We recently connected with River & Juniper Evergreen and have shared our conversation below.

River & Juniper, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

We’ve been developing our style and client experience for over 15 years now. What we’ve found is that the photography and personal design industry as a craft has evolved exponentially thanks to the technology boom. For many, this has made these services more accessible than ever. YAY everyone deserves art. But somewhere along the was,y the soul of these artistic mediums has become commoditized. With many simply doing it for the paycheck or as an extra side gig. This has resulted in many feeling like their cell phones do a “good enough” job or that their work feels hollow. With presets quickly slapped on and images sent out in less than a week the love just isn’t there, and the sense of community is less prevalent. We’re working to change all of that.

Having both attended a fine art college for photography we’ve been developing our craft as a medium for expression learning the language of the individual as opposed to the aesthetic of the masses. With that each client experience is a one-of-a-kind journey of discovery. Starting with an in-person coffee (or boba) date. We call it our “Vibe Checks” We focus first and foremost on getting to know our clients, learning about them not as a source of income but as a human; making sure our energies interact well together, understanding their joy, sadness, struggles and desires. From there our mental health first approach branches off into a holistic experience tailored to the individual. This can look like pairing gender-affirming care with custom set design and photography to create grounding tools that allow individuals to feel empowered. Other times we may be energetically cleansing a space and helping design and style it to accommodate a neurodivergent couple’s needs. All of this is to say that we expanding beyond mediums to treat our clients as the divine individuals we all hold within ourselves.

On the business side of things, we step away from the traditional capitalistic model. Rest and ease are our priorities, and community support is our mantra. For all events, photoshoots and installations we block off a day prior and a day after ensuring we are bringing our BEST. Offices are open only 4 days a week, and studio work is addressed Tuesday-Sunday, with of course Monday always closed for us as a mandatory rest day to avoid that burnout. We expect all of our clients to treat themselves with just as much love and care and we explicitly encourage self-care and to avoid rushing to respond to messages. You are important and we are here to help.

River & Juniper, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We are a mental health-first, anti-capitalistic-oriented artistic coven. Our mission is simple: empower individuals to embrace their true selves through tangible art, and personalized spiritual guidance that will become grounding tools for years to come. With over three decades of combined artistic experience and interpersonal study, our approach is one of rest, ease, and compassion. Through our spiritual approach to fine art and mixed media, dubbed “Photographic Alchemy” we aim to empower our clients to step away from the societal expectations of hustle culture, build lasting relationships with themselves and learn how to express themselves authentically.

River Evergreen (they/he/she) is a literal creative genius and the most empathetically intune person you will ever meet. An energetically affirming leader of the Queer community, they actively help to push the boundaries of any industry she’s entered. Starting his photography career at the age of 17 doing corporate headshots. Since then they have collaborated on large-scale cross-country portrait photography, intimate and discreet multi-cultural event planning and national-level interior design. With a focus on inclusivity and deep understanding.

Juniper Evergreen (she/her) is an accomplished multi-disciplinary witch. She has collaborated with high-level multinational businesses, designed wineries and spearheaded international-level hiring initiatives across 20+ countries, taught rock climbing and can build anything you want out of wood. Her diverse skill set brings a unique blend of adaptability and creative thinking to the table. As a dedicated advocate in the queer community, she promises to lead with the heart, focusing on building relationships and fostering community empowerment.

Together we’re The Evergreen Girls. We met in freshman orientation studying Fine-Art Photography and Photojournalism respectively. After a whirlwind of a first semester, we found ourselves dating and a year later we were engaged. Since then we have been honing our crafts. After graduating college, we found ourselves deep in the world of Art & Design learning the true ins and outs. From capturing weddings in the Redwoods to experiencing our own coming-out journeys we’ve learned how to connect with individuals on a deep meaningful level.

Since then we’ve been developing what we call Spiritual Reframing and Photographic Alchemy
to create guiding experiences and high-end artistic “tools”, designed to aid individuals, businesses and events in connecting with their true selves and challenge preconceived limitations. Our work fosters purposeful living, sustainable lifestyles, and enriched human experiences, all with an artistic twist. From custom-built sets/props to gender-affirming shopping experiences and intimate artistic identity-affirming photography. Our all-inclusive, mental health first services set us apart as leaders in holistic personal transformation.

There are only two things I want readers to remember when they step away from this. First take a second to get up, stretch your body and drink some water. We all need to take better care of ourselves, and yes you’re included your gorgeous human you! Second, you are truly unique and should never have to hide or mask who you are. It’s okay if your struggling and it’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out. We’re happy to walk with you every step of the way.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

This is going to sound so corny but we met at freshmen orientation. River was going for fine art photography and myself(Juniper) for photojournalism. We hit it off as friends right away and despite our quite opposite personalities, we found ourselves single at the same time that winter. 6 months later we got engaged and now 14 years later the rest is history. We graduated college, and have been collaborating in art, and in life ever since. Building a brand we hope to one day pass onto our child.

This level of partnership both professionally and personally has meant we have developed an even deeper connection allowing us to work together cohesively despite any challenges, and honestly adds another layer of comfort and authentic joy for our wedding clients.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Reading and learning in general is one of our special interests so while I could dump an entire catalogue of resources that I found transformative. All of which have aided us in creating a forward-thinking community-oriented business and sustainable lifestyle. Instead, I will share the four essentials I would consider as a great starting point…

The Power of Now – A guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Seven Circles – Indigenous teachings for living well; By Chelsey Luger, Thosh Collins
Emergent Strategy – Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
We Are the Economy – The Buddhist Way of Work, Consumption and Money by Kai Romhardt

While some of these suggestions might not seem relevant, lets be real. If you’re running your own business every part of your life becomes a reflection of the whole and becomes integral to your well-being. These books in my opinion provide a solid foundation for building a lifestyle which is sustainable in the longterm, helping lay the groundwork for lasting connections, reciprocal connections and healthy relationships both in your interpersonal connections and your internal relationships around finances, community building and emotional fulfilment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evergreengirls.co
• Instagram: @evergreengirls.co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evergreengirls.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evergreen-girls-llc
• Other: tiktok:@evergreengirls.co
  Additional Instagram accounts: @theascensionof & @hausevergreen

Image Credits

N/A: All images are Evergreen Girls LLC originals