Where do I even begin with this gorgeous woman??? Ms. N is one of the most glorious souls I have ever met and I had the pleasure of meeting her through photography. Last year we met at Camp Do More (she owns Noel Cosgrove Intimates) and I was told to give her a little pep talk before she modeled for a bunch of other photographers. After I saw this vixen I KNEW I needed her to model THIS year for my workshops at Camp Do More, so I reached out to her and she hesitated, but said yes. Well, when my husband I took our roadtrip to Seattle, I also arranged a little shoot out get together with my photographer friend Jessica Rae and Ms. N flew out to join us in the fun! At the end of shooting the gorgeous Georjah, Miss N got down to her skivvies so we could have a practice run BEFORE camp! I fucking love shooting other boudoir photographers because they a)tend to be more nervous than regular clients and b)know what we look for in terms of lighting, posing, and expressions. Miss N was no different, but within 20 minutes she was nudie and getting her Tough Love Teri talk. I am going to let her tell you the rest, but I just have to say that I am incredibly proud of this babe and I truly hope she knows just how strong, fierce and fiery she is! AND I can't wait to see her in just a weeeeeek!!Leading up to my time with Teri I had been equally as excited and nervous to be vulnerable in front of her. Unlike others I already knew she wouldn’t tune out my verbalized negativity about my body, but attack it head on. She asked me why I hated my ‘mom boobs’ and I’ve since realized there is an explanation as to why I didn’t have enough reasons to verbalize. Of all the pep talks I give women about the the miraculous things they can do, My body has carried me through abuse, dietary issues, pregnancies, surgeries, it’s done CPR to try to save a life, it takes boy scouts tenting in -25, leads baseball teams in the summer, and helps me run a business. Why is this body worth less than the women who stand in front of me? If I put a mirror between us why would my feelings change about the woman I’m now looking at? Why do I not love myself from under my chin, the left side of my face, or naked? These are the things I have been asking myself since my session. These questions are keeping me moving forward in my journey because in my heart I know it’s ridiculous so I have to keep trying to change my head. When I look at theses amazing images, some of which I love a little less than most, I keep reminding myself I am not that angle, that doesn’t define a beautiful person. I am so happy about this experience with Teri and the steps forward, that she’s made possible, in my love for my body.Are you wanting to change they way you see your body? The way you talk to her? The way you despise her for everything she can't do, instead of loving her for everything she can? If so, then let me help you! Hit me up with an email to get this self love party started!
Kerosene Deluxe Hotel Session ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
A few years ago I had the pleasure of photographing ms. Kerosene Deluxe when I was in Vancouver and this time I went back, I contacted her again to see if she'd be up for some fun! We actually shot at the same hotel, but this time my view was totally different (with 2 walls of windows), we were shooting at night, AND my work has changed a bit since our first shoot! As usual, it was a pleasure to see this babe who was one of the first plus size models to "make it" in the industry. Unfortunately, due to some life circumstances, she had to take a brief hiatus from modeling, but luckily, she came to play with me!
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!
Inspiration Was Everywhere ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
Miss S. was a beautiful angel brought to me for a fun shoot day, post Oklahoma City workshop. Not only was she incredibly confident in front of the camera, but had a smile that could light up the room (as you will see in the images below). We didn't have too much time to chat about her life, but I did find out that this babe kills it at cross-fit and loves to eat! The location we were provided for the fun day was a sweet artist's loft in OKC where we not only had access to an open space, but also to the artist's studio and I was deeply inspired to create images in there. At the time, I had just finished watching Dear White People and LOVE the cinematography with it's framing, color tones, and overall vibe, so I threw a bit of that into this session as well. Lastly, the few images of Miss S on the rug inspired me to get a sweet patterned rug for the studio! It's sessions like this that remind me that boudoir or intimate portraits aren't always about looking sexy, pretty, or sensual...sometimes it's just about existing, finding the light and looking like a piece of art. When it comes to designing your session, I want you to think beyond the boudoir, so to speak. Some of my favorite images involve small patches of light and blurred creations that capture movement and emotion.
She's a Damn Rockstar ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
Miss D came bouncing through the studio doors, excited for her mini session and I knew we would hit it off right away! Despite it being really early in the morning, she had the energy of 5 espressos and was so excited to show me her thigh high boots that she wanted to rock for her session! As you will see below, she slayed her session and watching her reaction to her slideshow at her reveal was everything. She fell in love with herself, from top to bottom!" There was nothing specific that encouraged me to start taking care of myself. Weight loss was not really the goal, it was just a reaction to me changing my lifestyle and how I thought of myself. I was living in a place that was dark and I often felt ashamed of who I was. Anxiety seemed to follow me everywhere and I decided that I needed to be myself and accept who I was. I knew I shouldn’t be ashamed because I’m a good person with good intentions, so I started to just be mindful of what I was doing to my body physically and mentally and over a year, I was able to feel amazing. Not by my size but by how I feel. My thoughts of myself through the whole process were to stay positive even on the days I didn’t feel like I was a rockstar: At the end of the day I am the only Me and I’m a rockstar!"When we asked her about her boudoir session experience, this is what she had to say:"I love love love all the info provided to me. I knew what to do before the session and after, her business is ran so efficient but so personal. The moment I walked in I felt like family. Warm and welcome. My make up was me. Just with a little oomph. Highlighting all my nice features. Giggles aside getting undressed was so comfortable I felt more at ease without my cloths than in my bathing suit on a beach. Teri’s got something special about her that just makes you love you! Amazing experience and will be doing it again. I think this is an AMAZING gift for your girlfriend or sister. Don’t knock it till you try it. You gotta jump right in and see the beauty of you. "Are you ready to see yourself as a rockstar? If so, shoot us an email and let's get this show on the road!!
