So! I’m back from NYC. It was a manic, exciting, fantastic four days.
It was surreal being back in America again, but I met so many wonderfully creative people this trip. There’s an energy in NYC that is like nothing else – it’s aggressive and defensive, but also exciting and welcoming in it’s own won’t-say-I-love-you-out-loud sort of way. You get the sense that everyone is an outsider, but that very fact is what makes people belong. That feeling, combined with the fact that basically everyone I met is trying to make something happen, build something, create something, or make an impact, is addictive.
I’m currently incommunicado while I get caught up on this mountain of culling, editing, and retouching work I’ve created for myself, but I wanted to share a few behind the scenes images with you this week. There were mostly shot with my iPhone so please don’t judge:)
I flew Kuwait Airways. That’s like a trip in and of itself. Everything was late, everyone got frisked, no one spoke English, and they play an Islamic prayer set to music and meditative images as the lights go off in preparation for takeoff. I’m sure this prayer is meant to be comforting, but as a non-Islamic white girl, I suddenly felt like…uh…do I NEED to by praying right now? Should I be worried this plane needs Divine Intervention to get off the ground?! This, as I notice half the plane is empty and the tray tables are falling apart. Eeesh. On the upside, we didn’t die, I had no one sitting next to me either flight, and the food and service was good.
They also give you printed menus. On the right, NYC greeted me with the most beautiful sunset at touchdown.
I managed to get to Brooklyn by myself, via the subway, with a huge suitcase. I’m not going to lie – NYC public transport is cheap, but it isn’t pretty. By the end of the journey, which featured an assortment of people who looked tired, angry, and/or were singing loudly to no one, I understood why people just take a cab everywhere. Anyway, I made it in the end, and was welcomed by this stunning view.
Our “home” for the trip. This space was a dream, full of eclectic details and gorgeous light.
As luck would have it, my homegirl Jada happened to be in the city at the same time. We got together for a shoot and a catch up, and it was so nice to see a friendly face and talk shop. Here’s Jada’s best Kim Kardashian impression.
One more cityscape.
A sneaky sneak of what Jada and I got up to on the roof;)
Introducing my UK dream team – Katherine on hair and Gemma on makeup. It was such a pleasure having these girls along. Here’s a few outtakes from our shoot with Lauren, who was an absolute bombshell.
Gemma was looking ever so chic…
….and Katherine wasn’t having it.
It was my pleasure to work with a gorgeous woman called Philomena too. A back of the camera preview of her on the left, and a random street shot on the right.
I have decided I would like to switch my gym membership so I can become a “Chinatown Dragon Fighter” club member.
Me, Michael (previous client & friend), and Christie (fellow photographer) in the Stanton Social for dinner. Obligatory selfies ensued, I don’t know why I’m making crazy eyes. Kate (fellow photographer) joined us later, but somehow managed to escape having it photographed.
Michael and I planned a day of sightseeing before I left. This photograph commemorates the time the cab driver dropped us off about a mile from where we asked him too. We had suitcases with us, it wasn’t fun.
I mean, when in Rome…you eat the pizza.
Lady Liberty:) I feel like a proper American now.
The boat tour is definitely the way to go if you want to see the sights in a relatively short amount of time. Michael and I were both fighting exhaustion by the final morning of the trip and we almost didn’t bother, but we were both really glad we did it in the end.
We even walked to Times Square (with bags). I think if you’ve ever been to Vegas, it’s a little underwhelming. I’d like to thank this random guy on the right for photobombing us though. Well played sir, well played.
And finally, me in a cab on the way to the airport, and then on the way home.
I just want to make sure I say a massive thank you to everyone I met in New York. Each one of you were dynamic and interesting and gracious, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be in the company of such good people. It was an honour to work with you and photograph you. I also owe a big thank you to my tireless team, who flew across the ocean and battled a strange city, exhaustion, and sickness to work their magic far from home.
