness, my joy and my heart so beautifully.

WOW  I feel alive and flowing with blissful energy.

You have a special gift and I appreciate the gift you have given me.

"Working with Art has been one of the single most transformative experiences of my life. I walked away seeing my power and my beauty and exactly how I hide it from the world."

Being photographed by Art Durand is no exercise in vanity.

Art is no mere photographer. He is a light worker, a healer, a shaman, the most curious student of life I've ever met, a facilitator, transformational guide and lover of life. His natural ability to provide loving support in my emotional unfolding encouraged me to go deep. I came away feeling electric, ecstatic, and filled to the brim with joy.

I always hid when the cameras came out and that changed after I had my first photo shoot with Art. I fell in love, in love with the camera, in love with Art's coaching style and MORE in love with me.  

My experience was so phenomenal, I hired him again shortly afterwards. His work is outstanding. Not only is Art a genius photographer he has a one of a kind coaching style.  He took me to places I had never been. Mask after mask after mask was revealed and then out, was my essence. I blossomed in a matter of minutes.

My life transformed after working with Art. Brilliant, Art is brilliant. My photo shoots have been some of the greatest gifts I have given myself. I received such amazing results from our work together I wanted my friends to have their own experience, so I gifted his services to them.

I would recommend Art to anyone wanting to have extraordinary photographs and an experience of a lifetime.

Thank you for having the eyes and the heart to see one of the places where I most needed to take a closer look. Thanks for being brave and clear enough to call me out, and let me crumble around that truth. Thank you for holding the space after that and shooting me with love.

You were right -- I'm fast, and you cut in from a direction I didn't expect, then showed me my shit with such love. I will remember FOREVER you stepping out again and again into the lights to where I could see your face saying, "I'm still here". Thank you so much for doing that. It fills me up and makes me cry each time I remember.

Thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What a beautful, soft, radically mind blowing, transformation I experienced playing with Art.

I am forever changed in how I see myself and how I choose to show up in the world!

Art Durand isn’t just a photographer recording who I thought I was…he is a photojournalist capturing the journey he created that took me from from image to essence.   Of course he is a master of photographic technique.  But his real artistry and mastery is in his ability to help you presence what has been there but unseen and hidden by your limited perspective.  He has a very large view of what he is doing and it is worth stepping into that view and engaging in the process of self discovery.

As a former professional actor, I’ve sat through more photo shoots than I can count, and I’ve gotten plenty of great shots… all perfect and ready for my portfolio.  Yet, Art is the only photographer I’ve ever worked with that has captured my essence, moving beyond, beneath, and behind the image I so readily project. 

He has a keen sense of what is going on, on both sides of the camera, and an innate ability to gently peel back the layers and reveal the inner beauty we all possess. 

If you are looking to be seen by a master seer of life, invest in a Transformational Photography session with Arthur Durand.

Arthur will take you to the edge of your comfort zone, push past those facades that you've been hiding behind to expose the beauty hidden within.  Adventures with him are not always comfortable in the moment, but are always rewarding!

I felt like Arthur was able to see into the depths of my soul, gently coaxing the shy, hidden parts of me out into the sunshine.

Arthur views the world through a lens of fierce love.  

The beautiful photos are icing on the cake that is the experience of being photographed by Arthur.  

love, love, love!

Thank you so much. I so appreciate the pictures you took of me. I really can feel my

essence shining through them - and so can others. I feel warm, happy and

SEXY every time I see them. You genius, you - and me too!

"Working with Art is a grand and exquisite experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Fantastic and energizing!!"

There are endless dimensions of a day/shoot with you!

It was revealed to me that my time with art was going to be fun and playful, but also deep.  That it would likely break me open and drain me,  enlighten me, and fill me up.     

I thought...really?

Really.  Arts profund intuition and affection for his clients and friends allow him to see into people in a way we cannot see ourselves. 

You learn more about yourself in a day with Art than you do in years of therapy.

This is before you see your images....

He is a treasure.

We all have moments of self-realization, but seldom are they recorded for us to “see” with our human eyes and heart—after the fact.  That is what happens with Art.  Being with him in a photo session was a spiritual experience for me; one that was recorded and one I could relive in a very real and vibrant way.

            I’ve had my picture taken many times, but I remember none the way I remember my day with Art.  It was magical, mystical and fearsome—in a way.  Art is like this guardian angel who took me by the hand and led me down a path of self-revelation, whispering,…"It’s ok…”  And all the while, taking pictures, and more pictures, and more…  If he hadn’t “held my hand” metaphysically, I don’t think I would have traveled to those “quiet rooms” in my soul. 

            As a “Soul Sherpa,” I felt a sense of trust with Art that was unparalleled.  I thought he was taking me places that were familiar to him; places he, himself had gone.  And he somehow fostered in me a want to go…a need to go.  Certainly, at the least, a willingness to go.

            The pictures show it all; I can see my fear there.  And my growing sense of trust.  I see the changes that came as the day progressed; I am amazed.  I think now, that I would like to have another day.  I have grown so much since those eight hours and I hope I could be more open, more honest, more clear.  The pictures would be different, I think—I hope—and this time, I would savor my looking at them; wanting to see more of who I am and what I look like from the outside…

            My time with Art?  I learned how it was possible to fall in love—a trusting, marveling, respecting, and sacred feeling—in just eight hours.

