A creative play date with Jade & Kylie is always good for my soul. This particular shoot we decided to go with a pretty to gritty look and use water to aid in the transition. I love working with Jade for a bajillion different reasons, but one of my favorite is that she can switch characters at the drop of a hat (or the spritz of a water bottle). We started off the series creating "pretty" images to accent the beautiful dress, then moved to more of a coy, sweet character in the pastel pink, and the final transition to a brooding, more gritty version of beauty with the oversized wet white shirt. Despite freezing with every spritz of water, as soon as she was "on" she was on and you would never know she was cursing me between takes!
She Wanted to Hide Under the Covers ~ Winnipeg boudoir photography
I first met Miss M when I moved into my studio and held a body positive "support group" and I was immediately captured by her stunning eyes, but more importantly her willingness to share her story and I could feel some sadness behind her. After that meeting we kept in touch via the social media and I saw this babe accomplish some killer shit....she's amazing at organizing events where people could be themselves without fear. She makes people feel included and gives them space to not only exist, but to be seen and live their best lives. In addition to that, she just recently ran a marathon in Vegas I believe and I totally tip my hat to anyone who can run without being chased. In any case, I asked her to write her story for the blog because I feel she is amazingly motivational and sassy af:I was 28, and had always thought about doing a sassy Boudoir shoot. I wanted to do it for myself, to See myself in a light that I hadn't before. And I had the Idea to plan one for my 30th birthday as a gift to myself. I googled "Boudoir photography Winnipeg" and upon looking at a few different photographer's sites and portfolios, Found Teri. I sent her an email to book a consult, and so begins my journey to finding myself. To finding myself in front of her lens, to finding myself sitting anxiously for my reveal, to finding myself looking at myself in not only the light I'd hoped, but in one I didn't expect.During the 2 years leading up to my shoot, I joined Teri's Facebook group, and found SO many great women to connect with that empower each other and lean on each other. I worked with Teri on a couple of her projects and started to enjoy being in front of her camera, preparing myself for my official shoot. Her "Too much" project helped me see some of the bullshit we're fed in being told to be 'less' of what we are, to fit someone else's ideals. And Her open letter to Additionelle was an eyeopener as well in showing body diversity in lingerie and clothing. I did a mini body positivity workshop, and it showed me how Media affects body image and diet culture in subtle and sinister ways, and where my own body issues started.I took advantage of Teri's payment plan to pay for my session, and made monthly payments for a collection. By the time My shoot date rolled around, I just had to show up, and that was it. It was truly an amazing way to make my shoot worry free (less the anxiety of actually getting in front of the camera!)The morning of my shoot, I made my way to Teri's Studio. Let me tell you, I was real close to turning around, cancelling the entire thing, and going home to hide under my covers. But I am SO glad that I didn't, as this turned into one of the best experiences of my life, and one of the biggest turning points in how I look at myself. Hair and makeup with Nicole was super relaxing and pampering and made me feel like a million bucks before starting my shoot. After a few relaxation exercises and loosening up a bit, we picked outfits and were off to the races! I felt sassy, and sexy, and like a completely different person. I was definitely sore after from all of the booty popping, and back arching, but I was SO excited to see how my images looked.A week or so later was my reveal. Sitting there Waiting for my images to appear, I was probably more nervous than I was for the shoot itself, because I always looked at images of myself and picked them apart. One of the rules in reveals is to look at images as if they are of someone else. This was easier than I expected and as I saw my images scroll through on the screen, I was completely in awe at myself. I saw beauty in myself, I saw my cheekbones, and my lips, and the different colours in my eyes. I saw the sassiness I felt on my shoot day, and I fell in love with what myself more with every image.Now here I sit, a year after my reveal, and I am Still in Love with my images. I am able to see positives in every image I see of myself, as opposed to negatives. I see the image as a whole, and the overall beauty in that moment in time. Was that one shoot a magic fix? No. I Have bad body image days like everyone else does, and I have days where I pick an image apart and see "flaws". But those days are fewer and farther between, and I cannot WAIT to do another shoot with Teri.If you are considering a shoot with Teri, and are unsure, Take the leap, You won't regret it. This has had a profound and lasting effect on me, and I truly am a different person and have different perceptions since doing my shoot.Is 2019 the year that you want to see yourself in a new light? Perhaps show that body of yours some love and realize it's not as bad as you think it is? Then hit us up with an email and get the low down on the empowerment sessions we offer!
