You know I’m all about the girls right? You do not need anyone to do a boudoir shoot for, because you ought to do it foryourowndamnself. But, if you do have a fantastic partner who treats you right and is about to put a ring on it, you’re not going to find a better wedding gift than this. It’s guaranteed to surprise and delight;) If you’re marrying a girl, I’m sure she’d be thrilled to receive something like this too.
This is part two of E’s boudoir photo shoot, and it’s all things bridal. We paired white and ivory lingerie with a veil, E’s wedding shoes, and lots of delicious natural light. Wardrobe wise, I always recommend adding some of these extra bits in, even if you’re not going to wear a veil on the day or are planning to wear flats under your dress. It really easy to pull a few wedding accessories together (I can help), and it gives the shoot a little something special. For makeup we often go with the classic nude lip and soft smokey eye, but if you’re a red lip girl we’ve got you there too.
If you missed part one, it’s worth a look because it’s the total opposite – dark and moody, and we shot it by candlelight for those extra sexy vibes (LOL). Check that out here: E’s moody plus size boudoir photo shoot part one.
I’m thrilled to share today’s post with you, because this plus size babe knocked her boudoir shoot OUT OF THE PARK. Maybe out of the next park too. It went really well, that’s all I’m saying.
E did this partially as a gift to herself, and partially as a groom gift for her soon to be Mr. That’s a brilliant combo if you ask me – something for everyone;)
If you’re plus size or curvy yourself, I hope these images inspire you. It can be scary to think about doing something like this, but I promise there’s a way to photograph every age, shape, and size beautifully. If you’ve had a bunch of crappy photos in the past, or have successfully avoided ever being photographed professionally, I know you might not really believe me yet. That’s fine – drop me an email and we can chat about it. I’ve photographed lots of women who felt the same way you do, and I’d be honoured to prove that mean little voice in your head wrong;)
I’m going to split this shoot into two parts, we’ll look at the moodier, darker section now, and the bridal boudoir section later.
You guys know I love a bodysuit for a lingerie photo shoot, and Ekanem feels the same. I think she must anyway, because she wore three different versions for this:) First up, this lacy red number. I’m not sure exactly where this one is from, but you can find them everywhere at the moment – ASOS, BooHoo, H&M, TopShop, VS, Boux Avenue, etc.
E did her own hair and makeup, which turned out lovely. I do generally recommend you let a professional help with this, but if you know what you like and you know how to do, that’s absolutely fine too.
My favourite doors. This is my number one secret trick to barefoot looks: tip toes.
A new (super sexy) black and white conversion I’ve been trying out. So glowy right? No oil or glycerin required thank goodness!
Soft, wraparound window light. Literally never lets me down and is universally flattering whether you’re 18 or 83. I don’t know what the deal is with the banding here, but I can’t be bothered to resize and reformat every image for the 15,000 different social media outlets we’re all trying to keep up with today, so please just ignore it:)
Ekanem is part French, so shooting in this room was practically required. If you like this shoot stay tuned, because SHE’S COMING BACK FOR VIDEO lol!
My longtime girl crush Olivia and I have been shooting again;) This time for her exciting new plus size collection with Manners Wear. It you’re not familiar with the brand, it’s a great little range of unapologetic basics that are ethically sourced, totally wearable, and high quality (read: material that is soft and thick, not the thin, mass produced stuff you can see though).
Olivia’s range is available for pre-order starting TODAY, the 1st of July, with pieces available in sizes L to 5XL. For more info, head over to the website or follow on Instagram at: @mannersbycurvycampbell. Each piece and colour has been chosen with care, and named after Olivia’s most important female friends and family members.
Shoot credits: Photography and retouching by yours truly @stormy_rebelandromance, makeup by @vanezalondono, wall mural by @hixxy, wardrobe/styling by @mannersbycurvycampbell @mannerswear @sallymanners @curvycampbell
Fiyyahhhhhhh
Jordan Crop Leggings £52, and Xenia Crop Top £21
It’s always a bit tricky shooting outdoor locations in London, and this shoot was no exception. What a treat to have full sun, but OMG it was hot.
