She is a body of work

Last week I had the pleasure of shooting the lovely Miss W. She wanted some boudoir images for her boyfriend and has been kind enough to allow me to share some of those pictures with you.

The awesome thing about this girl, apart from being absolutely lovely, is that she is a body builder! I admire anyone who has the sheer determination, willpower and self-discipline to sculpt their body to how they want it to look, especially at a competitive level. I'm also starting to realise that physical strength in women is so important. I think we tend to focus so much on losing weight, being skinny, dieting, dropping a dress size, etc. etc. etc.... But how often do we strive towards having a strong body?

I tagged along to my boyfriend's personal training session one time, and somehow got talked into trying out some of the equipment. Despite my protests (No, no, thank you, I'm perfectly fine just sitting here on this yoga ball thing, watching him suffer and sweat it out. Please carry on. Oh alright then.) I started doing a few light reps. Oh the cracks in my back and shoulders as they strained under the (light) weights and started to actually work. 

After my light workout there was no pain, only a tingly warmth in my muscles. I felt great! I felt stronger. I believe that is what we should work towards when we drag ourselves to the gym at 5 in the morning, rather than focussing on losing x kilos and reaching an 'ideal' weight, etc. Each person is different. I believe when you respect your body and take care of it, give it the exercise and nourishment it needs, it's going to look good anyway. Not to mention the confidence that shines from within. 

Anyway, I massively digress! Back to my client. If you've got it, flaunt it. Being in such great shape, it wasn't hard to create stunning images of Miss W, playing with soft lighting and shadows to highlight her amazing figure. Here are some of my favourites. 

She is a burst of colour

Geri got in touch with me looking for a photographer to update her modelling portfolio. She had this amazing red hair and as soon as I saw it I thought, I need to make the most of that red!! For those who don't know, I think red hair is the most amazing thing ever. I personally don't understand why natural redheads (think Lindsay Lohan) bleach the life out of their gorgeous red locks. I even tried red hair on myself once upon a time but the shade of red wasn't quite what I had in mind. And it was too expensive :(

Anyway, when the time came to select an outfit for the first part of the shoot, Geri pulled out a whole wardrobe of fluoro coloured mini dresses and funky jewellery. I was kinda blown away. Maybe even stunned. Not to mention her heels were absolute killer, of which she had brought three pairs. Good girl.

So because she wanted images for her modelling portfolio, I tried to lean more towards editorial style poses. Tried being the key word. I will admit it was hard for me to shake the 'rules' for portraiture that I've been learning and putting into practice with all my girls. Here I had someone who didn't need as much direction, who didn't need to contort herself into a pose that flattered her body. She pretty much just had to stand there and she looked gorgeous. So what to do? Fortunately for me she knew how to work her stuff. She knew her own best angles, she knew how she wanted to look in her photos, and she did that. So we worked together and achieved some great shots.

Click on images to enlarge.

She is beauty and grace

This entry is about a young lady named Mel.

She contacted me via email and wrote with such elegance and reservation that I assumed she was much older than she was. Usually I have some idea of what my clients look like, whether they send me photos or have a profile picture I can view. But I had no idea what Mel looked like, nor her age. All I knew was that she had "never done anything like this before", and that contacting me for a shoot was a big step for her. Something I hear often, and something that gets me excited!

When women come to me feeling hesitant or shy or whatever you want to call it, I am especially motivated and determined to give them the experience that ends with them looking and feeling a million dollars. After all, ALL women are beautiful and should feel it and know it. I just try to capture that with my camera.

So I had no idea what to expect when she arrived for the shoot. I can safely say I was not expecting to see a motorcycle pull into the driveway! Like a boss.

Then she walked in the door, helmet in hand, with the biggest smile, and I decided that my biggest challenge would be capturing such a beautiful and kind soul on my little camera. She kinda radiated. And when she spoke, she had only good things to say, especially about helping other people. Now that's real beauty. How does one convey someone's inner awesomeness on film? No pose, no lighting, no technique can really grasp a person's goodness. But I tried!

Working with Mel was an absolute pleasure. Not to mention she was a complete natural!

Click on images to enlarge.

Boudoir shoot Sabina

I feel like it's been ages since my last post. I have been so busy with shoots and wedding planning. I don't think this new business venture could've come at a worse time! Trying to research marketing and advertising, creating a new website etc. whilst on the side, what should our theme be, what flowers will go with those bridesmaid dresses, should we have a summer or autumn wedding.........?? My head is in a hundred different places! For those of you who are wondering, we are this close --> <-- to setting a date! You will be formally notified (probably on facebook lol) when it happens.

So anyway, what did I get up to during this busy week, well... I had the pleasure of working with a lovely young lady named Sabina, who contacted me via one of my ads. Turns out she lives just around the corner from me! That's right, another person in Portarlington under the age of 65! :o We chatted over makeup and hair spray, nibbling M&Ms, about travel, life and love.

