Well, guys, things are moving up and becoming a bit more streamlined to make an epic boudy experience for you! For starters, I have made my offerings much more minimalist (like my work) to make life easy for you! You select your images, get a fabulous album + digitals + wall art and call it a day (for more details shoot me an email and I can send you my info guide)!
I have also updated my Bad Ass Guide to Boudoir Styling to better suit my mission in terms of the Classy Sessions. You see, when I first started boudoir, I thought it was important to do things the way everyone did them when it came to boudoir. Dress up the woman, throw on all the jewellery, fancy shoes, etc. but the closer I came to recognizing my goal to empower women, I started to strip away at the suggested articles of clothing/items. I found that women would come to me with society's definition of sexy and they would be extremely uncomfortable. I also found the more "stuff" we incorporated in terms of clothing/accessories, the more the woman was hidden once again. I find that the less you have to hide behind, the more vulnerable and real your session becomes and that's when you tap into the sensuality and what it means to be comfortable in your own skin. It's about highlighting the sparkly bits of you, not the sparkly bits of the accessories that adorn you.
Now, if you want to do a totally dressed up, character-type session, then request a Sassy Session at your consult, because ANYTHING goes for those!! Wigs, over the top styling, crazy lighting, on location, pretty much the opposite of the Classy Sessions! I usually recommend starting with the Classy Sessions for your first shoot and then coming in to play for a Sassy Session!
In addition to the Classy & Sassy Sessions, I will also be offering Celebration Sessions (more to come on these!) These are an epic chance for you to celebrate whatever the hell you want: your self love journey, your birthday, your divorce, whatever. They are completely customizeable and are legit one of the best ways to celebrate momentous occasions in your life! You can also invite your friend(s) to participate, so stay tuned for that later!
Lastly, you have probably noticed a lot of photos of my main gal, Jill. In addition to helping me with modeling for my creative, last minute ideas to keep me learning, Miss Jill has come on as my Director of Customer Relations (like an actual employee now), meaning she will be helping out with consults & reveals in the studio. While I will still be present at the consults alongside Jill, I needed to free up more time for myself to be able to do what I do best: creative stuffs and empowering babes all over the world! I will be doing a lot more traveling coming up and this will allow me to make sure you don't have to wait any longer for your photo reveals, products, and consults! Jill has been with me since the dawn of Teri Hofford Photography's foray into boudoir and she is studying women's psychology at the University of Manitoba so she is on board with the mission of empowerment of Teri Hofford Photography.
I want you to get to know Jill a bit more, so I sat her down for an interview to give you insight as to why she wants to work for Teri Hofford Photography!T: So, Jill, tell me a little bit about yourself. J: I'm 20 years old, I am studying psychology at the U of M, I started modeling when I was 12, and I LOVE cats.T: How did you meet me?? J: I met you back in 2014 when I booked a shoot for my modeling portfolio. We quickly became friends and kind of worked together a lot since then doing fun things. I learn a lot from you.T: I learn a lot from you too! J: We met at an interesting time for the both of us. You were just getting started in boudoir and Winnipeg wasn't really known for anything other than wedding photography and I was getting my foot in the door as far as plus size modeling goes [and yes, in the fashion industry, Jill is considered plus size]. I was told that it would be good for me to work with a photographer that worked with all body types.
T: Tell me about your journey with self image and self love. J: When I started modeling, I was very young and impressionable and I compared myself a lot to other successful models in and outside the city. It was hard on me mentally because I was still very young and was being influenced by negative behaviour in the modeling industry. Back then too, plus modeling was not really a thing (aside from size 8/10). When I started it was when the super thing look was what the agency wanted. It affected me into thinking that I wasn't good enough and my success in other areas was surrounded by how much I weighed and what my measurements were. I tried to get down to what they wanted, but my habits were not the healthiest and I was still not thin enough for them. Therefore, thin enough was never thin enough for me. I found then, that other girls would see me as a role model to achieving thinness, but I was a role model that I didn't want to be. It was very hard up until I was about 15/16. I realized then that I still really wanted to do modeling and had an experience with a photographer from Toronto and was asked if I would be interested in doing plus size (I was at a size 4/6). At first, I was hurt but then they showed me plus size models and I realized that they looked more like my natural body than this cultural expectation. Like, why can't I just be a "model" instead of fitting into a category?
T: So, how have your feelings towards modeling changed? J: Initially, I think I had an unhealthy relationship and had this weird confidence because it was a double edged sword. As soon as I realized that I could model at my natural size, it has become fun again. My perspective on a lot of things has changed as a result of me moving from straight-size modeling to plus size modeling. I had to stop comparing myself to other girls because there were not a lot of other girls to compare to in the Winnipeg market. I had to start looking within myself to model. I realize that I am my own person and that is extremely liberating. Like most people, I'm not 100% there, but I'm getting there.
T: I think everyone is like that. So, what do you like about what we do at the studio? J: I have seen your business grow (we have lots of shoots under our belts LOL) and I have been personally impacted by our work together. I can look back and see how we were figuring a lot of stuff out and this is a safe relationship for us to be creative and play. Of course, there is work...but it feels like play. A lot of the clients that we get in here remind me of how I am and how the modeling industry is...always trying to achieve this unrealistic body expectation for other people. I think having to realize who I am at a young age allows me to help inspire women to accept themselves as THEY are and realize that their beauty is incomparable to any other beauty. Society is bullshit. It's nice to give women a space to realize they are beautiful regardless of where they are in their journey. It's great to work with people who are passionate about overcoming poor body image and seeing the expressions,comments and feedback of clients is really nice and makes me happy!T: What do you want clients to know about you? J: I want to help support women through their journey and help them realize this is a starting point. I want clients to know that when you have a day where you feel super crappy about yourself, to remember that it is JUST a day and it's okay to feel that way. BUT it's not okay to stay there. I want clients to know that despite being a model, I have had and still do have insecurities (if not more!). I think a lot of people judge me based on my looks and think I have it all together, but at the end of the day I am still susceptible to the same shit that everyone else is. I want women to understand and uphold the values of the Boudy Babe Code of Conduct, especially when it comes to not judging others or themselves. Essentially, I want clients to know that I got their back and I am super pumped to help them have an experience they will remember forever!T: What is going to be your role with Teri Hofford Photography? J: I am the director of client relations. Essentially, I will be doing consultations alongside you and then follow up after the session with the reveal. So, I get the fun part of seeing the client reactions after their epic experiences! I also get to help clients select their final images and provide the best information to give them the best display options for them. The thing I am MOST excited about is that I get to connect with and keep in touch with clients after their session to help them continue to stay empowered!
So, that is what is new and exciting for Teri Hofford Photography (for now) but I do have one more exciting situation going down, but it is not complete yet, so all will be revealed soon! I couldn't be more happy to have a growing team of amazing babes to continue to empower the women of our community and beyond!