So...did September even happen? It was pretty much a whirlwind for me. My first adventure found me in Jersey City, Brooklyn, and Time Square X 3 times in the span of 5 days while I hung out with some of the best people in the world. When I first found out about the Safehouse Workshop: NYC through the Babetown Collective (an amazing group of photographers on Facebook/internets) I knew that without a doubt I needed to get there. So, I contacted Babetown's fearless leader Lola Gilbert and I told her that I would do whatever I could do to come play in New York, so she hooked me up with a teaching job for the workshop.
I was beyond ecstatic and actually recall screaming the good news while I was in a hotel room in Vancouver in April! While I knew this week was going to be epic beyond measure, what I didn't expect was meeting SO MANY incredible, talented, passionate, and inspiring people from all over. The coolest thing about Babetown is that it is not specific to one genre of photography, so this workshop was unlike any I had attended before. We had instructors for headshots (#chadshots), self portraits, silhouettes, intimate male portraits, family portraits, maternity sessions, engagement, same sex couples and intimate storytelling, and plus size boudoir by yours truly. So, when I wasn't instructing I was able to partake in the other instructors' classes and at first I was like, "that's silly...I don't shoot X,Y,Z, so maybe I should just hang back"....but quickly I realized just how awesome it was to be a noob at different genres of photography. I'm not saying I know everything about boudoir, but if I'm teaching on the subject, I best be somewhat of a specialist on the topic....but I definitely was not a subject matter expert in the other genres. It was awesome to take little bits from each instructor and see how I can apply it to boudoir. In fact, I have noticed that my work since attending the Safehouse Workshop has been a bit more playful, intriguing and exciting...pulling from the inspiration of those amazing people I met in NYC.
While I am thankful for the opportunities that have come out of this workshop, I am mostly thankful for the amazing friendships that I have made in a relatively competitive industry. I have people I can message on FB, strike up a ZOOM chat, or just send random voice notes to in an effort to make mine and their days better. Since coming back from this Babetown workshop, I am already signed up to instruct at the next 2 Babetown workshops in Idaho and Maine in 2018 and I am so beyond blessed for these experiences. I am so incredibly excited to meet up with my buddies and help inspire and educate other photographers to do the things that make their soul happy.
On the last day, I was watching my new friend Jessica teaching her course on Self-Portraiture (while sitting in a copper tub, mind you) and I was moved to tears. It is such an honor to be able to see people speak with such passion about their lives. It made me happy to be surrounded by people who are just as motivated as I am to never settle for the status quo. The coolest thing was, that almost all of the instructors spoke about their journey to their niche in photography and what set them apart and it was the fact that they were able to see the good in the struggles of their lives. I like to reference it as turning their kryptonite into their superpower....because it's in their vulnerability of sharing themselves and their passion for working through "the mud" and sharing this with their communities that they have become successful and well known in their industry. It has nothing to do with their camera equipment, the amount of $$$ they bring in with their business, or how long they have been doing photography...it has everything to do with the fact that each instructor literally throws their whole being, heart, and soul into their work and into inspiring and helping others in the industry. I am beyond privileged to be part of this Babetown crew.
In addition to all the inspiration, photography, and creativity, there was A LOT of play time. We did a Facebook Live for the Babetown crew where we had to ask each other questions, but it really only resulted in Chad and I deciding we need to have our own podcast, we got lost LITERALLY every time we drove home from the studios (but in doing so had the privilege of seeing the NYC skyline and Time Square multiple times), I got to eat some chicken and waffles, I photographed my babely instructor friends (their shoots to come later!), and of course, we learned that maaaaybe you shouldn't host a mixer the night before the first day of teaching and instead, perhaps should leave it until the last night to avoid epic hangovers and regret.
I always say the sign of a good workshop is when I come home with laryngitis and a sore stomach from laughing so hard, and Babetown DEFINITELY delivered both of those! Is it April or May yet??? I will stop babbling now and inundate you with photos from the amazingness that was The Safehouse Workshop. If you are a photographer and want to get in on this amazingness, you can check out the other Safehouse Workshops here and come see me in Maine or Idaho (or both, heh heh heh).
