Fine Art Nude Photography: Olivia’s Plus Size Boudoir Photo Shoot in London
I’m so excited to share these with you girls.
Below is my most recent shoot with the fantastically curvy and evocative Olivia, and makeup artist/genius Debbie Purkiss. The three of us have been dying to shoot together again, since our first plus size boudoir photo shoot turned out so well. If you missed that first shoot, you really ought to go have a look at it. It’s one of my all time favourites, a magical combination of beauty, power, gorgeous location, and everything clicking into place at precisely the right moment. How “annoyingly arty” do I sound right now? Just go look and I’ll shut up about it.
Anyhow, the three of us are busy and have a million things going on, so we’ve been struggling to plan a second shoot. Then one random Tuesday Olivia text (texted? is there an official past tense for the verb text yet?) about a potential publication opportunity with a fast approaching deadline. It was just the push we needed, and we managed to get a shoot date, location, and theme set up by the following week.
These images may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love the way the way they turned out. I’ve been wanting to challenge myself with fine art nude photography for a while. I’m pretty picky – I don’t like nudity just for nudity’s sake. It’s got to be tasteful and intentional without being too in-your-face, which can be a tricky balance to strike. Because Olivia is a plus size model, that raised the stakes even more.
It’s not my wish to offend anyone in the industry or to be in anyway negative about what real bodies look like, but I just don’t see a lot of photography of plus size women that I consider flattering. It seems increasingly popular to photograph curvy women eating giant bowls of pasta (what, exactly, are these people trying to say? That eating carbs is all a plus size woman is good for? or that having hips means you’re an unhealthy glutton? or are they attempting to make us believe this was an original idea that hasn’t already been done a million times?).
I’m also not a fan of images of plus size women, or any women frankly, that emphasise their RAW! REAL! CELLULITE! What is that about? Does anyone actually want to be photographed that way? I don’t find it flattering, I find it blatantly objectifying.
I’m in two minds about these images being featured in the latest issue of VolUp2 Magazine. I love the images we created, and I’m proud that we’re waving the banner high for women of all sizes to see themselves as beautiful and worthy. I love that we managed to combine fine art nude photography and a plus size boudoir photo shoot into one collection of images, and that we were all thrilled with the results. That said, it’s obvious that the magazine and I have very different ideas of how a woman’s beauty is best portrayed and celebrated. We’re just not a good match, VolUp2 and I. Oh well, live and learn I guess.
Anyway, enough talk. Here’s Olivia…nekkid.
A classic fine art nude photography pose.
There are loads more from this shoot. I’m hoping we can get a few of those published too, so we’ll be keeping them under wraps for a while.
Hopefully, more coming soon:) Thanks to Olivia and Debbie for being amazing, as usual.
xx
Stormy
Are you considering your own Fine Art Nude Photography or Plus Size Boudoir Photo Shoot?
If so, I’d love to chat with you about a plus size boudoir photo shoot with me works. There is no need to step all the way into fine art nude photography if you’re not comfortable with the idea, lingerie or clothed shoots are beautiful too. Please feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] for my latest session info, or give me a ring and we can go through all the details and talk about how you would like to be portrayed during your fine art nude photography session or plus size boudoir photo shoot.
Hot off the Press: Rebel & Romance London Boudoir Photography Featured in VolUp2 Magazine
Just a quick post today to say that I’ve had a few images from my most recent shoot with plus size model Olivia and makeup artist Debbie published in the latest issue of VolUp2 Magazine.
VolUp2 Magazine describes themselves as:
” A bilingual English/French online quarterly magazine showcasing diverse beauty, with an emphasis on curvy women, and exploring the generosity of Mind, Body and Spirit. Brought to you by supermodel Velvet d’Amour.”
Print copies are available here. I’ll be doing a full post with images from this shoot on the blog next week, so tune in then if you’d like to see what we got up to.
