By the time Miss S and I got together, I had already photographed a handful of her closest friends, so while she knew what she was getting into, I don't think she kneeeew. This babe (who can look like a variety of celebrities: Taylor Swift, Olivia Munn, Aubrey Plaza, etc.) was trying to come to terms with her new body (which she will talk about below) and I assured her this was the perfect way to start that journey. I am 100% certain the reason we hate our bodies is because while we think we do have control over them, we actually don't. You can put on as much face cream as you want, dye your hair, eat healthy, and so on, but your body is an entity in it's own and it's going to throw you curve balls from time to time. If there's one thing people hate, it's change....and change that they didn't ask for, which is why it is easy for us to fixate on "fixing" or "repairing" our body when in fact, it's going to age, change, and grow. Our body is a living organism, constantly changing and we fight it at every turn...but why? IF we are aging, that means we are living, and if you ask me, that's a pretty good thing. Anywho, here is Miss S to share her story and experience:
This was such a fun experience to have and I highly recommend it to everyone! Teri is amazing at making you feel completely comfortable and like a gorgeous babe while your photos are taken.
Ever since I had my daughter I've been very self conscious of my new body(endless stretch marks) and this was a great step for me in accepting that my body has changed but is still beautiful . I was really nervous before my reveal because I thought that I would hate to see all of my imperfections laid out for me to pick apart in every photo, but that wasn't the case!
I had a huge smile on my face looking at all of the pictures and I couldn't believe these were my photos! I've gained confidence and enjoyed this entire experience from start to finish and I can't wait to do it again! My favorite outfit was definitely the sweater and socks! I couldn't decide which ones to pick and it was impossible for me to narrow them down.
I am so happy that we were able to help Miss S see the beauty in her accomplishments. Why we think stretch marks are the worst thing on the world is beyond me (stay tuned for an upcoming project about this). Stretch marks are quite literally a signal of GROWTH. I mean, she grew a human life...that's incredible (motherhood baffles me btw...the human body is ridiculous). So embrace the bits of you that are symbols of your hard work, challenges, experiences throughout this journey we call life.
A Little Wet, A Little..Feathery... {Vancouver Travel Diaries}
When I was in Vancouver, I had the excellent pleasure of photographing a plethora of Pacific coast babes, including plus model Ruby Roxx! Now, this babe has made some killer traction, being one of the first plus models to hit the scene back in the day. Now you will see her gorgeous body and face modeling for various lingerie companies and sharing her love of all things Disney! Not only was this bombshell a treat to shoot, but holy heck, she is one of the sweetest babes I have ever known...I mean, the fact that she shot with me while she was at the tail end of planning her wedding (so, now she's a Mrs.!) is incredibly! We got a little wet, a little wild, a little feathery, and had a good time! Check out some of the shots and make sure you give her a follow!! Lingerie from: Dear Scantilly, Lovechild Boudoir, and LACE Canada.
Her Session Was Ah...Maze...Ing ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
You know what pisses me off? People who damage other people for their own fun. I see so many women come in front of me, so unaware of their beauty, grace, and awesomeness because some asshat, somewhere, at some point in their life made them feel less than. While I am happy to help these women on their journey to finding all of those wonderful bits about themselves again, I become enraged and wonder WHO THE FUCK HAS THE RIGHT TO DAMAGE SOMEONE ELSE?? And I am not just talking about women, just people in general. Stop taking from other people to try to make yourself feel worthy. Ugh. Anyhow, enough ragey Monday stuff.
Miss H came to me for an empowerment session. This sweetheart sat in front of me in her quiet beauty and we chatted about her changing body since having a baby and how she wanted to see herself like everyone else sees her. Naturally, I take that very seriously, so when she came in for her shoot with nothing but the clothes she was wearing, we took to the Boudy N' Beauty Wardrobe, played dress up, enhanced her natural beauty with the artistry of Nicole Velasquez and set to work creating amazing images that would ultimately change the way she felt about her amazing self.
Are you ready to see yourself in a new light? To get reacquainted with the stunning babe that you are, inside and out? Then simply hit the contact button at the top and shoot me an email!!
Her Life Was Never the Same ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
You may recognize this babely babe from a previous shoot (as well as our sample album in the studio!). We invited Miss S back into the studio to help with our latest video because she is a perfect example of how a photoshoot can change your life and affect the way you see yourself in the world (that, and she is a stunner, so that's fun!) One thing Miss S taught myself (as well as the other boudy babes) is that you can use swimsuit bottoms as panties for your shoot!! They are usually higher waisted, can come in some awesome colors and patterns, and bit better than panties for curvy babes. What did I teach Miss S? Well, she might say things like how to take a selfie, or to love yourself, but really, I also taught her about the awesome clothing selection at Boohoo.com for us plus size chikkas (sorry for your bank account, Miss S.)
But seriously, while I may have inspired Miss S in regards to body positivity, ultimately it is her decision to choose love for herself every day. She speaks openly in our video about her affirmation cards and her journey to continually falling in love with herself. Here's what she has to say about her experience through boudoir:Teri is your own personal affirmation card, she builds you up , she shows you how to see yourself as others see you NOT how you see yourself through judgment .
In the entire process of your shoot from consultation to reveal she teaches you how to love yourself believe in your self and gives you the confidence to see and believe your beauty in whichever shape or size it comes in . Teri is a beautiful soul and everyone needs to have a Teri experience your life will never be the same , you will never see yourself the same way again.
You can check out Miss S' story and video below:
She Was Floored ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
When I put out a call for some babes to tell me why they needed an empowerment experience, I had NO idea the stories that I would receive. After much deliberation (I sound like Tyra from America's Next Top Model), Jill & I narrowed it down to 3 incredibly inspirational, well written stories. Miss J was one of those bad ass babes, who wrote out her vulnerability for us and when she came in for her consultation, I knew this was exactly what she needed.
She brought some gorgeous lingerie and we paired it with some fun stuff from the studio and while all of that was gorgeous, what was even more shining, was the way Miss J spoke, held herself, and talked about her "love story" with herself. Read on to see how this experience affected miss J.
I would describe it as a landmark moment in my adult life (no exaggeration). The fact that [Teri] does this for women every single day makes her SO MUCH MORE THAN OPRAH! She doesn't give a gift that can be used up. Even a car will only last so long, but this is something that women will look in the mirror (and their albums) and be changed by for the rest of their lives.
While I very much enjoyed getting my hair and makeup professionally done (and despite the fact that taking my everyday makeup off somehow made me feel MORE vulnerable than being naked, lol), it was 100% Teri (as well as Jill, especially at the reveal) who MADE this experience. Even though I know they do this every day, they came across as SO FUCKING GENUINE. Every compliment, every encouragement, and even every laugh, was 100% pure, and never felt repetitious or rehearsed. Looking back on it, that really floored me. These incredible women made me feel more special (as corny as that word seems, it's truly the perfect one) in my time with them than I've ever felt, even on my wedding day. Teri Hofford Photography is a gift, and one I truly wish every woman could be given.
To see why we chose Miss J's story out of the pile of submissions, watch the video here: