Shawna Bowen, sweat lodge deaths in Sedona for People Magazine
I recently traveled to Sedona, Arizona to photograph an assignment for People Magazine. The magazine was writing a story about deaths that occurred during a sweat lodge at a resort south of Sedona.
My subject Shawna Bowen is a substance abuse therapist who was one of the first people on the scene the day of this tragic event. This portrait of Shawna is my favorite outtake from the shoot. She was a great subject and very kind to allow us to go back to the area where the event took place. The photo below is the road leading down to the valley where the resort is located.

The magazine ran the story in the Friday, October 30, 2009 edition. More information on the story can be found at various locations online. These images can be licensed in the online archive: Shawna Bowen, sweat lodge deaths in Sedona, Arizona
Mark:
Thank you for the beautiful photo of Shawna. Kirby Brown’s family is grateful for her willingness to try to save our cousin, daughter, sister, and aunt Kirby. We are thankful she is speaking out about what she saw.
And both photos are striking. Your work helped bring this story to life. Great work.
Bless you
Tom