Today’s post features Callie wearing lingerie from the couture bridal line Sambalina. This shoot took place in a beautiful penthouse venue high atop East London.
We started out rather French, in this gorgeous heavyweight dutchess silk satin Passion Vine Corset.
This is a great bridal piece, with proper boning, a lace up back, and silver beaded embellishments along the top.
To be honest, the sample garment we had was swimming on Callie, and we had to do a little clever pinning at the back. Okay…a lot of pinning. Still looks fab so who cares.
Through the looking glass.
I’m 99% sure this bedroom set comes from The French Bedroom Company, and it’s a dream for photos. A bit to blingy for me in real life, but it comes up a treat with a little post production.
Lovely separates here, these would be great for a bridal look.
Curtains: you just can’t beat them:)
A simple, feminine white set here. This place has the most amazing wrap-around terrace.
It was actually quite windy though, we nearly lost this veil.
Bride in city. Check.
See what I mean about the wind?! We resorted to having Callie hold it…
…and then I held it for a bit too. So worth it though, love this image.
A gutsy black and white.
And a few grainy wind/veil shots to finish the look.
Such a fun set.
We popped back inside for one last set. This babydoll is gorgeous but unfortunately was in terrible need of a steamer.
We did the best we could, and really, I don’t think it matters – Callie looks ace.
London Boudoir Photography: Georgia’s Boudoir Photo Shoot in Chelsea Harbour
I’m so pleased to be sharing Miss Georgia’s Boudoir Photo Shoot with you all today. Georgia is such a fun, sweet person, and we had a great time on her shoot. Our goal was to create a beautiful album as a surprise gift for her boyfriend’s birthday (such lucky, lucky men in London this summer!), and I’m happy to say it went down well:)
We held this session at a fantastic penthouse in Chelsea Harbour. I’d never actually been to Chelsea Harbour before planning for this London Boudoir Photography Session, which is probably good, because now I obviously know that I need to live there. And buy a boat. You know, for my allocated boat parking spot (is that a thing?) in the harbour. It’s such a beautiful part of the city, and a real treat to work there for the day.
Isn’t Georgia just the prettiest thing ever?
I’ve been wanting to use a sequin covered dress in a shoot for a while now, so when I found this number in Georgia’s closet I immediately suggested we use it.
Gold and sun and sparkles and smoky eyes. Heaven.
Love this sort of dress as a wardrobe option for London Boudoir Photography Sessions – it’s glam and does a great job showing off legs, but is still conservative enough to use for outdoor locations if there are a few passersby. Win/win.
For our second look, we stepped inside for a classic “white sheet” set. This is such a simple setup but it always works beautifully.
Miss G is wearing a simple white lingerie set here. Bottoms with this kind of “perfect fit” stretchy wide band are a really great choice for boudoir because they won’t dig into your body and the sizing is really forgiving. If you’re shopping online, this is an easy, almost-always-fits option and will cut down on the return pile.
I do not care what anyone says, there is NOTHING quite like gorgeous natural light for flattering women. Georgia’s black set on the left is an Agent Provocateur classic.
Then I was like, “Hey Georgia, can you climb into the curtains?”
Luckily she agreed without looking at me like I’d lost my mind, and we even had an extra guest turn up to help:)
Yummy backlight, and Miss G is WORKING IT.
In case you need another reason to spend out on that perfect LBD, you can also use it for your London Boudoir Photography session. Just being helpful:)
One of my favourite images from the day. Love this.
One last set in that tried and true classic – the men’s dress shirt. We chose a blue and white stripe for a fun, flirty look.
Georgia, you’re such a beautiful person, thanks for an amazing shoot. Hope work isn’t too manic, really looking forward to photographing you and your Mr. soon:)
xx
Stormy
Are you considering booking your own London Boudoir Photography Session?
