BTS: Shoreditch London luxury hotel shoot
I’ve started bringing a little video camera along to shoots. This is my method: shove it at people on set and tell them to film. It’s not the most professional arrangement, but so far everyone has managed to get something useable, and it’s fun. I know a boudoir shoot can be intimidating and a little scary, but hopefully a peek behind the scenes will help you realise that 1) we’re not that cool and 2) you can totally do this.
Here’s one from Lainara’s London boudoir shoot last month at the Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch, with Sadaf on makeup, Natalia on hair, and yours truly behind the lens.
Lingerie shoot with Lainara – BTS from Rebel and Romance on Vimeo.
VIP TREATMENT: Shoreditch 5 star hotel with Lainara
VIP TREATMENT: Shoreditch 5 star hotel with Lainara
Hot off the Press: AIBP Photographer of the Year Award
What a lovely surprise to win this bad boy! Such an honour to be awarded so highly by The Association of International Boudoir Photographers during their 2016 Year in Review.
Thanks to everyone involved, and a special thank you to everyone who hopped in front of my camera last year! Onwards and upwards:)
xx
Stormy
NYC Boudoir Photography: Mrs. A in a Brooklyn brownstone
NYC Boudoir Photography: Anna
I’m so pleased to finally be sharing Anna’s NYC boudoir photography session with you. It’s been months since we met up in Brooklyn and created these images, but that means nothing – this shoot is definetly in my top 5 favourites of the year.
I’m struggling with what to tell you about Anna because I’m just so fangirl impressed by her. She’s gracious and cool and funny. She wears all the hats at once (wife, mother, entrepreneur, etc.). Plus, she’s got great style, and an effortless kind of beauty that can’t be denied.
Anna doesn’t wear much makeup in her everyday life, so she was understandably nervous about makeup for her shoot. Unfortunately, a lot of newer makeup artists just don’t know what to do with skin or facial features different from their own. It’s very common for black women to come away from a new makeup artist looking ashy and slightly dead. Anna introduced me to the official term for this, which I now use at all the time; “funeral face.”
I insist on professional, experienced makeup artists that come by way of recommendation whenever possible. If you’re in London, I’d be happy to recommend a few genius girls. If you’re further afield, it’s best to get a recommendation from someone you trust, or you can ask a great wedding or boudoir photographer in your area for a few suggestions. You also want to make sure there are women who look like you in the makeup artist’s portfolio. Don’t allow yourself to be the first and only Chinese face she or he has touched.
Thankfully, I had brilliant makeup artist Victoria with me, and we convinced our lovely client we knew what we were doing;) Of course the result turned out stunning, but with such natural beauty and incredible cheekbones I never had any doubt.
We started off with this cute cotton ribbed bodysuit with snap front. Anna is wearing her husband’s favourite earrings.
I like starting with a barefoot set. There’s a lot to think about when posing, and it helps if you’re not trying to balance in sky high heels right from the start.
If you’re like me and constantly have a hair band on your wrist, please help me remember to have you take it off lol! We usually catch it eventually, but missed in in this image on the right.
HOT
Historic woodwork and natural window light for these.
A quick wardrobe change and we have a completely different look – just add heels, a high waisted lace lingerie set, and throw your hair up.
For me, working on location is about making the best use of a space and it’s available light. Often (who am I kidding, always) this means I work up a sweat rearranging furniture, but it’s worth it. I do NYC boudoir photography sessions in a variety of locations, we can chat about the sort of look and feel you’re after for your own shoot.
Louboutins and booty for the win.
A high waisted knicker might not seem like your thing, but I’d encourage to give them a try. They are almost universally flattering, so you might like it better on your body than you do on the hanger.
A few gorgeous details.
Love love love these.
I mean, doesn’t Anna just look divine?
Hands down, my favourite image of the shoot. #slay
I love it so much I’m posting it twice.
A few floor poses. How much you’re able to arch depends on your flexibility and bone structure, but don’t worry – any amount makes for a great shot.
I’m a little bit obsessed with this image too.
A stretchy, form-fitting piece like this is great for showing shape and curves. They also tend to be more comfortable than regular lingerie and work well for bending and arching.
I hold shoots in lots of fancy and unique places, but it’s certainly not required. All you really need is simple bedding and good light.
I do quite like a window though.
A sneaky peek through the doorway…
…and these killer shoes;)
Anna, you blew the roof off. Until next spring!
xx
Stormy
P.S. If you’re interested in your own NYC boudoir photography session, please feel free to get in touch or add yourself to the list. My next planned trip is spring of 2017, and I’ll be setting dates and locations very soon:)
Client testimonials: What Ms. A said
It was my pleasure to work with Ms. A a few weeks back, and she’s very kindly provided a report on our time together. You can find her thoughts below:)
In this image, A is wearing the Agent Provocateur Lacy Bra (£85) and Suspender Belt (£75). We paired these with stockings, heels, and (if I’m remembering correctly) black knickers from another AP set with a slightly better fit. Mixing black on black is a great trick – you can almost never tell in a photograph, and in ensures you get a fit and cut you like.
If you’re new to Agent Provocateur, their lingerie is beautiful and well made. I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something luxurious or unique. I find their sizing to be pretty consistent across different styles, but as they have their own 1-5 sizing scale it’s worth trying a few things on your first time (or ordering a size up and down). They have an excellent return policy so nothing to worry about. I also highly, highly recommend looking out for the legendary AP online sales, where you can get up to 70% off even their best pieces.
