Last day of 2016 and I am, not shockingly, hanging out in my studio writing this bad ass post. I procrastinated it a bit this year, but a lot of things changed in 2016, so should this tradition, I guess! Instead of recapping every single session that I did this year (there were WAAAAY too many to put into a blog post) I wanted to highlight the sessions and experiences that refocused me, challenged me, excited me and helped propel my business to where it is today! So, let's get going on this bad boy. (Just a reminder that if I DON'T mention your session here, it's not that it didn't mean anything to me, because every woman and client has their own stories that tear at my heart. These are just the ones that stand out the most in this moment!)1)The Session that affected me the most: She Fell In Love With Herself with Miss S.
This beauty's session affected me by showing me just how powerful a session (and my persistence) could be. Not one, but 2 consultations later this babe found herself showing off her glorious bits in my studio, but it was during her reveal that I remember just how much her session had impacted her. She was afraid to look at the images, fearful that she might hate what she saw, but instead she fell in love with herself all over again. Miss S reminded me of why I do what I do and who I do it for. From our first meeting where her arms were crossed to her reveal where she hugged me almost 5 times, we both were changed, realizing that she was capable of being so fucking sexy this whole time. Since then, she has done another session with us and is one of the most empowering, fearless, confident, strong women I know and I am extremely proud to call her my friend.2) The Boudy Babe responsible for inspiring me to do more: She Hated Her Photos with Miss S.
When I finished my shoot with this Miss S, I was creatively exhausted which is the sign of amazingness in a shoot. As I edited her images, I was blown away by how awesome she did. I was so excited to do her reveal. During her reveal she was quieter than most (which isn't completely uncommon), but her husby was there and he was fucking blown away by her gorgeousness. It wasn't until I got her shoot follow up questionnaire back that I found out the whole truth. She had hated what she saw in the photos...and while she stated it had nothing to do with the images, it had everything to do with the relationship she had with herself it still hurt my heart. Now, I am confident enough in my work to know this was one of my best shoots to date, but I realized that SOME clients (probably 3-5%) require more than just ONE photoshoot to help them see themselves as the bad ass babes that everyone else does. This was the shoot that was the driving force behind Body Image Bootcamp and our new Empowered Education site: iammorethanjustabody.com where we provide resources, education, talks, and a variety of other things for babes to work on healing their relationships with themselves. So, thank you to Miss S, for sharing her truth with me and an update, since getting her album Miss S has started to see what everyone else knew all along. By looking at herself a little bit every day until gifting the album to her husby at his birthday party, she saw her beauty.3)The shoot that pushed me creatively: When in Vegas with Miss A & Miss J
Oh man, Vegas was aaaaamazing. I love surrounding myself with like-minded people and it was during my time in Vegas, that I got to explore my Sassy-Ellen Von Unwerth-inspired-style of shooting! This shoot pushed me creatively because we were running out of light and I had to make due with what I had, but I also had to use my off camera flash (which I haven't really used except for weddings) which was new for me. We styled up this entire session and it was the first time I incorporated any types of sex toy props which was actually a lot of fun (and now I have a fancy collection of floggers, whips, handcuffs, etc.). After doing this session, I realized I needed to do fun stuff like this more often just to push the boundaries a little bit. Ps. I am heading back to Vegas in February if anyone wants to do a kick ass shoot!4) The shoot that exhausted me creatively: Get Outside with Miss J.
For this session, Jill and I headed out to our friend Tamara's gorgeous acreage to explore, do some sessions, and talk to her about some ideas we had. We literally spent the entire day shooting outside, exploring the fabulous variety and lush natural beauty of Tamara's place. We shot a number of different outfits and by the end of the day, both of us were extremely exhausted, but it reminded me of the importance of being inspired by a new environment and the utter joy that comes with looking for new ways of shooting on the spot. This entire day is one of the highlights of 2016.5) The session I finally did: Cherry with Miss J.
Since we are on the topic of Jill, I figured we would land on this one. I have had this idea in my head for at least 2 years and kept making excuses as to why I "couldn't" do it. Since 2016 was my year of "take a chance and just fucking do it", I finally made it happen. Jill and I scoped out the sketchiest motel we could find, grabbed the outfits, collaborated with Nicole & Kelly to make the style perfect.6) The client who made me see the other side: Too Much of This, Not Enough of That with Miss C.
Miss C came to me over a year ago, but working with her through 2016 I became more aware of eating disorders and how it can affect someone. She brought me the perspective of someone on the opposite end of the spectrum of myself, showcasing that regardless of someone's size they still can experience dissatisfaction with their bodies. I always knew this, but it's important to showcase it. You never know what someone is experiencing so before you pass judgement, say anything critical, maybe think twice and consider your own circumstances.7) The project that let me get something off my well endowed chest: An Open Letter to Addition-Elle
The fabulous babes that came out to help me showcase that the dolls who ACTUALLY wear Addition-Elle lingerie, looking fucking fierce so why are we being shown size 12-14 models, helped me tick this one off my photoshoot checklist! I felt better just meeting these ladies and talking about their feels about the marketing.8) All the traveling sessions!!
2016 took me a lot of places: Portland, Las Vegas, Calgary, Vancouver, Omaha, the Carribean, New York, Regina, Ottawa & Toronto to name a few. I am excited on expanding upon this list in 2017 as I travel, doing photoshoots, teaching workshops, attending workshops, and attending conferences and learning ALL the things!! Any place you think I should go?
So, darling lovelies! Thank you for sticking with me yet another year and supporting the work I do! My goals and desires for 2017 include:Photographing & empowering 100 bad ass babesDonating $5000 to FGWRCImproving & expanding the iammorethanjustabody.com website & empowered education siteTravel to: Las Vegas, Regina, Montreal, Chicago, Omaha, New York, San Fran, San Diego, Vancouver, and Texas.....Teach 3-5 workshops alongside Lindsay Rae PhotographyFinish my bookFind balance between work & my health by delegating to my amazing teamLive fearlessly and try everything that I want to....stop talking about it and actually DO IT.Public speak at at least 2 gigs
I am sure as the year goes on I will add to this list, but my biggest wish for 2017 is that I empower women who will go on to empower women and help create a global movement of bad ass babes who want to focus on their goals and dreams instead of spending their energy on hating themselves. I would love to hear what your dreams, ideas, and plans for the New Year! If you want to share, tag me in your FB posts or instagram posts!! In the meantime, I wish all of you bad ass babes a happy New Years day and I cannot stress how amazed I am at the fearlessness demonstrated by every gorgeous woman that stripped down both physically and emotionally for me during 2016. I can't wait to meet new babes in 2017 and see past babes as they top up their confidence cup with future shoots! Stay tuned for the next blog post outlining what you can look forward to from Teri Hofford Photography in 2017!!