You won’t regret it. Every session includes a pre-shoot consultation with me to sketch out a plan of action, talk about all the details, and help you prepare and know what to expect. On the day of the shoot, you’ll have professional makeup and hair, a tailored location, and expert posing and coaching help the whole way through. Lots of clients say it’s just like hanging out with girlfriends (albeit in some very sexy clothes), and we do our best to make everything relaxed and fun. It’s not half as scary as you’re imagining it to be, and at least twice as empowering as you’re hoping. I’d love to chat with you about how everything works, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can reach me (Stormy) at [email protected] or give me a ring at 07799 390468. Alternatively, you can get all the basic details on what a London Boudoir Photography session with me includes on the Session Info page.
Boudoir Photo Shoot London: Miss A’s Boudoir Photography Session
Miss A and I arranged a boudoir photography session ahead of her Elopement/Wedding this summer. It’s something she’s always wanted to do, and creating a gorgeous album to surprise her Groom with was the perfect excuse to go ahead and set up a shoot. We worked out all the details and then met up in the city early one Sunday morning (note to self: absolutely nothing is open in the Financial District on a Sunday morning. Nothing.)
As always, I suggested she think about different shapes, styles and colours when shopping for lingerie. This lacy red number is the prefect example of how you can do a bold colour without it coming across cheap.
This location was great too. I love unique details like this brick wall since they add a little more depth to the final images.
Of couse nothing beats beautiful window light, except maybe spending your whole life walking around on legs as perfect as these!
This is one of those poses that feels so ridiculous and un-sexy when you’re doing it, but it creates a killer shot when done correctly. There are no boys allowed on a boudoir photography session with me though, so no harm in being silly and working at it until it’s just right:)
I also suggested Miss A go for one outfit that included the full lingerie getup – stockings, suspenders, heels – the whole shebang. I love this look, and it’s always a favourite with husbands and partners too. Sure, it takes 20 minutes to put on, but it’s worth it.
This mirror was loads of fun too.
Oh Miss A. Well done on that sultry gaze!
Miss A has one of those beauty pageant smiles, with the perfect teeth to match. She’s really cool though, and I’m pretty certain she could find Iraq on a map if needed.
This shot on the right took quite a lot of rearranging of furniture and balancing on heels. As sometimes happens, I didn’t feel like it was working that well during the process of creating it, but I was dead wrong. Every single image from this set turned out great, and it resulted in some of my favourite images from Miss A’s entire boudoir photography session.
That cool brick wall and my D&G silk wrap make a dynamic duo, don’tchya think?
One quick change into one of my corsets and this glamorous silk bedding. I love this setup, and Miss A looks fab in these colours.
That’s a wrap! Miss A, it was great getting to know you and working with you. Congrats on your wedding!
xx
Stormy
P.S. Miss A sent me this little email recently. In case you’ve been wondering, my approval rating with the boys is excellent, lol!
Have you been thinking about booking in your own Boudoir Photography Session?
I’d love to chat with you about how it all works! A boudoir photography session is a great way to surprise a partner, but it’s an even better way to treat yourself. No experience necessary, all ages, shapes, sizes, etc. welcome. Please feel free to drop me an email for all the details on scheduling and preparing for your own boudoir photography session.
Hot off the Press: Rebel & Romance Boudoir Photography featured in Philosophie Boudoir Magazine
It’s an honour to be featured in the latest issue of Philosophie Boudoir Magazine, an internationally distributed publication that curates and presents beautiful boudoir imagery. Part magazine, part fine art/coffee table book, this publication is put out by the Association of International Boudoir Photographers and is available for purchase here.