Be Still, Be Quiet ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
Leading up to summer, a colleague of mine, Boon Ong of Figuratif by Boon, and I were comparing our shooting styles. I commemorated him on his ability to achieve such intimacy, such confident quietness into his work and while he was struggling to find more "SEXY", I was having a hard time slowing down, and just flowing and being. It's interesting when you look at your work through someone else's eyes and I know that my work is standardly strong, voyeuristic, and a tad cheeky, I have been lacking a certain slowness....like, if I slow down then something unexpected might happen, then what? And if you have met me, I am like a horse chomping at the bit and raring to go with all my pent up energy. When I shoot it is no different, I jump around from location to location, outfit to outfit like there's not enough time in the day. And while this works for efficiency and the way I create, it's always fun to challenge oneself because within that challenge, I will be able to grow and maybe see some new inspiration where I was afraid it might NOT be. In any case, both Boon and I set out to attempt a different vibe in a shoot, each channeling the other and while he embraced a bit of sexuality and sensuality into his intimate work, I slowed down, thought about composition and used my babe in ways that I normally wouldn't. I did less poses designed to elicit sexuality, but instead focused more on intimate existence...if that makes sense. The deadline was my birthday and well, today is that day. For me, I paid attention to hands, I worked on elongating the neck, I looked at the lines in the location and I worked with the ambient light that I had. I played with light differently than I usually do and I looked for things that I normally am moving too quickly to notice. So, thank you Boon, for inspiring me to slow down, move with my client and I can only hope that I am capable of channeling even a little bit of your stillness and beauty in my work.Model: BeccaHair & Makeup: Erin Marie ArtistryLingerie: The Shops At The Loft
Grunge Goddess {Inspiration Session} ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
No, this is not Jessica Rabbit (though she may want to consider that as a Halloween costume this year!). This stunner is Miss G and she came by for a shoot and she slayed the grunge goddess look with ease. Between her hair color, radiant confidence and ability to create magic with her eyes, we made some stellar images. I have known Miss G for a few years and have seen her progress as an artist (she also is a photographer!) and work towards becoming a self-assured woman. We rocked 2 looks for this session: one more seductive and sultry and the second, a throwback to the 90s! She did amazing with both and we had a ton of fun with the session. Sessions like this prove that you don't have to go buy traditional lingerie to make epic, gorgeous images! In fact, it's more fun to take items that are less common in boudoir and make them look hot af. The makeup and hair was done by none other than my talented teammate Nicole Velasquez!
Let's Talk About Body Neutrality ~ Winnipeg Empowerment
Better yet, let's not talk about bodies at all. #BOPO #bodypositivity #iambeautiful #iampretty #iammorethanjustmybodyandweneedtostartrealizingthatthisismoreimportant. Has anyone else noticed that "body positivity" is getting extremely watered down? It's becoming so topical, trendy, empty, and void. Don't get me wrong, I love to see women loving their bodies regardless of size, shape, color, etc. BUT now we are heading to far in the other direction and it seems as though if you aren't body positive, you should feel guilty about it. I don't know, maybe I am just being cynical but I think that we should strive to achieve peace with our body...body neutral, if you will. Am I happy to see diversity in the media? Of course, but I would be a hell of a lot happier if they stopped referring to the models as "Plus models" or stopped making their size the focus of their marketing as opposed to the actual garments. Maybe my rant is because I have been working for the last 2 weeks without a day off...I mean, after all I am a self proclaimed body positivity activist, right?
But I have been thinking about this a lot and I thought about myself and my mission and what I am really trying to accomplish. At what point did we forget that we are so much more than just our bodies? I mean, there had to have been a time when our body didn't even register as a thing that was good or bad, it just....was. I am starting to think that this is even more important, possibly, than body positivity.
I get that I am striving to help people be more positive about the things they say and think about their body, but more importantly I want them to realize that there is more to them than JUST a body. My other post about body image not being about the body at all, is a perfect example of this. Instead of extremely hating or hyper-focusing on, how about we just accept our body for what it is: it is the Earth suit that allows us to do our Earth work. Regardless of it's size, shape, color, or otherwise, it is simply a casing on a kick ass interior. And yes, your body is beautiful. And yes, your size is fab. And yes, your skin color is gorgeous. BUT. You are so. much. more. than. that.