That said, I have SO MANY IMAGES to show you from shoots I did while I was away. I’ve got Jada, a curvy blonde bombshell; Perci, a beautiful vegan brunette in a $1200 AP jacket; Lauren, a redhead covered in tattoos; and Philomena, the most beautifully dark skinned woman with a shaved head and dangerous curves. Plus, several amazing and unique clients who might just let us have a peek at their images too:)
Just you wait and see!
xx
Stormy
P.S. I’m going back. If you missed this trip but want in on the next one, drop me a line!
More media love for plus size / curvy Rebel & Romance bombshells today:)
Jolie, a German based website, contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if they could use a few images in a lingerie article they were working on. I of course said yes, and I’m pleased to see they’ve selected a few of Lorraine and Jada’s images to illustrate the feature.
I did attempt to use Google translate on the little text blurb beside each photograph, but what came out left something to be desired. It all seemed positive though, just a bit mangled – like the instructions that come with electronics assembled in China.
Screen shots below, or feel free to check out the original feature using these links:
Lorraine is wearing a great bra and brief set here, with matching lace panels. The panels act to distract the flow of your eye (similar to the colour blocking trend), so they can be very flattering on curvy bodies.
Look, I know it goes against everything you know about lingerie, but shapewear really can be sexy when it’s worn for a boudoir photo shoot. Jada is rocking a nude bodysuit here – it’s one of those sucky-in ones designed to hold everything in place. I asked her to bring it for her shoot, and I know that she thought I’d lost my mind, but I just kept saying, “Trust me, trust me!” And see? It looks really glam, but is also understated and shows off her body rather than what she’s wearing. Something like this is also a great option for women who would struggle to find a lacy, lingerie style bodysuit in an appropriate size, because these come in quite a lot of larger cup sizes.
Overall, two great wardrobe ideas, especially if you’ve got a curvy body type.
Check out these beautiful, curvy women going absolutely VIRAL on Buzzfeed!
Big ups to Buzzfeed staffer Peggy Wang, who obviously had the average woman in mind when she selected her favourite images for this article, “33 Impossibly Sexy Boudoir Photo Poses.” I’m always honoured to photograph regular, everyday women, and it’s great to see a more realistic body shape getting some much deserved media love.
1.7 million views and climbing says you’re into the media supporting plus size / curvy / fuller figured women too. Thank you for your continued support. I hope images like these inspire you to give your own boudoir photo shoot a try!
It’s been my pleasure to work with E a few times now. She has a sort of calmness about her that is hard to describe – maybe it’s that unflappable British perseverance, or maybe she’s just wise beyond her years. Either way, she’s a treat to photograph.
We wanted to do something a little different this time around. However, as sometimes happens, we got a bit more than we bargained for.
Our original location plan was all crushed red velvet, romantic bed curtains, and gilded details reminiscent of a Queen’s bedchamber. At the last minute, we were informed there was a problem with the space that meant we would either need to reschedule or make do with another area the venue had available.
Mmmmm. That’s like, my favourite thing to hear ten minutes before we’re meant to start. {sarcasm}
Whatever. E is a trooper, and we were all there and ready to go, so we just decided to channel Tim Gunn and make it work. The space we ended up with was really nice anyway, it just wasn’t what we were planning for.
A deep blue lingerie set, originally planned to coordinate with rich red velvet and jewel tones, served as our first wardrobe option. It wouldn’t have been mine or Eugenie’s first choice for this space, but the pop of colour against the neutral palette of the room turned out pretty cool anyway. Doesn’t Miss E look stunning rocking that pose on the right?
These stripy bed poles gave us an interesting posing accessory. For makeup, we opted for a stained lip and classic lined eyes. Just enough, but not too much.
This is my favourite image from the shoot:) E looks so editorial here, she could have come straight off a magazine spread.
We finished off this shoot with a classic, lacy, cream lingerie set from Agent Provocateur, who are still my favourite lingerie retailer to date. I’ve ordered pieces from other companies recently, but nothing quite lives up to AP’s quality and craftsmanship yet. Honestly, being a boudoir photographer is making me a little snobby about lingerie. The lighter colour palette definitely felt like a more natural fit for this space though.
Also, totally unrelated, something about Miss E’s gaze and hair in this frame on the right reminds me so much of Cher from Clueless. As if.