Like…baking. Vaneza working a miracle keeping any makeup whatsoever on Olivia’s face. Jordan Crop Leggings £52, and Louise Reversible Wrap Top £32
Louka Leggings £55, and Xenia Crop Top £21
S U N G O D D E S S in the Siobhan Midi Skirt – £42
It’s by London based artist and visual designer Josephine Hicks and her brother, collectively the Hicks & Hicks duo. See more of their work at www.josephinehicks.com
Anjelica Jumpsuit – £69
*inserts fire emoji twelve times*
Finishing off with this fab palm print which will be available a bit later on.
On the blog today – a few stills from Mollie’s curvy boudoir photography shoot (finally). Mollie and I connected via Instagram and managed to pull a shoot, wardrobe, and full team together in something like three days, which surely must be a record.
Our inspiration for this shoot started with an iconic image of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and grew into a mood board that felt like Sunday morning. We really wanted to keep things fresh and natural, and brilliant makeup artist Victoria created the perfect look to match our brief. Undone, tousled curls by yours truly.
Mollie is wearing the ASOS Billie Lace High Leg Body £20.00 in navy, which is available in various colours and sizes in the main line. There are also a few colour options and sizes 18-30 in the curve line.
It’s a lovely piece, and lots of clients have been bringing in lately. The high cut legs can be quite a challenging cut though, so if you’re a bit conscious of your hips I’d suggest a lower cut leg. Something like the Y.A.S Wing Lace Bodystocking £40.00 (XS -XL) or the Mimi Holliday Bisou Bisou Sugar Body £84.00 (XS-XL) would be a good alternative.
Mollie is such a class act, you’d love her. You can’t not love her really. She’s the sort of person that sends handwritten thank you notes, which always impresses me so much. This was the image we both had in our heads and the inspiration for the shoot. Wardrobe credits: feather duvet. Scandalous.
When I can steal the time away, I’m working on some ideas for demo boudoir photography video sessions. My latest project was shot with lovely lovely lovely Mollie, and I’m delighted to share it with you today. Brilliant Victoria Reynolds was our makeup artist for the shoot, and I knocked up some messy bed hair for M myself.
We filmed this video as part of a larger stills shoot a few weeks ago. If you’re following me on Instagram (@stormy_rebelandromance) you’ve already seen some of our favourite stills from the day. I’ll be posting the full set of stills here soon, and there’s a bit of behind the scenes footage I’m going to cut together too.
Mollie is wearing a black bodysuit by ASOS in this video. It’s a flattering cut and looks great in person, but in retrospect it reads a bit sheer on camera. It’s still gorgeous, just keep in mind that you might #freethenipple on film if you wear it for your own boudoir photography shoot;) I wish I would have noticed sooner, because we ended up having to cut a few shots to make it social media friendly – the nipple police are everywhere these days.
As a side note, I love ASOS for boudoir wardrobe options. They have a huge selection, and a good variety of sizes with plenty of affordable prices. Also, for UK based girls they do a £10/year offer that gets you free next day shipping and free returns on everything you purchase. SO convenient/dangerous.
I can’t find the exact piece Mollie wore, but here are a few similar options:
Anyway, this video means I finally have a curvy / plus size beauty represented in the video category, which is a step in the right direction. I’ll be adding more diversity to this category as we test new ideas, stay tuned.
You guys, I’ve written and re-written this post so many times. I have way too much to say about Photoshop for a single blog post, so here’s what I’ve narrowed it down to…
Today’s post features curve model Natasha. She is “unconventionally” beautiful.
My inspiration for this shoot came from the Aerie campaigns (they’ve stopped retouching models) and the StyleLikeU interview with Iskra (below). These images have had a bit of colour work, but no body modification, wardrobe modification, liquify, etc. They are essentially”photoshop free,” and therefore imperfect.