You are an accumulation of passion, drive, generosity, fearlessness, courage, brilliance bravery, soul, spirit, and dreams. There is no casing perfect enough to encapsulate ALL of these things aside from the one you have been given. And you are not these things all at once and you're also never specifically one of these things. I like to think of our spirit and who we ACTUALLY are is similar to a beautiful cosmos....swirling, changing, sparkling, showing up, disappearing, a continual eddy of glitter that cannot possibly be found in our skin color, our body shape, or size. And maybe that's what frustrates us ABOUT our bodies.....is that we don't see ourselves truly reflected in our casing because we DO know we are much more than our outsides.
We need to start changing our conversations and the words we use to describe each other and the world around us. Look at the potential, the ferocity, the courage, the brilliance, the confidence, instead of JUST the beauty and bodies. And blame it all on biology if you want. The fact that we look for "healthy" mates and find those with symmetrical faces to be more appealing is rooted in biology. But let's be clear, there's this little thing called evolution or adaptability (if you don't believe in evolution) that has shown us that we are able to change our brain paths and with every new generation we are a bit different than the last. So, let's start to change our biological brains to learn a new habit. One that starts to see past bodies and recognize people for WHO they are, instead of what they look like....and that goes for ourselves too. Look in the mirror, but compliment your inner strength, brilliance, and drive. The only thing you should care about on your body is whether or not you have toothpaste on your chin or food in your teeth.
With every photo project I do, I am realizing more and more that we need to stop comparing because it is like comparing different kittens....THEY ARE ALL ADORABLE!!! Our motivations, our personality, our relationships, etc. are not one size fits all, just as our bodies are not one size fits all. So why do we keep trying to force ourselves into this weird checklist of "perfection"? I get that we want to socially "fit in" and all that, but at what expense? I tried that and I hated myself. I am sure I am not alone in this. You know that feeling when you are talking about something you love and are passionate about and your voice gets louder, and your hands start moving, and your eyes get sparkly and you talk faster and you don't even give a shit to what or how your body looks in that moment?? That's your soul saying "hey, hey! THIS is YOU!! This is what you are made of!!" You will never feel that same sparkle when you try to be someone else because it is not you. Plain and simple. You know that saying "Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole"? That is the fight the majority of people make every single day that they try to be something they aren't.
In this day and age (and yes, I realize how old that makes me sound) we are being sucked into a vortex of sub-species. It's like society is turning us into someone's ridiculous Starbucks order! Everything we try to do or be, someone feels the need to put a label on it: Cis, Bi, Plus, Straight, Thin, White, Black, Brown, Bla Bla Bla. Why is this necessary? Why does everything need to fit into a little packaged box. Why can't we just....be? Do I take pride in being a woman? Of course. But I am more than my gender. Just as I am more than my size, my sexual orientation, my PCOS, and my job. These are just some of the things that make up the cosmic map that is Teri Kristin Lee Hofford and I am trying to be the most Teri Kristin Lee Hofford that I know how to be. Stop putting fucking labels on yourself and other people, they only continue to segregate people and cause hurt and sadness.
So after this ranty post, am I still a body positivity activist? Yes. I always look to the positive so I believe my mission is to help women change their brain paths and habits to help them achieve a healthier relationship with their body. But I have also realized that I am also a sparkly-life activist (don't let the name fool you, even though I'm sparkly, I'm still tough love Teri): I will inspire, motivate, and empower women to achieve their strongest, most effervescent lives without anything holding them back (including body image). I will help women see their cosmic map for what it is and to use their beautiful differences to inspire, motivate, and heal others. I will help women to understand that their beauty is so much more than the curves of their hips, the length of their eyelashes, or the firmness of their breasts. I will ask women the tough questions to help them understand why they feel the way they do about themselves and the world around them. I will help women move out of their comfort zone into a world of growth and opportunity, free of judgment from themselves and inspire them to move mountains with their power, not their body. I will teach women to revel in the galaxy that makes up their soul and to appreciate all the bits, even the ones that make them feel less worthy, because even broken things shine brightly. Lastly, I will remove any and all labels, providing a judgement free space where women can talk about their fears in relation to themselves: their body, their mind, their dreams, their soul and hopefully give them some comfort to move forward into the world, becoming aquainted with their true, authentic, beautiful, powerful self. I will not ask women to be body positive (unless they want to be), but rather body accepting and body neutral. If you can come to a a place of peace with your Earth suit, that is still better than being negative and this peace allows you to focus on the other parts that truly give value to your wonderous being! Now, go forth, dwell in the magic that is your spirit and enjoy the journey!