E, you were graceful and effortless as always. Thanks again for a beautiful shoot:)
My least favourite thing about living in London is light, or rather the lack of it. The sun never seems to shine on shoot days (or any other days for that matter), so when I get lucky and find a pocket of beautiful diffused sunlight, I feel like dancing. And shooting. I generally skip dancing and start shooting immediately because it never lasts long.
I knew ahead of time that I wanted to created a clean, simple set of images for each of the girls from this shoot day. I think portraiture like this is one of the best ways to show off natural beauty and personality. There’s no hiding behind lots of crazy wardrobe and makeup, and no complicated lighting setups or effects to distract from the subject. In some ways, I think this sort of photography can be the most intimidating, because if you screw it up there’s really nothing to hide behind. On the flip side, if you know what you’re doing and get it right, it’s perfection.
If you’re a soon to be bride, this sort of look is a gorgeous way to start off an album for your groom.
Each of these images was created in a beautiful little pocket of light in the corner of a very dirty warehouse. There’s a large grimy window to the left and white polyboard just to the right of the frame to angle light back onto Katrina’s face. The whole set was photographed in a really small space, maybe 4.5 feet wide at best, and the wall behind is just unfinished plaster. Simple, simple stuff. It’s really not about having loads of expensive kit, it’s just about knowing what to do with what you’ve got. I may have thrown a reflector in at some point too, can’t quite remember.
A simple black cotton lingerie set for this look. I think Katrina has a sort of “Sunday Morning” aura in these that is approachable but still just so impossibly beautiful. She’s classical music and a big mug of milky tea.
For the life of me, I’ll never understand why people don’t like redheads. I could photograph redheads every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of them.
Reason number 758 why you should let me photograph you; one day when you’re old and grey and feeling down about it, you can pull a portrait like this out and remember. Your memory might have gone by then too, so it really will be invaluable.
I feel like the black and white version of this photo on the left is somehow really different to the coloured version above. More artistic maybe? More evocative? At any rate, I’m loving these new grainy black and whites I’ve been experimenting with and I will probably stick with the technique for a while, so I hope you all like them too!
A very different set from the rest of Katrina’s boudoir shoot is coming up soon, and it’s not one to be missed. We’re bringing you sequins and dramatic lighting and the marching band turned very, very sexy. Follow me on instagram for sneak peeks: @stormy_rebelandromance
London Boudoir Photography: Yvette in the warehouse in her smalls.
Bwah. Yvette makes me want to die my hair black and grow 80’s eyebrows. If only that would look half as good on me as it does on her. I’ve already had those eyebrows once, nobody needs to see that again.
I like Yvette. A lot. She’s got such a strong, beautiful face, and a gaze that seems to sink straight into your soul. A bit like Galadriel from Lord of the Rings. Oooh, was that too nerdy of a reference? I love this simple, soft look on her.
Anyway, I know you’ll all struggle to believe this, but Yvette was nervous for her boudoir photography session with me. Despite being a successful fashion model and and absolutely beautiful, she hasn’t done much lingerie work before. That, and she actually said to me, out loud, “I hate my body.” Now, that’s obviously silly of her because she looks incredible, and I’m sure Mrs. Y has plenty of days where she feels great. Still, I think it’s helpful to know that come shoot day she was battling the same self-doubt the rest of us do.
Yvette got into the groove quickly and was a dream to shoot, but I’ll use her as an excuse to mention something I’ve been wanting to say. Occasionally people make comments to me about “real women.” It’s often said in a way that demeans women who are slender, and that doesn’t help anyone feel better about anything. People seem to forget that models are even human sometimes. I work with models quite often so I have a different perspective – I meet them in person and see what they have to go through, we laugh and chat just like I do with any of my other clients. I do get it – it’s hard to feel like you can relate to models as a group, but they are women too. It if you’re feeling incredulous at the idea that a model might have a crisis of confidence, keep this in mind; their entire CAREER revolves around looking amazing. And they are just as “real” as anyone else is.
