Ermagerd. Miss K....oh, Miss K. This stunning beauty walked into my studio for her consult and I was beyond excited to work with her! Not only is she gorgeous, but she wanted to finally accept parts of herself that had been with her forever and represent them in photo form. She sent me a truly amazing, inspirational, and beautiful testimonial, so I am going to let her take over and tell you about her session.I decided to book a session with Teri as a gift for my boyfriend; but also for myself, because I love the message Teri embraces and encourages with her work. I knew other ladies who had worked with Teri before and provided me with glowing reviews, so I knew I was in good hands! I was excited (and admittedly, a bit nervous) when I showed up for my consult. I've done a few photoshoots before, but this one was different for a couple of reasons. 1) Teri goes completely out of her way to make sure your session goes smoothly and is PERFECT. Seriously. She cares just as much about this project as you do, and it's clear immediately that this isn't just her job; it's her passion. 2) she's going to ask you some tough questions... I've never had those questions asked straight to my face before. But it really helped set a direction and mood for the shoot and personalized it to tell the story I wanted to tell. I knew right then and there that this was going to be an awesome project!I showed up for my shoot, and it was perfect!! I took full advantage of the chance to be pampered with hair, makeup and girl chat, and when it was time to shoot Teri was amazing! She provided guidance through all the poses, and encouragement when things got a little.... Shall we say, interesting?? Lol!! Awkward facial expressions and hair-eating aside (she didn't have any, ps), we found our rhythm and nailed some seriously sassy photos! Like holy smokeshow, this woman knows what she's doing! I felt completely comfortable and confident the whole time!I really appreciate the dedication and time Teri takes to make this photoshoot meaningful and even powerful. The decision to include my scar, and make it prominent in some of the photos, was a first for me. I have had this scar my whole life, and normally I think nothing of it. It's just another part of me. But any time it has been brought to my attention in the past, has usually been a negative or awkward experience. I needed someone I could trust to help me overcome that fear; even as accomplished as I am when it comes to accepting my body, this was a big step. And an important one for me.For me, self acceptance came when I chose to change my perspective of what makes a body "beautiful." You know, the one that mainstream media tries to cement into your head. By those standards, my body shouldn't fit that term "beautiful" at all. I was in grade 5 the first time someone asked me if I would ever get plastic surgery to "fix" my scar. Grade 5! That's a tough thing to hear. And it definitely impacted the way I saw my body and how I felt in my skin, for a long time.
We Are Not Our Scars ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
To think that I would EVER do something like this back then??
I am so glad I did. I am SO GLAD I determinedly set my mind to break the damn "rules." At the end of the day, my physical body is such a small part of who I am, and what people think of it has absolutely NOTHING to do with me. I am not defined by my extra pounds. Or my creases. I am not my lumps, my bumps. I am not a scar. I am not my cancer. I AM a woman. I am strong. I am bold. I am sexy!! I am hardworking and determined. Sometimes stubborn. Sometimes funny. I am confident, radiant, positive and glowing. I am passion in all its forms. So why should I allow myself to be limited to the expression of ONE aspect of who I am??Teri gets that. She set out to capture my story, my person, and she nailed it! Getting to see these photos for the first time, I saw ME. Not just a body, but me as a person, and guess what?? I look hot!! Even with all my lumps and bumps intact, and that scar of mine - I think I pulled off the "sexy" thing pretty well. And I didn't have to change who I am or how I look to do that. Seeing that is such an empowering thing, because it really smashes through any idea that we need to fit ourselves within unattainable limitations to feel empowered and beautiful. We deserve to feel beautiful and deserve to see ourselves as beautiful too - just the way you are!
Teri, you are amazing. You give women the ability to see themselves in a new light, a light we are often told we aren't allowed to have. That's so huge. I can't describe how meaningful it is to see myself in a way that at one time I thought was impossible. THANK YOU for this; I can't tell you how much this means to me! I've had an extra bounce in my step ever since. Keep doing what you do!And to any lady out there who thinks you can't do it too?? You can. You can do boudoir, and you can do it WELL, and you can do it just as you are now. So when you're ready, give this babe a call!Well, holy crap, I think she just said it all and nailed everything about why I do what I do. There is not much more that I need to add because this Boudy Babe know what she's talking about. Ready to have your own life changing experience and see what it's like to celebrate all the bits of your body? Give me a shout!!