Then onto the shoot. I'm finding that, despite the small space, I'm managing to get some great angles. One of my absolute favourite photos is this one:

In terms of boudoir, I think this image is quite sensual without being too revealing, and that's what I try to achieve with all my shoots. I never go beyond what my client/model is comfortable with. Then, of course, there are those who are perfectly comfortable in the buff, and that's fine too. Either way I love the creativity that comes when a new client/model walks in the door. I usually have an idea of poses and such that I'd like to try out, but as the shoot progresses new ideas pop into my head and I end up with great images that hadn't occurred to me prior to the shoot.

Boudoir shoot Sam

I had the pleasure of offering a boudoir session to a dear friend of mine over the weekend. With Valentine's Day approaching, the timing couldn't have been better. I did her hair and makeup for the shoot and let that set while I shot her boyfriend and his mates individually. What a whirlwind! Boys will be boys... It was my first male shoot and they just had so much energy. When the time came to shoot Sam I think we were all a little exhausted!

I also took a few intimate couple shots of Sam and her man. I will put those photos up, as well as the boy shots, in a future post. Today it's all about Sam :)

Click photos to enlarge.

I went on a shopping spree during the week and bought a whole bunch of props for the studio: pearls, fans, parasol, feather boas, lace gloves, etc. I'm liking the red feather boa in this pic which brings out the red in Sam's corset.

       

Portrait shoot Jessie

I went to uni with a young lass named Jessie, who came in for a portrait shoot yesterday. I did her hair and makeup and after a good 3 hours (eek!) of that we finally got round to shooting. (In my defense might I add, her hair is epically long!!! Not to mention my first time doing hair. It came out great but after five minutes all the curl was gone. Lesson learnt: hairspray hairspray hairspray)

Anyway, I got a few shots that I absolutely love. Enjoy!

My fave

10 Tips for the Perfect Boudoir Photo Shoot

Found this interesting read at bonafidebride. Couldn't have said it better mahself!

Alright, ladies. Here it is... the white elephant in the room, and I'm going to post about it. I'm talking about the 'B' word. (No, not that 'B' word.) Boudoir shoots. Also known as your future husband's wildest dreams, come true. The fact that you are even considering a boudoir shoot would probably make your man salivate at the mouth like Pavlov's dog if he knew, but we'll keep it on the hush because these things make awesome surprises. Best. Wedding gift. Ever.

Before you read any of this, do yourself a favor and find a great boudoir photographer, stat. Make the most of your appointment. This starts way before you arrive, so let's not fool ourselves, here. Here is our advice:

1. Be comfortable in your own body. I'm sure many photographers would agree, this is the most important of them all. Eat right, exercise, and be happy. Love the life you live. Don't think for one minute that this is awkward for your photographer... it's just another workday, for him/her.

2. Get there early. Nothing is worse than stress, and trust me, it'll be written all over your face when you show up to your session sweaty and out of breath after running down Fifth Avenue to get there. Give yourself plenty of time. When scheduling the shoot in the first place, ask your photographer what time of day will give them the best lighting, depending on your chosen location.

3. Wear loose clothing to the shoot. The last thing you want are sports bra lines or EWBL (that's 'elastic waist band line', for you acronym novices). Again... getting there early gives you time for these lines to fade.

4. Eat smart, and drink lots of water in the weeks leading up to your photo shoot. Eating the right foods and drinking lots of water will give you a healthy glow from the inside out. You'll look better, you'll feel better... This is a no-brainer.

5. Bring lots of outfit options. At least five. Minimum. And shoes. Bring clothing for different moods, so that you're guaranteed to feel good in something, depending on what mood you're in that day. Bring something sweet and innocent, bring something a little racy... Make the most of your time! 

6. Watch the hair!  If you're doing your hair and makeup before the shoot (we highly recommend it... and why not? You'll feel pretty!), arrive in a button-down shirt so you don't mess up your gorgeous 'do.

7. Wear a gel deodorant. Not the chalky white stuff, 'cause that ain't sexay.

8. Play music during the shoot. A lot of great boudoir photographers do this anyway, without question. This is something to ask beforehand, and if your photographer doesn't bring music, bring your own!

9. Find pictures and poses you like, first. Have an idea of what to do when you go in there. If your photographer gives you further direction, listen up! They know best, and you'll thank them later when you see how awesome that really awkward-feeling pose looks, in the end.

10. If your nerves get the best of you, bring a friend. No, not in the room during the shoot... because that may be weird! Have someone come with you and wait in the hotel lobby. If your photographer has a problem with you walking there with someone... think twice about doing the shoot with them in the first place.

Bonus tip: If you don't want facial/bodily hair in your photos, then remove it prior to the shoot! Super HD cameras pick up the finest of strands. This is particularly unflattering on the face. The number of mono-brows and moustaches I have had to edit in Photoshop..... 

Courtesy: bonafidebride