If your appearance is your job, you’re under constant pressure regarding how you look, especially when you consider that your career starts at 14 and ends at what, 30? When you take the time to think about it, it’s 100% understandable that even the most beautiful women could struggle under than kind of scrutiny. I do think that inside, we’re all basically the same. We have the same confidence issues, the same struggles. It doesn’t help any of us when we devalue a woman based on having a certain body type. We need to stick together girls. T-o-g-e-t-h-e-r. Anyway, I’ll step down off my soap box now!
Don’t you think Yvette has a very pretty profile? I told her than after taking this shot on the left, which she probably thought was a weird thing to say:)
For our next look, we went for a darker and more fashion-oriented feel. This makeup (courtesy of the ever talented Gemma) would be too strong for many, but it’s perfect on Yvette, who has the colouring and angular features to pull it off.
This is also a great example of an easy way to mix lingerie with everyday pieces to create an editorial feel. Katrina was our stylist for the day, and here she’s paired a custom, hand-detailed black bra with a black, patterned skirt. The skirt gives a little extra coverage, but it’s sheerness means it still reads as suggestive and sexy. Basically, the best of both worlds.
Yvette is all arms and legs and moody beauty here.
Okay….I know some of you hate snakes. But when you are lucky enough to have snakes on set, you USE THE SNAKES.
Yvette is in a green crushed velvet bodysuit, chunky black boots, and a furry black jacket. This is a great starting point for a boudoir photoshoot outfit that reads cool, urban, grungy, etc. It reminds me a bit of American Apparel, except more flattering (why do they make all the girls in their ads look so terrible?).
One snake, two snake:)
…and one last beautiful frame:) Mucho gracias to Katrina for excellent styling and snake charming.
To conclude the earlier thoughts I shared, I feel like I’m learning more about women and self confidence every day. The one idea I’m starting to come around to is that inhabiting your own skin comfortably is not about your shape, size, or age. It’s not about your weight or what other people say or don’t say about you. It’s just not. And that’s sort of sucky, because it’s so tempting and alluring to believe it could be that simple.
A diet is certainly an easier fix than the mental work required to change your opinion of yourself. So many of us live with this hope/illusion that if we could just lose ten pounds, if we could just get that boob job or get our wonky nose fixed or get rid of that birthmark that we would suddenly be so much happier. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the answer is more than skin deep.
I’m really interested in specific actions that lead to more self-confidence and less self-loathing in women. I don’t have the answers yet, but I know that a boudoir photo shoot certainly seems to help. I’m looking for ways I can amplify this effect for clients. If you have suggestions, personal experiences, or other avenues that have worked for you, I’d love to hear about them. Please share. We all need more:)
As promised, a few group shots are ready for this week. Handmade lingerie pieces, snake charming, and individual boudoir photo shoots with each of these ladies coming soon.
I love how clean and classic this image on the left turned out. The black and white feels a little more arty and gritty to me, but I really like both.
Turn around, bright eyes.
Attempting to stay fashion-face serious while touching bums? Yeah…not really possible. We had such a good laugh, and I thought these images of the girls cracking were too fun to be missed.
A little posing by a ladder we found…
…and one last shot for today in colour. Blue backlight – how very moody and mysterious of us:)
Hot off the Press: Winning Image Award from The Association of International Boudoir Photographers
On a whim, I entered an image from one of my recent shoots into a competition. I don’t normally spend much time chasing awards and accolades, but the theme was “Yellow,” all the submissions were coming from boudoir photographers, and I had just happened to make friends with a pretty yellow python on a boudoir photo shoot a few weeks before. I didn’t expect much to come from it, but last weekend I woke up to a lovely surprise;
We won!
Mucho gracias to the lovely Katrina, who looks absolutely stunning, Gemma our makeup artist for the day, and of course to Sunny the yellow python for nailing a killer pose.
There are a few additional images from this set that I’ll be releasing in the weeks to come. If you hate snakes please accept my apologies for creeping you on a somewhat regular basis. The rest of you – stay tuned for more slithery goodness.
Sneak Peek: Sarah, Yvette, and Katrina’s Boudoir Photo Shoot
It was such a pleasure working with these gorgeous women the other week. Such beautiful, strong girls for a boudoir photo shoot. In fact, we had such a successful boudoir photo shoot that I’m really struggling to narrow the images down to favourites. I know it’s going to take me ages, so I just couldn’t resist a little sneak peek.
