Posted on September 18, 2020
Gifts
wild being project
At all times, if we listen and look deeply, our natural mother offers gifts, fallen wings, a feather, bone, seed, a storm, or bright star, symbols beckoning us closer to ourselves… closer to our place in the great story of life…

I felt so grateful and honoured to spend time with Wendy ~ mama, woman, artist, holding herself with such tender love and respect, sharing this witness, embodied play, and exploration with her two daughters.
“Ohhh bless so many so many sweet moments with you tonight!
So grateful.
Working with Belinda was like opening a portal.
An adventure in unfolding.
Like a therapy session in photos.
I’m so grateful for tonight thank you so much.
Indeed it was an amazing thing for my daughters to witness.
Thank you so much.”
@wendywaddellwisewomanarts
Who are you as a wild being?
When you begin to follow the tracks into your inner wilds ~
Listen to small and large shifts in the natural world around you ~
Fully embody both your grief as parts fall away, and your gratitude as new gifts are offered?
I am deeply mystified by the fires and smoke, by the moths up here in the North West Coast, both come to devour the trees. I am humbled by a call to lean into this time of release and transformation, to peer over the edge of the chasm, and breath in deeply what is being asked of me, of us.

As we reconnect with with our own bodies, and begin to write a new story that cherishes our precious existence, our very unique gift to the world, we weave threads of interdependence with all beings. As we carefully tend the coal of our inner compass, our senses awaken to a larger knowing, we begin to orient towards a larger vision: our place in the fabric of life.
Deep within all of us is a child whose birthright of connection, magical mind, and wild, joyful movement was perhaps quelled, in tiny ways, or devastating ones. Rewilding, re entering the woods, meadow, stream and exploring with playful trust, can help draw her out. Can you hear her calling you?

This Autumn Equinox, let us ponder the delicate balance of life, let us slow right down, breath deeply despite our fears, and reconnect one thread at a time with what is precious. Let us hold each other, and hold space for each other. We each have a unique journey, unique challenges, fears, gifts, expressions. We are all needed. Each of our colourful threads is essential, so too are every one of the more-than-human beings, the elements and unseen forces! Let us look to the book of nature as our revered grand mother and teacher, let us listen closely to indigenous elders and wisdom as they still carry what many of us have lost. Let us hold up what we know and love in our hearts, raise our voices and prayers to ALL our relations, and begin creating the world we’d like to see for our children’s children’s children.
With deep gratitude to the unceeded Coast Salish Territories and the Peoples who have tended them with love –Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, I acknowledge as settler, descendant of colonizers that I continue to privilege from stolen lands, and that if I do not participate in reeducating, protesting, shifting consumption, I continue to propagate the theft of land and resources and the ongoing destruction of the mother who sustains us.