I love Philosophie’s mission statement, which is “to portray women in the most beautiful light, both literally and metaphorically.” They chose two of my favourite images of Jada and Olivia to print, check out the tear sheets below:)
I’m also excited to let you in on a little secret…I’ve done a second shoot with the fabulous Olivia. I can’t say much about it now, except that the shoot was genius and involved a little bit of pin up, a little bit of Morocco, and a lot of fine art nudity. Selected images are slated for publication in August, but I’ll keep you posted as I’m given release dates. It’s all very hush-hush and secretive with printed publications, but you can see a teensy sneak peek by following me at: stormy_rebelandromance
Bury St. Edmunds Boudoir Photo Shoot: Natasha’s Boudoir Photo Shoot in London
I seem to attract my American homegirls like a moth to a flame lately (not that I’m complaining, I love you ladies). Natasha is one of them. She’s a beautiful mother of two adorable boys, a loving wife, and most importantly, a totally dynamic, amazing woman who has your back from the word go.
Natasha lives near the Bury St. Edmunds, so we planned her Bury St. Edmunds boudoir photo shoot using a mish-mash of Pinterest boards and emails and phone calls. The whole thing was supposed to be a surprise, but she got too excited about it and ended up telling her Mr. ahead of time. Oh well, not the first that’s happened:)
Then we got really carried away and planned a destination photo shoot in Paris too. Y’know, as you do. More on that soon.
Mrs. N and I opted for a luxury, boutique hotel in Central London. You’ve got options for you own Bury St. Edmunds Boudoir Photo Shoot, we can shoot nearer you or me, it just depends on what works with your schedule and what look and feel you want your session to have.
Not your Mom’s (Mum’s) shapewear. Purple is such a great colour with this sort of skin tone, and I love how this image turned out.
How amazing are Mrs. N’s abs? Hand on heart, she has two children. I have actually seen them, otherwise I would have called her a liar.
Love this smile.
Oh hello hot mama!
Give me a window and some sheer curtains, and I’m a happy photographer. Mrs. N looks divine in the backlight.
COVERGIRL
This giant blue headboard was my favourite feature of this location.
Tasha has a Rihanna sort of thing going on in this image on the right, which I loooove. Louboutins borrowed from my shoot wardrobe never hurt either:)
Super sexy bodyscape.
I do a LOT of stupid things on shoots in order to make people crack up like this. I’m fully aware I look and sound like an idiot, but c’mon, is it not totally worth it?
It’s seems like lately I’ve been blessed with really great light in bathrooms. I don’t know what this is all about, but I’m going with it. Tasha, you are SO BEAUTIFUL, in a tub or out of it!
Genius. Loved this whole shoot, and I can’t wait to do more Bury St. Edmunds Boudoir Photo Shoot sessions. A little bird told me there are a few of you out there that are interested, so don’t be shy!
Tasha, you know I adore you – thanks for an amazing shoot and for being so lovely and cool:) Everyone else, stay tuned for more of Mrs. T and her Mr. in Paris!
Ready to start planning your very own Bury St. Edmunds Boudoir Photo Shoot with me?
I’d love to chat with you about all the details of how a London Boudoir Photography session with me works, or how we can arrange to hold your session in Bury St. Edmunds or Cambridge instead. We’ll go over what you can expect, how to prepare, and talk about the beautiful imagery we can create for you. A Bury St. Edmunds Boudoir Photo Shoot is a great way to surprise your husband while he’s away, or just give yourself a bit ol’ confidence boost. Please feel free to get in touch, you can reach me (Stormy) at 07799 390468, or just drop me an email here. We’ll plan a Bury St. Edmunds boudoir photo shoot that will thrill you:)
Hot off the Press: Rebel & Romance Bridal Boudoir Photography Featured in Pretty Pear Bride
I’m thrilled that Rebel & Romance Boudoir Photography has recently been featured in the Summer Issue of Pretty Pear Bride. Images I created with Jada, A, and Olivia were selected as a muli-page feature showcasing bridal boudoir photography for curvy women.
Editor Shafonne, the brains behind Pretty Pear Bride explains that, “Pretty Pear Bride was started as a site where plus size brides can find bridal inspiration that THEY long for. So many people planning their weddings struggle with finding inspiration that includes images that look like them. Everyone wants to see people that look like them, doing what they are trying to do because it allows them to envision that they can be just as glamorous and gorgeous as they imagined. So the mission was clear: merge a love for blogging and wedding planning with creating a place for plus size brides to see themselves in wedding inspiration.”
