This is the story of my boudy beginnings and my attempt to influence the world, one woman at a time. (Also, be warned, there's nudity and quite a bit of passionate swearing ahead, so enjoy the message below, but then click away if you want no part of that)
'Twas the year 2014 when I embarked upon a journey that would forever change and shape my life, career, and focus of passion. For a long time it bothered me listening to women say "I need to have Kim Kardashian's ass" or "I need Cara Delvigne's eyebrows" or "I wish I had her body" OR WORSE YET: " I wish I had the body for xxxxxx." I am not saying I have never said these things, because I am pretty certain that it is a fact that 93% of your twenties is spent on not knowing what is the right way to do or be anything, but the problem with this mentality is that we are searching for the "perfect body type."
So, one day I was perusing a Cosmo magazine (which I never read anymore because it's filled with a lot of mindless drivel that does women more harm than good, tbh) there was a survey they had done where they interview men and I think the title was something ridiculous like "What Body Type Men REALLY Prefer" or some shit like that and I read it because God knows, every woman needs to know what SHE can do (contort, change, improve, shave, etc.) to land the "perfect" man (please note my extreme use of sarcasm). Anywho, the results of the survey were so diverse that you wouldn't really know what to do if you DID want to try to land a "perfect" man. It was like 13% of men surveyed like big boobs, 24% of men like women with a big butt, 21% of men like a woman with a sense of humor, or some horse shit like that. The percentages were not high enough for you to say "ALL MEN LIKE XXXX." So, that got me thinking....why do we, as women, feel the need to fit into a particular shape and size? Because, clearly, it's not because of something our men want. (Also, just stop trying to do shit to please men....be yourself and your person will find you.)
So, after reading that information and thinking about it over some time, I decided to throw together a project to prove my hypothesis right: that there is not 1 set "body type" and that we all should stop trying to achieve something that is not us. So, I did what most people did in the year of 2014, I took to the ever loving Facebook and posted a casting call on my page asking women to come forth and wear as much or as little clothing as they wanted, but the trick was, they had to let me photograph them with no Photoshop. They would be a 100% authentic representation of their babeliness. I thought maybe I'd get 20 people. I received emails and messages upon messages from over 75 women in both Winnipeg and Regina and over the course of the month of September in 2014, I had the pleasure of photographing each of these babes for like 5 minutes each to get 1 shot that told their story the best!
Every woman that came in had a different reason for wanting to be part of my Body Celebration Project and I loved hearing their stories, but what really changed the focus of my life, was the emails that came AFTER they had their little photo sessions.
I received countless FB messages and emails with words of confidence and excitement that they had done something so incredibly empowering. That was when I realized that if I could do that in 5 minutes, imagine what I could do with a half day or a full day with women! How much further along their journey to self love and appreciation would they be if they came to see themselves in a totally new and accepting way.
Now, these days, body positivity is all the rage and I think that is absolutely phenomenal because it means our voices are getting louder and fashion agencies, marketers, and the media are getting on board with the fact that, hey, all bodies ARE different and all bodies ARE beautiful, but we still have a long way to go. The women that came in for this project probably had no idea that they were going to change the course of MY life so drastically. After September, I ditched everything else that I normally shot (weddings, portraits, families, etc.) and focused my mission on empowering women as much as I could in whatever format I could, whether it be through speaking, writing, photography, philanthropy and just general silliness.
But, this isn't about me. This is about women coming together to celebrate their bodies. One of the questions I asked during their 5 minute session was "What is your least favorite body part?" and women responded with about 5 answers in less than a second. Then I would ask "What is your favorite body part?" and they would stop and have to think about it before answering with something like: eyes, lips, hair, face. Most women (of all the different sizes) were not a fan of their tummies. So, I asked them to show their tummy some love, because it is a part of them (and to be honest, without your tummy you would be at least a foot shorter). The funny thing about the human body, though, is that it is going to change, evolve, grow, shrink, move, contort, get scarred, get hurt, and so forth continually throughout life. So, maybe we should just be thankful for the stage that our bodies are at right now because they are moving us from point A to point B and letting us go about our lives and do our earth work.
It's interesting because we tell ourselves over and over not to compare ourselves to other women, but in order to showcase the reason why we SHOULDN'T compare ourselves, I had to compare all these images together by putting them into one large print. (Let's just say it's for science.) The thing is, the grass is always greener, my friends. You will always want the thing you cannot have and maybe that is part of the journey. I had to come to the dire fact that I am not meant to have pastel hair...if I was, I would have been born blond and patient. So, I shall rock this brunette like it's going out of style.
Women influencing and empowering women is really important to the world and it happens so far and so fast that if we stop focusing on the little bits of ourselves that we deem "undesireable" because 1 person said something to us 15 years ago, we would be able to take the world by storm. Let. That. Shit. Go. YOU are what's important. Your HEALTH (mental and physical) is what's important. Stop trying to become someone or something other than yourself because you were designed to be beautiful and magnificent and spectacular. Below is one of my favorite images found on Pinterest because it is true (I am not sure of the artist):
So, instead of saying "I need to look like {insert celebrity or non-celebrity name here}" start to look deeper into yourself and ask "Why do I think that? What will achieving those lips, those eyes, those bewbs, etc. change so drastically in my life?" Look at all those babely babes above, not a single one of them looks exactly the same but they all looking so damn beautiful and happy. And remember: All bodies are beautiful but beautiful bodies aren't everything. So, yah, fuck the body standard and remember that one woman's beauty has absolutely fuck all to do with your own.