Follow me on Instagram at @wild_being_project and @Applestarphoto and on Facebook at Apple Star Photo
Posted on July 30, 2019
family
Look at these cuties!!
A sneak peek: I have had the pleasure of photographing this family several times over the past few years and absolutely love watching them grow as a family, even if just in glimpses!
#vancouverfamilyphotographer #summerportraits #photoplaysessions #familyportraits #kidfreindlyphotographers #naturallycandid #shiningfromtheinsideout
Posted on July 30, 2019
forage ~ iris leaves
Posted on July 17, 2019
Clay Portraits
Taken at Firemaker 2019 during The Elemental Spa
“Firemaker is a bridge between worlds, a thread that connects present and past, that weaves us back to our ancestors. It is a place where we scrape away the layers of machine made paint society coats us in, dip our hands into warm clay and paint ourselves in the flesh of Mother Earth. As our wild selves we gather, painted in her skin, One with all living things; we are kin.” Jade Cobain, Herbalist
“Elemental spa is a great way to feel physically connected to nature and the elements around you. Free from shoes and clothes we instead cover our bodies with the Earth. A layer of warm detoxifying clay, some splatters of charcoal and mud, wrappings of ferns and a sprinkle of pine needles we blend into the land (except when parading throughout the Firemaker property wolf-calling with instruments sounding off). After arriving at the river for a cold plunge to wash off the clay we gather around a warm fire heating a pot of fresh seaweed and massage stones. The warm fresh water bursts the cells of the seaweed producing a nourishing gel. We wrap ourselves and others in the warm fronds and soak up the benefits of our coastal seaweed. A hot stone and oil massage, songs and more dips in the river continue to raise the bliss. It’s an experience not to be missed at Firemaker.” Taylor Mar, Primitive Skills mentor and co-owner of Ragnarok Studios
“A long time ago, when kayaking the coast, I shipwrecked on Wolf Island. Badly injured, and my whereabouts completely unknown, I utilized the only things I had available to heal my bashed up body: fire, sun, seaweed, rocks and clay. It worked, applying the warmed up seaweed and sloshy clay to my body, then the hot rocks, I healed my wounds well enough to fix my boat and journey home. Thus the Elemental Spa was born.
I have brought the Elemental Spa to Firemaker to help bring out the Wild Thang in each of us, and modified it to incorporate primal chanting, wild adornment and river re-birth. I can’t imagine doing Firemaker without bringing the Spa there every year now.
The Elements provide deep healing and nourishment for body, mind and soul. 🔥🌲💦💨. Breathe deeply and conjoin these powers into the marrow of your being. Aho.” Dante Chicano, Rewilding Mentor at the Elemental Academy and Member of The Shire at The Elemental Collective
Thank you to Dante and Tom for offering The Elemental Spa at Firemaker Traditional Skills Gathering. I am ever grateful for your generous, playful, beautiful offerings. I am grateful as well to the community we weave together and the safety of the container we all hold as a village. Thanks, finally to the land, The Brown River, and the glorious Salish Sea, the unceded territories of the K’omocks, Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples.
wildly,
Belinda White
To learn more, please visit http://www.firemaker.org, http://www.facebook.com/applestarphoto, https://www.facebook.com/ragnarockstudios/, https://www.facebook.com/SoulFireFamily/
Posted on April 20, 2019
Just in time for Mother’s Day ~ One spot Left!!
>>>Spring Minis Photo Play Sessions!<<<
Friday April 4-5pm Queen Elisabeth park – Booked Up!
Saturday April 9-10am Trout Lake Park – Booked Up!
Sunday April 4-5pm Stanley Park / Queen Elizabeth park – Two spots left
Choose either a $45 ~ 5 / $65 ~ 10 High res, Pro-edited digital images.
Special 15% discount for Single Mamas
To Book, DM me at www/facebook.com/applestarphoto
Posted on April 20, 2019
A Beautiful Belly ~ apple star photo
A Beautiful Belly ~ Maternity Sessions @AppleStarPhoto . . .
There is really nothing more stunning, more precious, and life-altering than carrying your baby.
A woman is transformed by this experience in ways that words can’t capture…whether it is your first or your third child, those 9 months that your baby is growing within you, when you have them so close, so silent, right there, are a precious time worth remembering for ever.
For many of us, the changes to our bodies and hormones are shocking, if miraculous, and can have us travelling waves of emotion. Each of us experience this time in our own unique ways, and each pregnancy is different, and yet we are all woven into a shared experience when we begin this journey, aren’t we?
You are beautiful, you are strong, you ARE MIRACULOUS!
I am honoured and ever so grateful for the women who have trusted me with the tender work of capturing their beautiful bellies.
Let me help capture this precious time with you. Feel free to message me at http://www.facebook.com/applestarphoto for more information, or check out my Facebook an Instagram pages for updates, mini sessions and more.
kindly,
Belinda White, Apple Star Photo
. . . #maternityphotography #beautifulbellies #abeautifulbelly #babybump #maternityphotosessions #pregnancy #expectingmotherportraits #vancouverphotographer #maternityphotographer #vancouvermatenityphotographer
Posted on March 8, 2019
Winter Mini Photo Play Sessions!
Play sessions are a fun no pressure way to get the whole family on board for lovely candid portraits. It’s not always easy whether with toddlers or teens!
Thanks to Lorenita Jacome for trusting me with your family for a sweet session at Trout Lake!
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#winterminis #winterminiphotoplaysessions #applestarphoto #candidfamilyportraits #familyportraits #playsessions #applestarphoto #vancovuerportraitphotographers #vancouverfamilyphotographer
Posted on March 1, 2019
wild play
This March Celebrate Wild Play!
Wild Play! My favourite passion both as a photographer and mama, nanny, and outdoor educator. It’s wonderful out there these days during this magical overlap between Winter and Spring, West Coast Style, and I’ve been feeling really grateful for the wonderful green spaces in Vancouver and my Embodied~Play friends.
I shared an important blog post from 1000 Hours Outside on my page Apple Star Learning recently that is really popular among my outdoor educator community, but that I am yearning to share it more widely. It recommends children be outside 4-6 hours daily! Wow, that’s a lot, isn’t it? It goes on to state, “the current statistics say that the average child only gets 4-7 minutes of outdoor free play every day”!
Why is unstructured or free outdoor play so important? The author of the above mentioned post, Ginny, writes, “Children who are allowed this freedom of time outside get lost in nature. They get lost in their imaginations and they get lost in wonder. And then they rapidly develop. There are many factors why but one reason is due to the rich sensory environment that nature always provides.” And, I couldn’t agree more.
With the children I work with as a mother, nanny, Art~Play mentor and Embodied~Play host, I have observed again and again the incredible benefits of extended, repeated free play outdoors, in playgrounds, back yards, but better in less confining and structured environments, where the mind, heart and body can wander off into imagination, solitude, listening, risk-taking, and tinkering among other activities. I love, of course to document my observations and share the story of wild play through photography!
What are the benefits of unstructured wild time in nature?
Spending time in Nature makes you happier, calmer, kinder, more creative.
The development of Executive Function in children, skills such as resilience, delayed gratification, self-moderation, cooperation, problem-solving, focus and creativity among others, are much more present in children and youth who get a lot of free outdoor time.
Furthermore, time in nature helps parents and children bond and build healthy long-term relationships that last into the teen years. There are incredible resources available to help parents and teachers alike such as this one at the Children and Nature Network.
Above all wild play for both children and adults nurtures our deep nature connection. Core routines, like practicing a sit spot or listening to birds awaken our senses and enliven our relationship to place. “People can relate to bird language in a deeply human and truly ancient way”, Jon Young, founder of the 8 Shields, describes in this article How Bird language Helps Us Connect .
This is all very well, though, but how on Earth are we supposed to carve out this time, and what are we supposed to do outdoors?
Here are some suggestions from my post on my page .
