For years my sister and I have been told we "look so much alike" yet we couldn't be any different if we tried. She is a curvy, petite babe and I am a rectangular, tall babe, she is feisty (we called her Taz when she was little) and stubborn and I give no fucks and am a bit more relaxed. The one thing we do have in common, though, is how much we need each other in our lives. The quote "You keep me wild, I'll keep you safe" is one that resonates for me when it comes to our relationship. I have always been the free-spirited hippie and though she is chronologically younger than me, she acts older, making me eat fruit instead of cookies and all that. Like any sibling relationship, it hasn't always been rosy. There are times when our Barbies would be hurled across the room at each other, she got creative with my Macauly Culkin poster, and I passive aggressively made her do my bidding. I wouldn't change it for the world. As the years have gone by and we both "matured" into the adults we are today, there were times when we definitely didn't understand each other. One of those times includes our views on our bodies. From a young age I was bullied and had to find out who I was and become confident in myself as a PERSON and not just as a BODY, but my sister was popular, had lots of friends and was more stereo-typically pretty...but this led to her own dissatisfaction with her body, comparing herself to other girls, and just not recognizing how awesome or beautiful she truly was. Fast forward to today, where she has birthed 3 children (which are fucking adorable btw) and realized she had to become a different role model. She started to see her body for what it helped her accomplish and that was when she FINALLY let me do a boudoir session for her. Her shoot was awesome for me because I finally got to direct her and take control, whereas normally she conducts the family gatherings, but more importantly, I saw her confidence come out during her session. When asked to describe her session, she chose the following: Powerful, Exhilarating, Out of my comfort zone . Take a look below at her story and images (and yes, yes, we DO look alike...she just got all the bootay in the family.)
I was extremely nervous going into my shoot. I'm a mom of three and have always been self conscious of my body. In the past I've used eating disorders to help combat what I thought was "fat & ugly" (let me interject and say that fat does not = ugly, fyi). After having kids my body was never the same but I knew that I had my kids watching me so eating disorders wasn't something I wanted them to see. Instead I've been trying to accept that my body is beautiful and it has provided me with three healthy babies and I've earned these new curves with hardwork. However, it hasn't been an easy road accepting it. This experience was more than just pictures. It made me realize that just because I'm a curvacious "mom", I'm sexy, I'm beautiful. I'm confident. I saw myself in a light that I have not seen for many years. I feel more beautiful and happy with myself in these photos then I did the day I walked down the aisle 30 lbs lighter. I have given life, I have started a company, I have fun with friends, I live life and that is what I'm finally seeing in myself. This experience helped me see all this and more.
With her remarks about being happier now than 30lbs lighter when she got married, I know what she is talking about because I was there for it all. I remember how stressed she was about her body prior to her wedding and while she looked beautiful, she now has sun shine beaming out of her face and it doesn't come from being a certain size or achieving an unrealistic ideal, it comes from living a life that one could only dream of: She has created a ridiculously successful bakery, a gorgeous, down to earth family and is laughing and loving herself a lot more....I couldn't be more proud of my sister...(I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING).Are you ready to change your life? To appreciate for what it is right now? Then hit me up with an email and let's chat about your dream session!
Sassy {inspiration session} ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
{I have featured Chloe before on my blog in regards to her eating disorder so before anyone comments about thinness and starts to skinny shame, I am going to nip it in the bud. You don't know her journey, therefore you have no idea how hard she works to maintain a balance in her life. Doing photoshoots helps her build up her confidence and empowers her to see herself differently (which is exactly why I do what I do!!) so keep it to yourself. We are here to build up ALL women and promote a body inclusive environment. Also...there will be lots of nipples...so if you don't like that, byeeeee. }
I have had this vision in my head for awhile, so I got my stellar team together: Kelly Marie Woodford of Sapphire Hair Lounge, Nicole Velasquez of Envy Beauty & Makeup Services, and Miss Chloe whom you've seen before! Since getting my new studio I wanted to shoot something vintage, romantic, and free flowing, but once we had the hair & makeup done, I had so many other things I wanted to do as well! So I challenged Chloe (who previously has only modeled traditional boudoir styles with me) to get a little crazy, a little free and REALLY model and she KILLLLLLLLED IT. I used our time together to test out new techniques and really have fun with the styling and session all together. Again, this is how I treat myself...by creating without boundaries.
For booking in January, you will have the opportunity to get a free large, processed filmstrip like the images below!! Yay! So the above images were just an inspiration that happened the day of the shoot, but here's what the actual shoot entailed: 
You Deserve a Treat {inspiration session}~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photographer
This inspiration session came out of my feels that boudoir photography is a treat for women. It's a chance for them to value themselves, to give themselves an experience that will change the way they see themselves, and ultimately give them a bit of worth back. You know that feel you get when you get your hair did, your nails did, a massage, reward yourself with delicious things?? Well, why the hell do we not feel that more often?? Too many times, I get women in front of me "justifying" their session that it's for their husband or partner when you know damned well that it is for themselves. Doing an empowerment session should have one priority over anything else: that it makes YOU feel like a goddamned goddess worthy of all the amazingness in the world. Sure, your husby or partner is going to benefit from some sexy-ass photos of yourself, but more importantly YOU are going to feel like an epic babe for treating yourself to an amazing experience that will give you confidence and a healthier outlook on your bod! How do I treat myself? By doing fun, sassy sessions like this one that fulfill my creativity!! Thanks to Jay Rose for coming to help me out with this one! <3
She Can't Wait To Do It Again ~ Winnipeg Boudoir Photography
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.
