New Boudoir Set Option

I get really excited about adding new options to my studio to shoot with. However I do have to be judicious. I have limited space for my boudoir studio and it has really filled up fast. But I couldn't resist this beautiful chocolate brown bed set. And I happen to have a really gorgeous client that let me use this picture to show it off.

It's Our Anniversary!

It is my husband and my ten year anniversary today! Charlie pointed out today that I have been married exactly one third of my life. It is hard to believe.
We met in college and dated for quite awhile. We got married when I was only 20 years old. Looking back that seems so young.

In ten years we have really built a wonderful life. We started a business together shooting weddings. Although I love boudoir photography (which is my own business), I do love shooting weddings because I love to work with my husband (and I'll admit it, I have actually cried during ceremonies and have fallen more in love with my husband while watching other people get married).
We have a beautiful daughter. She is so much fun and full of energy. She is smart and energetic and we are so happy to have the opportunity to be her parents.
We are lucky enough to be able to own a house in West Jordan close to both of our families and all of the people and things we love.

I was going to find my wedding pictures and post some here, but I haven't had the time. I may try to do it soon if I get the chance. So I will leave you with some interesting (or not, you decide) facts about our wedding/engagement:

• We got married the same day as Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
• We randomly picked a day on the calendar to get married.
• I bought my dress at a trunk show for under $200, which was unplanned, but very exciting. My husband was there when I bought it (like I said, it was unplanned). I loved it.
• My 14 year old sister was my maid of honor.
• We briefly lost my 86 year old grandfather (who had traveled from Washington) before the reception. He fell asleep in the men's room.
• I forgot about having a pretty pen for the guest book until the wedding day. One of my bridesmaids and I ran to the mall all dressed up (veil and all) to buy one at Hallmark.
• Arby's has never tasted so good as when my new brother in law brought us some roast beef sandwhiches before our reception. I hadn't eaten much all day.
• Our first dance was to a Shania Twain song (not my usual taste in music, but I liked the lyrics).
• Someone let my little black dog out of the house during family pictures and he ran straight to my family, who were posed and ready for the photographer, and he laid right down next to us. He was included in the shots.
• I still am in love with my husband!

Plus Size Boudoir Photography Tips

Here's a fact - None of us has the "perfect" body.

However, every woman is beautiful. I really believe that.
Almost everyone that books a session with me expresses some sort of concern. I hear everything from "I'm a little older than your normal client" to "I have a plus size body, is that okay?" and even "Do you shoot girls that don't look like models?". My answer is that my "normal" clients are, well... normal! Every woman deserves to feel confident and comfortable enough to book a boudoir session. We all come in different shapes and sizes, we all have different personalities and attitudes, and that is something to celebrate. The media force feeds us a one-size-fits-all idea of beauty and that is absolute nonsense!

Ok, now that I have said my piece I wanted to put together a little guide to Plus Size Sexiness...

1. Pick lingerie that flatters you
Really this tip is for everyone. Lingerie that fits and makes you look good can do wonders for your self esteem as well as for your figure.
Be honest with yourself about your flaws and your assets (this does not mean to be hard on yourself). Try on everything in a full length mirror. Look at all angles.
Fortunately plus sized lingerie is not hard to find.
There is a fabulous website called Hips and Curves that caters especially to girls with... hips and curves :)

Their website is laid out beautifully and they carry high quality shapeware and the typical lingerie you would expect as well as costumes and accessories.

My personal recommendations are to stay away from stretchy cottons. Pick lingerie that either has structure or that is silky and that will flow over your curves. Don't buy items that are too small! They will press into your skin and create unnecesary creases. If you want to wear thigh high stockings get the kind that DO NOT stay up by themselves, they squeeze your leg and cause bulges. This happens to even the thinnest girls because of where the top of the stockings hit! Get the type with wide lace and a garter belt. As a bonus, garter belts flatter everyone. Just make sure it's not too tight!
My personal faves are baby doll slips (these show off cleavage and have lots of coverage in the midsection), corsets (well made corsets with boning will create a gorgeous hourglass figure on anyone), push up bras (just because you don't need padding doesn't mean you don't need lift and shaping) and little black dresses (there are so many options, try one with an empire waist and a low neckline).