They Let Girls Into Cubscouts Now - Winnipeg Photographer
Last week I had the pleasure of heading to Camp Do More in Ontario, just 2 hours outside of Toronto. This would be four days full of meeting with like minded boudy photogs, shooting, modelling, getting eaten by mosquitoes, and educating others on how my silly brain works to help empower women through photography. Because I was a little late in making my presentations, I didn't even have time to think about what I was going to shoot so I was little sad, but thought the break might be nice so I could focus on just teaching and meeting some fab humans. Well, fast forward to the few days I spent in Toronto pre-camp with my buddy Taylor (the one on the left above) and we visited this sweet ass vintage shop. After perusing a few racks Taylor held up this old child's size Cub Scout shirt and my brain took it and ran. We then sussed out an additional outfit for her friend Edith (one of the other models at camp...the one on the right above). We found vintage socks, vests, berets, scarves, etc. to make this naughty Cub Scout shoot come to life.After being inspired by all the other speakers at the Camp, I wanted to take something that Boon Ong (whom I did the workshop in Calgary with) does. His blog posts are treated as a full experience and he finds a song that fits for each one and as the music plays, while scrolling through the posts you get immersed in it. It becomes like a still movie...I think I may do this for all my babes going forward. It truly adds to the experience of the images. Anywho, feel free to "watch" our little story unfold below and if you are a photographer interested in coming to Camp Do More next year, we are half sold out on tickets, but you can get yours here!! (And don't forget to sign up for my classes mwahaha).[audio mp3="https://www.terihoffordphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Silk.mp3"][/audio] 
Chill Vibes with Jade {Mexico Diaries} - Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
Prepare yourselves. I have pretty much finished all of the images from our Mexico trip back in February, so there will be an onslaught of tropical beauties coming your way! First up is Miss Jade whom you've seen a number of times before. She is what we like to refer to as a "muse". This girl is a beautiful chameleon as you will see in all of her posts, able to become any character at any moment! For this particular look, I wanted to go for a comfy, natural look and when we arrived to our "home" for the week and saw we had our own private tiki bar, I knew it was the perfect set for it! My babe Kylie Smith did Jade's beautiful natural makeup, making sure this doll glowed in the light.
She Avoided Looking At Herself In the Mirror ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
You have seen Ms. Raissa on my site and social media multiple times, but you have never seen her like this. Usually our shoots involve over the top makeup, clothes, hair, and crazy styling that it seems only this babe can pull off. But like so many of my model babes, she was incredibly nervous about doing a stripped down boudoir session and I have to admit, it was difficult for me to shoot her as a boudoir client because I know the crazy model-y shit she is capable of...but I also knew I had to show her that her stripped down self is incredibly beautiful and worthy of being photographed. I am going to let Raissa tell you more about her journey.
Awhile back I did something really scary. I did a boudoir shoot with Teri Hofford.
Now I know, I have done so many shoots with Teri before. Why would this be any different? Well, for one - every time we have shot together, I got to play a character that distanced myself a bit from who I am in the rawest of forms. No costumes or personas to hide behind. The only inspiration for this shoot - is myself. Going into the shoot I had a bit of a panic attack and an identity crisis. I felt that this shoot was going to be the hardest shoot I've ever done. I'm still not even sure who I am, but by being too scared to acknowledge myself and my body, I would never find out.
I took the leap. One thing Teri and I have talked about is how often I feel that my insecurities and my feelings are invalidated. I have a fairly petite frame, I know. It does not mean that I have more self confidence that anyone. Yet, I can feel ashamed of my insecurities because people will write them off. They don't see how deep those feelings run. I often avoid looking myself in the mirror.
Growing up I would have such bad anxiety that someone might be staring at me. Even during "Oh Canada" at the beginning of every day at school, I would get heart palpitations and have a gigantic lump in my throat. I have struggled with feeling beautiful for my entire life, and how skinny other people think I am, does not make that any less true.
I have felt fat. I have pinched my stomach to judge how comfortable I will feel that day. I have felt too skinny. I have felt simultaneously too fat and too skinny. I have wished that I had blue or green eyes, or prettier eyes. I have felt like a freak in a crowd. I have felt like I'm not good enough or pretty enough.
I have a tendency to put people, including those I don't know, on a pedestal above me. I can automatically see the good in someone else, find someone beautiful any shape and size, or admire them for a specific quality. When it comes to myself, I almost feel like my brain hits a wall. I just can't be that kind to myself.
The one thing I try to be mindful of, is that society teaches us to judge ourselves to keep us as loyal consumers, constantly trying to fill the void of "not enough". And the truth is, nothing you buy will ever fill that void.
Why do boudoir? Well for me, it NORMALIZED my body. Now that may not seem like much to some people, but for me it moved mountains. How often do you avoid looking at yourself in the mirror? How often do you feel ashamed, or when you feel confident, do you question whether you have the right to be?
I gained weight after an injury and a stressful, sad summer. And I thought to myself, "What better time for me to try this out than now? When I need it most. When it scares me most" You know what? Afterwards, life goes on. The world didn't end because I finally acknowledged my body. Everything was fine. And for me, that was a major realization. It moved mountains in my head. I can acknowledge my body more fully, because I know that it is not an "end all be all". There is more to life than feeling conventionally beautiful. It is important to find a way to loving yourself first and foremost.
Raissa and I talk about the different ends of the spectrum and again, the fact that someone who "fits the stereotypical ideal" and someone that is outside of that realm both hate their bodies probably means it's not about the body at all, right? I was so proud of her for doing this, for pushing herself outside her comfort zone and acknowledging her sense of self and what she is capable of. This babe is immensely brilliant, ridiculously kind, and a beautiful soul and hopefully, now, she will realize that the packaging is less important than the package itself. I love this girl so hard and she is always ready to fight for everyone else, I am happy to see her fight for herself.