Alaskan Earth Mama: Aromatherapy and Herbal Products

Most people associate Alaskan Earth Mama, a local business with a cult following here in Fairbanks run by my friend Monica, with herbal products - in particular, a healing salve (Soothe & Heal Balm) and an all-natural mosquito repellant (and herbal baths...and soy candles...and teas...and beard conditioning products...and a lip balm colored from Alaska cranberries...the list goes on!).  But few know about a growing arm of her business: essential oil education and aromatherapy sessions.  

To be honest, I really didn't understand what an aromatherapy session entailed until we arranged a model so we could photograph one.  I guess I pictured...smelling things?  I feel like the word "aromatherapy" has been coopted ever since the introduction of "aromatherapy dishsoaps" and the like within the last decade (so you can have indulgent self-care while washing dishes?  Um....).  I see it everywhere from shampoos to candles to dish soaps and everywhere in between.  A personalized aromatherapy session, however, goes far beyond a pleasant aroma.  Instead, it's a customized bodywork session that incorporates essential oils chosen for their unique therapeutic attributes, based on the information Monica gathers pre-session - are stiff muscles an issue?  A sore neck?  Insomnia?  You get the idea.  

But I will admit that it smelled really good.  

Alaska Family Health and Birth Center | Fairbanks Commercial Photographer

The Alaska Family Health and Birth Center is one of my favorite places to work, so naturally I jumped at the chance to help them update the imagery they use on their website and in their printed materials, etc.  We tackled a whole range of topics, from simply documenting their beautiful 'new' facility (it's been around for a few years now, but still seems new to me!), to staff headshots, to photographing the variety of services they offer, whether that was childbirth education, prenatal care, early dating ultrasounds, non-stress tests, at-home postpartum care, well-woman care...you get the idea!  

Fairbanks Children's Museum GRAND OPENING

On January 31 of this year, something remarkable happened: the Fairbanks Children’s Museum opened its doors. The museum is the product of almost ten years of work and dedication, but you don’t even need to know that backstory to see what a remarkable addition to the Fairbanks community it is. I’m already giddy at how positively it will affect my sanity next winter when we just NEED to get out of the house (at-home parents, I’m sure you know what I mean…). Every single bit of the museum is curated with love and care, and it is committed to providing kids the chance to explore, learn, and play. It’s only been open a few months, but it’s already an irreplaceable part of our day-to-day life; my kids beg to go on a daily basis – and we go frequently (a family membership is TOTALLY worth it, btw… for several years in a row, my aunt has given our family a membership as our Christmas gift, and it’s pretty much the best present ever – talk about the gift that keeps on giving!!).

The day of the grand opening was spectacular (and FULL!) – and of course I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take photos! Capturing kids in action – especially such giddy, joyous action as they were when unleashed into the brand-new facility full of TOYS – is, after all, one of my favorite things to do. I was fortunate enough to have two colleagues in the Fairbanks photographic community volunteer to help provide coverage of the whole day: Annie Enderle of Enderle Photography and Jenn Williams of Arctic Flair Photography both came and spent a couple hours snapping away.

Here are some of the shots the three of us took during the opening day! (SO. MUCH. FUN.) For more information about FCM – or their story times, birthday parties, summer camps, and other programming – I highly recommend you connect with them on the web or on Facebook. And I hope you have as much fun as we do!

Alaskan Earth Mama: A Spring Harvest - Fairbanks Commercial Photographer

Sometimes, one session can be the “stone” for several birds at once. You see, Monica is THE mama behind Alaskan Earth Mama, which is Fairbanks’ source for locally-made holistic goodness, body care, and custom essential oil aromatherapy sessions. Monica wears many hats: in addition to being an independent mama, Monica is also one of the smiling faces that will greet you daily at the Alaska Family Health and Birth Center. Alaskan Earth Mamas’ products are prepared in her kitchen in her “spare” time (a story every mom knows too well, I think!).

Alaskan Earth Mama makes a range of herbal products in addition to its other services (which include essential oil education, customized aromatherapy bodywork, and a growling line of other offerings).  AEM's products include balms and salves that aid in postpartum mamas' recovery; soothing sprays; and mama’s milk tea, to name a few. Around Fairbanks, AEM’s Soothe & Heal balm has a cult following, and every spring AEM’s all-natural mosquito repellent is pretty much the interior’s Most Wanted.

We’d wanted to do some photos to document her business in action for a while, but of course our lives were both hectic enough that we talked about it for a lot longer than we should have. When we were finally in a spot to do something about it, luck would have it that it was just time for Monica to be out harvesting cottonwood buds – a crucial ingredient with healing properties that is used in many of her products. And of course, if she’s out harvesting, the odds are that Matthew, her son, is harvesting with her – and so I floated my idea for Mother + Child sessions by her.

I originally began offering Mother + Child "little sessions" only during the month of May in honor of mother's day, but I've come to love them so much that they're now a permanent, around-the-year offering.  These aren’t your everyday mini-sessions – instead, these are 40-minute sessions custom-designed and shot on location to document the special relationship every mother has with each of her children. My vision for these sessions was to find an activity that mother and child love to do together, to basically open the floodgates of everything that’s there already. The good *and* the bad – the eye-rolls, tantrums, or disagreements, but also the smiles, connection, cuddles. A real life – beautiful and raw.  

I have a real passion for these sessions, not least because it’s so important for mom to get in front of the camera. Too often moms are hiding behind the lens, choosing to be the ones doing the documenting of everyday life – and even the moderately big events, sometimes – and are leaving themselves out of the picture.

Mamas, get in the picture. It is so important.

But back to cottonwood buds!

We gathered in North Pole in the streaming sun of early spring (and the slush of breakup) and it turned out that indeed, documenting an Alaskan Earth Mamas harvest session and coordinating a Mother + Child session was the perfect marriage. Mmmmmmmmmagic.

You can find Alaskan Earth Mamas products at Gulliver’s Books, Fireweed Boutique, Heart Stream Yoga, and many other places around town.

Portraits of Local Athletes: Commissioned Commercial Photography | Fairbanks Commercial Photographer

Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Tanana Valley Clinic on producing artwork to display in their (then) soon-to-be opened Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine satellite clinic. I recruited my friend and fellow photographer Annie Enderle to help me tackle the project, and tackle it we did. TVC had a vision of local athletes adorning the walls of the office - and apart from that, they gave us creative freedom.  Annie and I decided that we wanted to portray these athletes doing what they loved, in the environment that we all love.  Playing with athletes in some epic Alaskan locales...it was not a terrible way to spend the summer.  :)