It was a joy and a privelege to work with Art Durand for Dis Moi's CD.  He is a sensitive and thoughtful artist, committed to letting the unique beauty of each moment unfold in a shoot.  One of the things that touched me most about working with him was his desire to understand our collective purpose as musicians singing together and weave that personal understanding into the energy of our project.  

He was flexible and innovative while photographing us, using his technical skills to bring our ideas to life.  I was impressed by the combination of his passion for photography, his extremely professional demeanor and regard for detail which resulted in tremendous satisfaction with the outcome of our shoot.  

We had a blast.

"My photo shoot with Art helped me see myself more clearly and deeply than almost any experience I have ever had.  That was before I ever saw even one image.

Art's open heart and loving presence took me a journey of deep discovery.  His amazing ability to see who I am and to peel away my facades, many of which I was not conscious of myself, was transformational.

I laughed, cried, got pissed, and learned what it is to live with an open heart.  A day with Art, is one of the greatest gifts anyone could ever give themselves."

Art creates a space for self-discovery that allowed me to explore, reveal, and open to my deepest essence qualities. He is a wide-ranging "artist," with a craft that extends well beyond photography.

I am eager to work with you again, Art.  I am eager to see you again, Art.  I am commonly talking about the day we shared as perhaps the best day I can remember in my life.  This in the context of a pretty wonderful life.

Art has a gift of pulling out your sole and lets the light shine for all to see in his photography.  I am very glad I had the opportunity to be photographed by Art Durand.

Dearest Art, indeed what you do is transformational.

Though they were my experiences, they were a result of your presence and talent and innate ability to pull that from me. 

I trusted and believed you and felt totally safe in your presence. This is a gift given by you. I feel the truth of those words by the tears forming in my eyes.

If you believe that the camera doesn’t lie, then you’ll love what the camera can do in Art’s hands. You’ve never seen photos of yourself like these. And you’ve never experienced a photo shoot like Art’s. Art and his photography expose deeper truths, more like an emotional x-ray than a traditional photograph.

Point a camera at me, and I'll generally give you the same smile.  It's me posing, presenting a self that seems somehow appropriate.  Translation: edited.  A day with Art changed all that.

First, Art and I spent some one-on-one time with the intention of generating some shots that might be useful in my work life.  I also wanted to capture who and where I am at this point in my life.  Art skillfully led me to open up, producing some fabulous shots that so clearly show the man behind the stock smile.  He's not always smiling.

We were then joined by my partner K.  Art captured the essence of our relationship in a way that still blows my mind.  We journeyed through a range of experiences:  Sadness, fear, love, joy, playfulness, etc.  When I look at the photos, I feel it all again... they communicate the full range of "what we are about" so faithfully.  Take one look and you get it.  Words cannot express the treasure that lies in those photos.

Overall, I was struck by the sense that the session with Art was not about the camera.  Soon after we began, I forgot the camera was there and found the experience was more about stepping up and being myself.  Art is a genius at leading the journey and the resultant transformation.  A session with him is much more than a photo shoot.  I will not forget the flow of energy and love and the sense of real presence that revealed itself that day.  Thanks, Art!

(about the couples part of the shoot)

Wow.

Wow, wow, wow.  

K and I were on the phone last night looking through them together, and I felt I was looking at a photographic symphony.  By the end, I had been transported to a place of such love and happiness.  

Thank you for sharing your gift and capturing our essences.  I know we will treasure these photos for the rest of our lives.  K is talking about plastering them all over the city in random places.

Get ready for a wonderful journey that has unexpected twists and turns to it which uncover the deeper essence of who one is and presents to the world.  All of this surrounded by laughter, a few tears and an experience of being totally present to whatever unfolds in the moment.

Being photographed by Arthur was a powerful and exciting journey into the deep essence of who I am.  A journey in which the many faces of who I am and manifest in the world - were captured in the field of trust created between us.  Our session had roller coaster aspects to it, evoking a wide range of changing emotions.

In the end, I was left with an expanded sense of the nuanced beauty, power, vulnerability and grace of P. R. , of who I am. A being who in the space of a few hours became more complete and whole and comfortable in her own skin.

When you are ready to see who you really are...you'll see that you are much more than you knew....you'll see your magnificence....you'll see your true beauty... you'll discover your vulnerability....you'll discover where and how you have been hiding...you'll discover how you cover up who you really are...you'll see you have been fooling yourself into thinking that you are not fully lovable.....you'll see god!

After working with Art you may experience the following...

a clearer sense of who you are

a bigger Aura

a new sense of who you are and how you show up

an expanded sense of self

that your vulnerability is your strength

who you are is way bigger than you thought!

feels so good to be seen by you Art

xoxo

When I think of you, I think of the power of your attention, your laser-like ability to see through my outer layers and capture parts of me on film that I knew were in me but that I couldn't see. It's as though my experience with you unearthed and showed me where I wanted to go next - to have my inner radiance reflected back at me by how I show up in the world. And, I have been naturally heading in that direction ever since.

You are one amazing man, and this Feminine goddess feels waves of appreciation for you on a regular basis. 

"Art Durand is changing the face of photography, one person at a time. The glowing virtue of humanity shows up in his subjects, in a real, felt sense that is sublime and captivating. I like looking at his photos time and time again,  because there I see not just faces, but souls