“I was incredibly pleased with my photoshoot with Stormy, and I loved the pictures that she took! 🙂 There were so many pictures that I liked that it was difficult to decide which to go in the app and in the album! The photos were beautifully shot, with a real variety of styles and background; some are more dramatic and sexy, whilst others are more playful and elegant.
Stormy was very professional throughout and did a really great job. I was really pleased with the location that Stormy chose for the shoot – the light in the space was great, and it allowed for different looks. Stormy also did a great job beforehand about advising on what looks might work best for me. On the day, Stormy was very friendly and it was a really fun experience! Debbie did a great job with my make-up too; I love my smokey eyes in the pictures!
I would really recommend working with Stormy. Not only do I love the pictures, but its nice to work with such a professional and friendly person. I hope to have another shoot in the future!”
-A
Curvy Boudoir Photography: Mollie
Curvy Boudoir Photography: Mollie
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.
A few cute and playful shots on the bed.
Mollie is wearing one of Rosie for Autograph’s never fail lingerie sets, available at M&S. This bra is the Silk & Lace Padded Plunge Bra A-E in Alabaster, paired with matching knickers. The bra retails for £26 and the High Leg Silk and Lace Knickers for £12.50
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.
A final shot in the copper tub. Naked again lol!
Mollie, you were SO LOVELY. Until next time…
xx
Stormy
boudoir photo shoot with Mayse
Boudoir photo shoot with Mayse at the London penthouse
A few favourites from my recent boudoir photo shoot with Brazilian beauty Mayse…
I owe a huge thank you to our makeup artist Sadaf, who did a top notch job sorting out hair, makeup, and all the wardrobe for this shoot. We managed three completely different looks in about 45 min., and there’s no way I could have done it without her.
For the first look, M is wearing this beautiful set from supermodel-turned-lingerie-designer, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Her lingerie line is called “Rosie for Autograph” and it’s been a favourite of mine for ages now. It’s beautiful, romantic, comes in great colour and size options, and is available for affordable prices at Marks & Spencer of all places.
This is the Silk & Lace Padded Plunge Bra (£16-26, A-E) in Antique Green colour. However, it’s not green, definetly more of an aqua/blue colour. The Matching knickers are £8-£12.50 and come in sizes 6-20. Some colours of this particular knicker style have sold out online, but there are more coordinating options available in slightly different cuts.
If Rosie’s line is available in your size, you owe it to yourself to take a look. So many clients bring her pieces in for their boudoir photo shoot, and everyone seems to love it.
It was lovely working with M. She’s only been in the UK a short time but was a real pro, which was a blessing with our tight timeline. Additionally, her eyes are literally half the size of her head?!
Plus – that faaaace.
For makeup, Sadaf did a gorgeous dark eye, paired with a neutral lip and great skin.
This is the navy “Midnight Hours” body from Free People, available (in slim pickings) from various retailers. ASOS has a few sizes in black on clearance, and Urban Outfitters and Revolve each have one colour which is not available at Free People website, but both are sold out at the moment. Alternatively, you can purchase this body directly from FreePeople for £68-78 in a range of colours, and in sizes XS-L .
GORG
For shoots like this, a neutral nail colour is usually best. A good french tip or nude-y colour will coordinate with all the different wardrobe pieces you bring. Also, remember your toes will show up in a few images too.
Finally, a cheap and cheerful set from M&S. We can’t all be lingerie snobs all the time, and sets like these are a great addition to your everyday lingerie. This is the matching “Penelope” bra and knicker set, available in A-DD (£4-14) and 6-20 (£4-6). This colour is called “red mix.”
Yes babes. Thanks for a fab shoot.
xx
Stormy
London boudoir photography: curvy Mollie on video
Mollie’s boudoir video
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:
ASOS CURVE Billie Lace High Leg Body £20 sizes 18-30
Bluebella Etienne Body £38 sizes 8-18
Undiz Kiz Pineapple Body £20 sizes XS-XL
ASOS PETITE Brooke Mesh & Lace Trim Body £16.00 sizes 0-16
ASOS TALL Brooke Mesh & Lace Trim Body £16.00 £12.00 sizes XS, S, & M left
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.
xx
Stormy
Hayley – boudoir photography at the warehouse
A few new bits of work from one of my favourite London shoot locations, le warehouse:) This was Hayley’s 2nd lingerie photo shoot, so it was great to use a venue with a completely different look and feel. We didn’t have much time, so we cut the chit chat and got right down to business.
A classic black lingerie set with matching heels to start things off. These lace robes are great for photo shoots – very versatile and getting easier to find every season.
We started shooting by this plant and then stopped because it was looking weird and a little too “glamour.” But then, dunno…it’s kind of grown on me? Maybe they are still a bit too much though…
For photographer friends out there, we used 1/2 of my Profoto B1 location kit for much of this shoot. It’s an ideal setup for location sessions because let’s be honest, who really has the patience to hunt for outlets and trip over wires all day?
I mean…maybe you do, but I certainly don’t.
Natural light to show off a great bum and the prettiest head shot evvahhh. Hayley did her own hair and makeup for this shoot. You probably know that I normally use professionals (you know that liquid eyeliner can smell your fear), but if you’re comfortable doing your own face and know exactly what you want, it’s always an option.
Bright colour palettes can be hard to do well (at least when indoors and living in cloudy London), but the combination here turned out fab.
Our final number is this blue lace basque-y piece paired with a navy silk robe, shot in natural light against a distressed brick wall.
SUCH a stunner. Thanks babes, lovely working with you again!
xx
Stormy