I love these girls together. All so different, each with a unique look and personality, yet their differences compliment each other beautifully. They are also just really, really lovely people to work with.
Katrina (redhead in the middle) and I have been trying to get together for ages. She was one of the very first women I worked with when launching Rebel & Romance, and I just love her. We’ve been struggling to make a second shoot happen due to our crazy schedules, but we finally managed it. We picked a date, arranged the location, talked the lovely Gemma into helping us out with her mad makeup skills, and invited the lovely Sarah and Yvette along for the party too.
Everything was shaping up for a great boudoir photo shoot, and then Katrina shows up at the bottom of the stairs with THE MOST AMAZING WARDROBE EVER. It filled the green room in an explosion of tulle, gold, and sparkly things. Honestly, I think it was a spread that would have made even Carrie Bradshaw gasp. Then….she whips out her three snake babies. I KNOW. It’s all natural beauty and pretty as posies here, but don’t let that fool you. These girls have edge too.
Can’t wait to show you. Stay tuned.
xx
Stormy
Interested in booking your own Boudoir Photo Shoot?
I’d love to fill you in on all the details and plan something great with you. Dates for Valentine’s Day gifts go quickly, so just drop me an email ([email protected]) or give me a ring (Stormy at 07799 390468) and we’ll get you booked in for your very own Boudoir Photo Shoot ahead of the rush!
London Boudoir Photographer: Sarah’s Boudoir Shoot
Today I’m honoured to share with you the beauty and depth that is Miss Sarah.
When Sarah and I first spoke, she told told me about all the usual stuff – her challenging but rewarding job, what she does with her spare time (travel, run, and bake delicious cakes, not necessarily in that order), and about her plans for the coming weekend. I suppose it’s part of my job as a London Boudoir Photographer to dig a bit, so I kept asking questions until we got to the heart of the matter, which is this: Sarah feels so lucky to have people who love her, care about her, and tell her daily how beautiful she is. But despite all this, Sarah does not often feel beautiful.
That, my friends, is a crying shame.
I wasn’t having it. Sarah is amazing – the sort of person I’d want around in a crisis, the sort of person you’d trust your kids with. The Mercy Ships Project is on her bucket list for crying out loud, if that doesn’t make you beautiful then I don’t know what does.
I know some of you may be thinking, “Okay yes, beauty comes from the inside and all that feel good babble, but some people are just not genetically blessed.” Wrong. Sarah is superficially beautiful as well, and I made it my mission as a London Boudoir Photographer to prove it to her.
We started with a Pinterest board, I recruited some top girls for hair and makeup, and we got down to business. We kept it a surprise from her Mr., so we got to be a little sneaky too.
Love these backlit, black and white images. They always end up feeling so classic and sophisticated.
Legs for days. Weeks even.
Happy Sarah. Awwww.
This fitted lace slip photographed so well. If you loathe your stomach, something like this is a great option to consider. I feel like one of the most important parts of my job as a London Boudoir Photographer is advising clients on what to expect and how to prepare for a boudoir shoot, so don’t worry if you feel unsure – we’ll go through everything!
GORGEOUS.
Oh hi, my name is Sarah, but you can just call me Emma Watson…
…also, I run the show around here.
A few pretty details.
Sarah, it was honestly such a pleasure to photograph you and to get to know you. Wishing you the very best for the future:) The very very very best, because it’s obvious to me that you deserve it.
xx
Stormy
P.S. A little before picture, and a few thoughts from Sarah:
Are you looking for a London Boudoir Photographer?
I’d be honoured if you’d consider me as your London Boudoir Photographer. I genuinely love what I do, and my clients and I always seem to have the best time together. If you’d like to learn more about what it’s like to work with me, details on how a session works, or would just like to have a chat to see if we’re a good match, please feel free to get in touch.
To contact Stormy, London Boudoir Photographer and owner of Rebel & Romance Boudoir Photography, please email [email protected] or call 07799 390468.