2. Pose to flatter
Posing (and lighting) can make all the difference. Poses that stretch and twist your body will help you look leaner. Not every pose will work for everyone. Sometimes we will try things that won't work. It's not a big deal, we'll try something else. Boudoir photography requires a lot of experimenting. There are a lot of tricks like turning so you aren't square to the camera and putting your weight on your back leg that really help a lot. Check out this blog post:

The Skinny on Looking Skinny

3. Be Confident
Nothing is more sexy than a confident woman! I can't stress this enough. Ask any guy, it's true. Insecurity is not sexy. Don't compare yourself to other women, that's counter-productive. Think about the things you like about yourself. Pamper yourself from time to time. You deserve it!

Bride Access

I am really excited to be advertising with Bride Access. If you are getting married you should really check out their amazing website and television show.

And while you are there check out their wedding planning blog. Oh yeah, and I have a blog entry up right now, so check that out as well ;)
Boudoir Photography – Your Chance to be His Supermodel

Client Email

Emails like this just make my day:

Hi Susie. We did make it home and we are all anticipating our sneak
peeks. I have to tell you what an amazing experience we had with you.
You are a perfect blend of professionalism and girlish fun, and also sweet
kindness. Everyone noticed how you really went above and beyond to give us
a product that we will definately love and cherish. We all talked about
how you were more concerned with what was in each of our best interests, than
you were with your battery life, memory space, or personal time. I know you
photographed more outfits and poses than you have mapped out in your packages.
I want you to know how much I really appreciate it. My three best
friends may never have an opportunity to do this again and you made it really
special. I hope you keep me posted in everything that you continue to do
because I am your biggest fan and I will be back as well as recommend you to as
many people as I think might be interested. Thank you for everything.
I will be scheduling with you again, I'm sure of it.
Thanks!
Amber
P.S. - The girls of Enzio were fantastic. They
made us feel so beautiful by the fabulous art they worked on us plus the kind
things that they said. You have great taste!

Amber and her friends traveled quite a ways to come do boudoir sessions. We really had a great time, although we were all tired by the end. The girls rented a gorgeous vacation home (hotel rooms aren't my favorite) and they stayed two nights. The home was beautiful and I wanted to move right in.

I am working on the girls' pictures right now and I can't wait for them to see all of them!

Updates

I have a couple little items of business. First, it's spring (yay) which means my busy season is approaching. My super talented husband shoots weddings and I'm his lovely (lol) assistant/second photographer. I still have lots of days available to shoot, but let's book your session soon, especially if you are a bride and you need your pictures back by a particular date.

Second, I just wanted to let all my clients know that The Dressing Room (the password protected portion of my site) has a handful of new pictures up. I have had some fun sessions and unfortunately I have a hard time finding the time to update pictures (and my blog) as often as I should.

And finally, I wanted to finish off this post by sharing a couple images from a recent session. If you are trying to decide between the two different boudoir sessions I offer, I highly recommend doing two hair and makeup "looks". It adds so much variety to your session and gives you more images to choose from and more time for another outfit change.


Remember, I only share images if I receive written permission from my wonderful clients. And on that note, I just have to say that I get the neatest opportunity of meeting and shooting the most amazing women. I have made so many friends. I have also been able to share in the excitement of wedding preparations, been inspired by women whose brave husbands are serving in our military, and heard stories of true love by women celebrating anniversaries of all lengths. Every woman I shoot is unique and doing pictures for all different reasons, and I am lucky enough to be a part of it all. So, thank you!

Hair Has a Shape?

Please forgive me if you already knew this, but I thought it was really super cool. I was reading a very elementary level human body encyclopedia with my daughter the other day and I learned something interesting about hair. I always kinda wondered why some people have straight hair and some people have curly hair. I knew it was hereditary, but that's it.