She Finally Got Her Photo Taken {Las Vegas Diaries} ~ International Boudoir Photographer
Over the next few weeks you are going to get inundated with sexy photos from my time in Vegas. Most of the beautiful babes I had the pleasure of photographing were boudoir photographers and specialists in their area. I love, love, LOVE shooting boudoir photographers because I find they are one of two people: 1)bad ass babes that aren't afraid to kill their shoot and give me over the top sexuality and emotion (LOVE IT!!) or 2)have never had a boudoir session done because of their own fears and insecurities. After talking to a ton of boudy photogs, I have found that many of us fall into this line of work in an effort to understand and empower ourselves through the goddesses that step in front of our cameras. I was excited when Miss A offered herself up when I posted about wanting to shoot ALL the things while in Vegas and for her the experience (I think) was transformational. She now knows what her clients go through and she was surprised at my method of shooting, in that I shot so quickly and with such precise direction that she didn't have a chance to second guess herself and what she was doing. Overall, Miss A. KILLED her shoot and I am pleased to share these gorgeous hotel shots with you!
Jezebel ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
I am deeply enchanted by the works of photographers like Ellen Von Unwerth, Helmut Newton, and Tatiana Gerusova and have been want to attempt to emulate the over the top styling, simplicity of shooting, and carefree nature of their style. I invited Jill to the studio to play dress up and we ran with it. We found a wig, some red stockings, and a cheetah print bodysuit and of course, the bathtub...This shoot was fun, silly, sexy, bright, and we even snuck into the boys bathroom at the studio to grab a few fun shots! The main thing I love about this style of work is that it captures fleeting moments of candidness....sexual female empowerment and remember what it means to play, have fun, and not take life so seriously. I will be adding these over the top, fun sessions to the menu so you can ask for them when you come in, just be prepared for....well, anything.
And She Started To Take Care Of Herself Again ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
The first time Ms. T bopped into my studio I knew we were going to be good friends. This woman's personality can only be described as "sparkly" and I could feel it as soon as I looked into her beautiful eyes. The past year has been a bit rough for this beauty, but she doesn't let it get her down, she just does what she has to do and moves on! As a single parent, Ms. T works hard to do the best for her daughter but along the way, she somehow forgot about herself. At the beginning of 2016, she vowed to start taking care of herself and doing things to give back to herself and her boudoir experience was only part of that adventure!
My favorite part about this bombshell, was the amount of swearing that came out of her mouth when she saw the Polaroid that I had taken from her session. I believe her exact words were: "Holy fuck shit goddamned." Ms. T had told me that seeing photos of herself in the past, she always picked at herself mercilessly and hated the way she looked, so it was extremely refreshing for her to fall in love with herself! When she came in for her reveal, it was even better. This beautiful woman with the mouth of a truck driver reveled in her gloriousness, appreciating the way her body looked, her expressions, her smile, and of course, those beautiful sparkly eyes. Every photo made her grin (and swear) and while she had a hard time narrowing them down, she was finally able to decide on some kick ass images to put into her luxurious album.
While Miss T.'s story maybe isn't that uncommon from a lot of people, but it is something that requires extreme strength. I find that mothers especially, have a hard time putting themselves first, investing in themselves, and doing something that could be seen as "vain" or "expensive" but when it comes to their kids, they will literally crawl to the ends of the earth and do what they can to make their family happy. The problem with this, is that a person can only give so much of themselves before they need to fill up their own cup...with experiences, self-dates, and most importantly, self love. Taking the time to reflect on the awesome human you are, how strong you are, and appreciate all that you give to the world is crucial to your mental health and making sure that you can give to those that need to take. Doing the things that make you feel happy, feel excited, and get you out of your comfort zone is absolutely key.
I always say that my boudy babes' stories are what inspires other women to live their life to the fullest, and Miss T is no exception. She gave me full permission to share her images, but also her experience with you! I am so excited for the next time this boudy babe comes back to the studio because she is super sparkly, delightful, and sexy as fuck. Here is what she had to say about her experience:"All I can say Teri is "holy shit! ". It is by far the best thing I have ever decided to do for myself. I've always been very self conscious about my weight. I've never enjoyed having my photo taken, and when I've seen photos of myself in the past I've always picked myself apart mercilessly. At the beginning of 2016 I decided that this is my year and suddenly I have a self confidence I never had before. That has only increased exponentially since meeting Teri! I was nervous about the shoot, although Teri has a way about her that really put me at ease right from the beginning! I think my biggest fear was that the photos would be good, but not as good as other girls I've seen on Teri's blog. After all, I figured, I don't have those great hips, long legs or beautiful faces that those girls have. I couldn't have been more wrong! I loved every second of the shoot and really gave it my all. Teri is so funny that the hardest thing was to wipe the permanent grin off my face while I was supposed to be looking sexy and sultry. She made me feel very comfortable and at ease, and made me feel super sexy too! I was probably more nervous to see the photos than I was having them taken. In England we would say I was "gobsmacked" when I saw them. (That's a good thing!). I swore a LOT, because I didn't know how to otherwise express how incredibly happy I was with the photos. I look amazing :). What I love most is that the photos look like me, they've captured who I am as a person, and I recognize and identify with that sexy girl too!! I can't wait for the next photo session! I'll be back for sure!"
Now, take Justin Beiber's advice, and GO LOVE YOURSELF.
Mr. J ~ Winnipeg Male Boudoir Photography
Let me introduce you to Mr. J. This guy is equally charming as he is talented. A self proclaimed flirt, Mr. J does comedy, music, and I found out from creeping his facebook that he also like to do the occasional drawing! As we went through the shoot we talked about all the important things in life: dick pics, being a musician, the comedy life, and female and male stereotypes. Clearly, he isn't shy and did awesome for his first time being a "model" for male boudoir. Just one more thing for him to add to his resume! I think he proves that being the funny guy can also be sexy as hell. I don't know about you, ladies, but those eyelashes could get a woman in trouble.
