The Muse: Jessie Carlton
muse (noun) a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist
At Unraveled, we’re always paying attention to the artists whose work lingers a little. The images you keep thinking about later for no obvious reason. The ones that feel like a mood, a memory, or maybe even a song.
That’s what The Muse is for. A place to slow down and share the artists, sessions, and creative process that inspire us and remind us why we fell in love with photography in the first place.
Jessie Carlton has always been one of those artists for us.
Her work feels cinematic without trying too hard. Dreamy, a little gritty, deeply emotional, and somehow nostalgic while still feeling entirely her own. Like music turned into photographs.
This session at the Salt Flats with musician and model Mia feels exactly like that.
After photographing Mia for her band, Trauma Blonde, Jessie knew she wanted to create something together just for the sake of making art. Water, blue skies, movement, reflection, a dress, and a feeling she kept coming back to while planning: dreamlike. No overcomplicated plan, just a vision, some trust, and room to see what unfolded.
And honestly, that feels very Jessie.
She’s the first person to tell you to play, try weird angles, take bad photos, and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to get it perfect. Because sometimes the best work comes when you stop overthinking and follow the feeling a little.
And this session feels exactly like that.
Jessie Carlton: INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
Tell us a bit about this session! (your inspiration, what you were trying to accomplish, the story behind it, etc)
So! I met Mia (the model) through a shoot i did for their band Trauma Blonde based in SLC, Utah. We immediately meshed so well working together, that i knew i had to do a creative shoot with her. When i was dreaming up what type of shoot to do, i just kept envisioning water, blue skies and a dress. Dreamy, Editorial, Depth those were the words i wanted to create with. I got started on the moodboard, we chose a day and made some magic. Loose plans, intentional feelings. I shot with this feeling of making it feel like a Dream.
What gear/equipment did you use for this shoot?
Sony a7iv, 24-70mm Sigma, Godox Flash, 1/8 mist filter
What programs, presets or techniques did you use to edit these images?
Lightroom and a mixture of my presets tweaked to fit my vision!
What advice or best technical tip would you give to new or aspiring photographers?
Play around, i used this creative shoot as a way to not have any pressure on myself. Try new settings, try new angles, and take bad images. Taking bad images leads to taking good ones, because you have a visual of what you need to change.
Want to create work that feels more like you?
Part of what we love about Jessie’s work is that it never feels overthought. It feels trusted. Emotional. A little wild around the edges in the best way. The kind of work that happens when you stop chasing perfect and start following the feeling.
If this session made something in your creative brain light up, Jessie’s Reclamation Pack is a beautiful place to start. Built like a mixtape and named after songs, these presets lean cinematic, nostalgic, gritty, and just rebellious enough—perfect for photographers craving edits with a little more soul.
Inside the pack, Jessie also walks you through her editing process so you can make the look your own instead of feeling stuck in someone else’s style.
And if you’re craving more of this kind of inspiration, community, and creative growth, come hang out with us inside Unraveled Academy, where artists like Jessie share courses, creative process, honest conversations, and the kind of support that reminds you you’re not making art alone.