And so am I. And so are you. And this is totally fine.
I believe in Photoshop, and I make no apologies for it. It’s an incredibly useful tool that I use daily – a bit of kit that gets a bad rap and is often used irresponsibly, but unless you would like me to leave that monster pimple on your chin to be forever immortalised in the photographs you’re paying a bunch of money for, we’re probably not that far apart in our thinking.
But do we need to “photoshop” everything all the time? Are we now so offended by the “flaws” of a perfectly healthy, normal body that we can’t appreciate it for what it is? Seventeen Magazine has been telling us how to have perfect skin since we were 12, but I don’t recall them mentioning how the skin texture they taught us to idolize was made by a computer.
I just think…enough.
Let’s appreciate art for what it is, the smoke and the mirrors and the aspirational aspect of bringing a vision to life. But let’s also show some bodies of women who maybe look a bit like you do, not retouched to “perfection,” and let’s hold them up asalso beautifulandworthy of praise.
End rant.
Iskra (face of Aerie) on being photoshopped and learning to love her body.
And finally, Natasha, my freckle faced, red-headed beauty:)
N is wearing super simple black lingerie here for a casual, easy look. These little corner has the best light – I’ll have you know I moved about 27 rolls of Colorama to free up this space before the shoot.
Natural light, no photoshop, no fake hair, no fake nails, no fake lashes, no chicken fillets in the bra.
I’m quite partial to colour images with redheads, but monochrome is also nice.
Our second look was my favourite – a cable knit jumper for the win.
The props are so random but I still like it lol!
We threw in some long socks for fun.
And golf clubs. Because…I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
That backlight though.
Our last outfit was a super pink number. To be honest, we really weren’t sure this would work with the space but we gave it a go anyway.
It wouldn’t be my first choice, but N just looked so lovely that we couldn’t not use them.
A few head shots because I am a little bit in love with N’s face.
Miss. N traveled a few hours from her home city to meet me for a shoot in Chicago. We really lucked out finding the most incredible venue, a salvage yard/store that also hires space out for weddings and the odd photo shoot. It was a dream of a space, floor after floor of old furniture and odd sets and big windows. If I lived in Chicago, I’d shoot here allthetime, so well done to Miss N for turning up such a gem of a location.
We started simply, with a figure-hugging long black dress. Doesn’t N look fab? Such a gorgeous canvas, with beautiful makeup by Chicago-based makeup artist Debbie, hair by yours truly.
Warehouses throw around the most interesting light.
We found this distressed old mirror and I loved beat up it was – perfect for a mysterious portrait.
Miss N was after an editorial, fashion-inspired vibe, so we tried to create images with a feeling of story and interest over lots of bodyscapes and detail shots.
I love the way the lights are reflected behind her in these.
I’m still a little bit in love with this pose. I’ve been trying it on everyone, everywhere, and it’s nearly universally flattering. Revealing this type of image to clients is one of my favourite things too – everyone is blown away by how great they look:)
Legs for days.
Please universe, send more of this sunshine to London. The irony that my name is Stormy, yet I cannot control the weather, is not lost on me.
The sexy shadows. N is wearing a simple bodysuit with a plunging v neck and black stilettos.
This art deco wall thing looked pretty weird in real life, but I saw potential. Miss N. was like, “up there? really?” but I persisted. Sometimes you just knoooow.
swoon
If you’re a fan of this outfit, you can pick up something similar for cheap, and it can be worn again later – pair it with jeans and a good jacket and you’ve got a ready to go date night outfit.
If standard sizes suit you, you’ll be spoilt for choice at ASOS. For bigger busted and/or curvy clients, options are (as is typical) a little more limited and ugly. If you need or want support, Figleaves has a few decent choices. If you’re not worried about built in support or overall longevity, Boohoo has a great selection of plus size bodysuit options with lots of cuts and fabrics.
