Prior to Christmas, I took a fun trip down to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit some friends of mine and to partake in some photographic adventures! I first hung out with my friend Hailey whom I had met in NYC this past year at the Babetown workshop and we got along famously. We had an amazing time just chilling, eating American junk food, watching Glee, and visiting Target (TWICE!). It was good to just relax and Hailey even took me to the Reflection pond at the Joseph Smith Memorial in downtown SLC where we oohed and aaaahed at the twinkle lights. After drinking fish bowls of mojitos and eating our weight in tacos with Hailey's neighbor, I headed to hangout with my other buddy Chad of Faces Photography, also whom I had met in NYC at the Babetown workshop! Chad and I took a bit of a roadtrip outside of SLC to Bryce Canyon. We rented a cute airbnb (the selling factor for me was the ladder!) in the heart of the mountains, did some Facebook Live-ing for the Babetown crew, drank some Fireball (first time for me!), and enjoyed a gourmet meal of boxed taquitos. The next day, we met up with Chad's friend Kyle and our model KJ. They first stopped at our airbnb so we could partake in some of my usual style boudoir, but then we took to the red rocks of Bryce Canyon where we evaded tourists, braved the cold weather, and got some amazing shots. I am quite excited to go back to Utah (maybe in the spring or summer instead) so I can explore other gorgeous landscapes, but for my first visit it was quite amazing! I can now check Salt Lake City and Utah off the list of places I have never been before and that's pretty cool! Next time you see Chad and I getting into shenanigans will either be when I head to Atlanta or when we get together for the next Babetown workshop in Idaho! You can check out the brief video I made of our adventures, below:
Erin {Florida Diaries} ~ International Boudoir Photographer
This babe. Oh, this babe. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Erin a few years ago in New York when I was visiting my colleague and buddy Lindsay Rae Photography. Erin owns Erin Marie Artistry and is the extreme talent behind the hair & makeup that is done in Lindsay's studio and while she is amazing at that, she is also a gorgeous model, but MORE importantly, she is a beautiful soul. Every time we meet up, we have an amazing time together. Here are the gorgeous images we got while in Boca Grande at the Florida Curves 2017 workshop.
Natalya {San Francisco Travel Diaries} ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
Natalya was one of the babes at the Stripped Down Retreat that is an incredible chameleon. This little beauty is full of sugar and spice and can go from looking sweet and innocent to saucy af in a blink. I didn't have as much time to work with her, alas, because she was the model used for my one on one, but we still managed to grab some beautiful images. Her features brought to mind a sort of dame from the 20s who gave no fucks about the men she left behind...or at least that was the story I created for her. Without further adieu, here's Natalya.
Britt { San Francisco Travel Diaries} ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
You have probably seen the beautiful Britt in various locations on my website. This babe was one of the other gorgeous women we had the pleasure of photographing at the Stripped Down workshop. The first day, Britt wore this amazing top from Free People which took my instagram by storm when I posted it and then on day 2, I had the pleasure of photographing her again, but this time in kind of a tag-team collaborative fun shoot with my buddies, Paige Rynberg of Paige Rynberg Photography & Stephanie Wells of the Girlfriend Experience Boudoir. The 4 of us were so high on energy that we caused a bit of attention to ourselves, but it was so much fun and it's always cool to see how other photogs shoot! Keep scrolling to see the beauty that is Miss Britt:
She Fell In Love ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
I have no words for this session with Miss S. She is a fighter, a bad ass babe, a super sexy woman....but she never saw it and barely believed it. The first time I met Miss S I knew she had some concerns and hesitations about doing a boudoir session...so much so that we had TWO consultations and her session was a year in the making. I won't say anymore, however, but rather, give way to Miss S's powerful story. She is taking over the blog for today and you are not going to want to miss this! (Also, how fucking amazing are her outfits?? LOVED the colors!)
"My body has changed so much over the years, I gained 100 lbs and I had no control over it. I have a brain tumor which caused me to gain weight and gave me physical side effects in which I have no control over. I have had 2 brain surgeries and while my disease is still a contributing factor to my daily life I knew in order to be happy in my everyday life I had to except and start loving the body I am in as it may never change. About a year ago, I saw some of Teri’s pictures and specifically Nikita’s. I was mesmerized by how a plus size woman’s beauty was so flawless she is absolutely stunning. Thus began my relationship with Teri.
I initially had a consultation in 2015…where Teri explained to me the process, and began the transformation of how I saw myself. Something so simple as I said I want to feel beautiful for a day and she said HUN you are beautiful every day. I mentioned I hated my stomach and she called me on it and had me looking at it with an accepting attitude. Then I had another consultation and we discussed what I would wear and what she would have me doing and I was SOOOO nervous I thought I would puke. We made my appointment, and from that moment until the day it arrived I almost cancelled, and sent a half dozen emails with questions.
The day of my appointment I was nauseous , she let me relax on the couch and Nicole showed up and music was going and we just talked about music and our weekend plans Nicole and Teri just made me feel comfortable. I wasn’t a stranger ..Nicole’s makeup was AMAZING (I kept it on for 2 days). She did my hair which was simple and the way I do it and I was like "why does it feel so different?" Then it began. 
I was so unsure about my smile and my posture and Teri told me I was stunning and gorgeous just kept going ….By the 2nd outfit I said to Teri "Wow! This is so liberating …." It was like I didn’t feel like I was this overweight mom of 3 kids, I was a beautiful mom of 3 kids…by the end of our shoot I was changing in front of Teri I wasn’t hiding in the corner of the studio and I was smiling and laughing a lot …and not just while she was taking the pictures. I was on a high for the rest of the day, I felt completely comfortable with who I was, and the increased amount of selfie’s where proof. Lol.
Then came time for the reveal and I was sitting at Teri’s computer and I was looking, not at the computer, but at Teri with tears in my eyes…I was scared, so very scared that everything I felt was going to come crashing down the moment I saw myself...the very shell of me on screen with no protection, and she said "look at those pictures and when you do look at them as you would someone else like your mom or your sister or a friend, NOT yourself" …and I did. 
I fell in love with myself. I have never felt so beautiful in all my life. I looked at the photos and it was my clothes and my body …It was just me and Teri and her camera and I was beautiful. I have been smiling and on a cloud for 2 days since my reveal and I even showed my mother.
Every woman regardless of age, shape or size should do this. Have the opportunity to fall in love with themselves. Teri has given me pictures and but much more than that. SHE gave me the opportunity to appreciate and love the body that I have been given. I may have things I cannot control on the inside but I sure as hell can Love the outside. Thank you Teri ..you have really changed my life xoxoxo "