Well, it turns out that it is determined by the shape of the hair shaft! If your hair is straight (like mine, actually make that "stick straight") then the hair shafts are round. If your hair is wavy (like I WISH mine were naturally) then the hair shaft is oval shaped. And curly hair is flat, which makes sense; it reminds me of curling ribbon.

I hope you found that nearly as interesting as I did. And if you want to enhance (or change) what mother nature gave you go visit my friends at Studio Enizio for a new style. They also carry the fabulous Kerastase products.

Blog Nosh Magazine

Wow, what an honor!
Blog Nosh Magazine featured one of my blog posts! If you aren't familiar with Blog Nosh go check them out right now! Their blog consists of great content from other blogs. They post twice a day so there is always new content. I have read so many amazing and thought provoking blogs from people around the world and I am so amazed that they picked something from my silly little blog about my boudoir photography business.
So go check out my blog on their blog right here:
http://www.blognosh.com/2009/03/choosing-a-boudoir-photographer/

Is Winter Over Yet?

Ahhh, warm weather has been teasing us the past couple days. I can't wait for Spring. Winter is my least favorite time of year. Everything is dull and gray and yucky looking.

But moving right along (Who likes discussing the weather anyway? This is a photography blog, sheesh!)... I am a bit tired, I was up late last night doing a boudoir session for a friend of mine. We had a blast. Valerie Osmond (with Archetype Beauty) did her hair and makeup and made her look like a star! Valerie also took the time to show us both how to create a smokey eye. So today while doing my makeup I used some of her tricks (but held back on too much drama, it's daytime and I am not going anywhere special) and I have to say - my eyes look hotter than usual.

Client Tips

I just wanted to share some great tips for doing a boudoir session that a wonderful client of mine posted on her bio on TheKnot.com. Take a look at Jennifer's Bio.

My B-Pic Advice
I just wanted to give my advice to people who are thinking they are wanting to do a session for B-Pics.
1. If you think you'd like them, DO IT! Don't let the fear of how your body looks deter you. There will always be those 5 lbs you want to lose, you hair to be just 3 inches longer...you can make excuses forever, but in the end, you will love how you look and realize how beautiful you really are!
2. Get your hair and make-up done professionally. My photographer always does this, and there is good reason, I felt so glamourous, confidant, and ready to go.
3. Take a lot of clothing choices. I had some many different outfits, I didn't half of them, but it was so great to be able to see how I was feeling that day, see what made me sexy, and I went with that.
4. Don't be nervous. If you did your homework, I am sure you found a reputable photographer who isn't a sleeze-bag...so don't worry about it!
5. Just have fun. Do silly things, make funny faces, who knows, they might look awesome...the might not. But you should feel awesome and like a super model.
My Don'ts...
Don't feel stupid for doing them
Don't be pressured, if you aren't comfortable doing them, it will show.
Don't go out and spend a ton of money on new clothes...maybe a few new items, but I'm sure you have some good stuff in your closet
Don't be afraid to try something you haven't seen before, just because it is a little different, doesn't make it wrong!

Good luck and have fun...and go to Susie with Definition Images if in Utah!

And this is from her bio on her married bio, which includes recommendations for the vendors she used for her wedding. Jennifer got married in exotic Hawaii!

vendor - definition images
I knew that I wanted to do B-Pics for Nate's gift. I had wanted to do them before and this was the perfect time to do them. I was lucky and got a great deal on them too. Nate's was really pleased with them, and hopefully when we are 89 years ond and all saggy and what not, he will be able to look at them and remember what a smoking babe he got to marry.
Recommendation: Yes, highly.
Explaination: I recommend both doing B-pics and my photographer, Susie at Definition Images. The whole experience was very empowering, and it is awesome to be able to look at pictures of yourself and say wow, I'm hot! It also makes you realize that with the right lighting and a little bit of touch-ups, everyone can look like a supermodel.

Thanks Jennifer! I love the tips and I am so glad you shared. I am so lucky that I get to photograph and to get to know such awesome women and that I get to help them create something really special.