Miss N loved the feel of a shoot I did with Jada in NYC, so she brought along this cozy cotton, long sleeve T and plain, high waisted knickers to replicate the look.
I love how effortless cotton feels. It’s a great option if you’re feeling a little nervous about showing lots of skin, or if you would like a non-obvious way to cover a midsection.
And then we found this magical angled mirror, which I am a little bit in love with. What’s better than one gorgeous woman owning her curves? Why 3 of course!
Miss N is wearing high waisted knickers here, and I think it give the images a little bit of that showgirl-gets-ready-backstage feel. We put her hair up in a super mess bun too.
We finished the day with another bodysuit, this one much more strappy and daring. People were getting married here the next day too….bwah ha ha ha;)
Miss N, thank you for a showstopper of a shoot, you brought the house down. Until next time!
I know it’s not the most obvious choice, but I’m a big fan of shape wear pieces in lieu of lingerie. It does such a great job of showing off your shape while also providing lots of coverage and support. Jade is wearing simple black knickers (shape wear, high waisted) and a long sleeve cottony-lycra black top. I think the understated effect is really nice because it’s a blank canvas for her killer shape and gorgeous face.
That said, there are lots of shape wear options with more going on too – everything from jewel tone colours to silky fabrics and daring cuts. Another thing to keep in mind – if you struggle to find things in your bra size, shape wear usually has really inclusive sizing:) Big boobs welcome basically;)
For our next option, a strappy little number paired with a silk robe. This is a little more “bedroom” but still isn’t actually showing much skin. @sadafmakeupuk did such a beautiful job on Jade’s eyes here too.
This was (very) loosely inspired by France, if only because we shot it by the french doors and added pearls.
Jade loved these temple doors, and she wanted to try them as a backdrop for an edgy look. I love edgy, but it always makes me a little nervous – this sort of look can veer off into trashy in a heartbeat. However, I think we nailed it here. Love love these, and I’m actually contemplating faux leather trousers for myself now….maybe after some more squats lol!
Just a few more favourites from the day,
and we’ll finish with some black and whites because THOSE CURVES.
Jade, thank you doll, it was lovely working with you! Next time…kittens and cuteness:)
Today, another post that was eaten by my web server move. Olivia is so inspiring, so I’m reposting for anyone who missed it or would like a second look:)
Here’s gorgeous Olivia (@curvycampbell) being so very brave in her first nude shoot. This was actually the prequel look to Olivia’s pin up set, although it’s got a totally different feel. It’s great to be able to create such variety in a single shoot, and I love how soft and romantic these turned out.
Sheer curtains are my best friend. This image on the right kills me still.
I love these images because of what they represent. If you’ve ever felt not good enough, not beautiful enough, if you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt disgusted at what you saw staring back at you, these images are for you.
Olivia does not have a perfect body. She is not thin, she is not rich, she does not have a Pinterest-worthy life all the time. She is a single mother, she is mixed race, she battles with her mind and not feeling good enough, and she has been told no a million times. I think she’s absolutely brilliant, but the point is that she is you in so many ways. So this is the lesson: there is no reason that Olivia can learn to love her body, but you cannot.
Attempt the work. Decide to change your mind. Refuse to hate on yourself.
Do it every single day.
Pretty pink blooms and vintage pearls for the win.
We tried a sort of cheeky, Ellen Von Unwerth vibe with these, but I think it still needs a little refining.
Maybe a bit too provocative? I don’t know lol! Everyone else seemed to like them so I’ve left them in, but I plead the 5th if you’re offended!
Shooting these was a huge mistake, because I’ve been wanting to go to Morocco ever since.
One day soon. With a riad and a camel, obviously. Let me know if you’d like to come?
This was the image we both had in our heads and the inspiration for the shoot. Wardrobe credits: feather duvet. Scandalous.