The Summer Issue of Pretty Pear Bride is available for purchase here, or you can stop by their website for a regular dose of curvy bridal inspiration.
xx
Stormy
Ready to start planning your very own Bridal Boudoir Photography Session or Plus Size Boudoir Photography Shoot with me?
I’d love to chat with you about all the details of how a London Boudoir Photography session with me works, including what to expect, how to prepare, and what sort of fabulousness we can create for you. I do this job because I love it, and we always have a great time). Please feel free to get in touch, you can reach me (Stormy) at 07799 390468, or just drop me an email here. Plus size boudoir photography clients and curvy girls are more than welcome:)
International Boudoir Photography: a Destination Photography Session in Paris
So, I was recently in Paris for work….if you can call doing a destination photography session with beautiful people (Natasha & Derek) in the most romantic city in the world “work” that is:) Although it was a very quick trip, it was such a great experience and I thought I’d share a few travel pictures with you here, ahead of showing you all the gorgeous proper images of N&D of course.
It was my first trip to Paris. Despite lots of warnings about the attitude of “The French,” I’m happy to report that only one waitress was excessively rude to me. Everyone else was fine, nice even! Seeing as I speak exactly two French words (Bonjour and Boudoir), it was a pleasant surprise. I did spend quite a lot of time in a panic that someone would try to talk to me, but it’s still a city after all, and people mostly keep to themselves. I’ve spoken to a few friends about this since returning, and we’ve all agreed that if you can survive the complete and total unfriendliness that is living in London, Paris is no worse.
One of the first images I took in Paris. This was just outside our hotel. Basically, the whole city looks like this – the WHOLE city. You have to see it to believe it.
The Louvre, the Seine, and that time my husband said his famous last words, “It’s only about a ten minute walk.”
Such a perfect street.
La Tour Eiffel.
I call this “The Belly of the Beast.” The Eiffel Tower is way, way bigger than you expect it to be. Precisely the opposite of Big Ben.
The Lock Bridge….
…so glad I did my nails. Unfortunately, orange doesn’t seem that romantic on second thought. Oh well.
This guy was amazing.
There must be a thousand great locations to plan a destination photography session, but I’m glad this one was in Paris.
This is the Bato Bus. The Bato Bus is my friend, especially after walking the whole day prior to our shoot. This is the time where I almost fell of the back of the boat.
Awww. Big dress. Romance. Paris. Photography. All things I like:)
My husband took these. I think he’s trying to put me out of a job.
Luckily, as long as he keeps getting distracted by pigeons, I think I’ll be okay:)
So that’s it! A little roundup of my first destination photography session in Paris. Stay tuned for finished images of Natasha and Derek, you won’t want to miss them.
I love the idea of doing more destination photography sessions like this, so if it’s something you’re interested in please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Boudoir, anniversary, engagement, birthday, just because – I’m not picky! All excuses are good excuses in my book, and flights in Europe are pretty cheap at the moment – let’s plan something amazing:)
xx
Stormy
Ready to start planning your very own Destination Photography Session with me?
I’d love to chat with you about all the details of how a London Boudoir Photography session with me works, or how we can arrange to hold your session in any major city worldwide. We’ll go over what you can expect, how to prepare, and talk about the beautiful imagery we can create for you. Destination Photography Sessions are so much fun, and they make the perfect surprise gift for a partner, or even better – as a mini holiday and a big confidence boost for yourself. Please feel free to get in touch, you can reach me (Stormy) at 07799 390468, or just drop me an email here. We’ll plan a Destination Photography Session that will thrill you:)
Plus Size Boudoir Photography: Kate’s Boudoir Photo Shoot in London
Today’s blog beauty is Kate….
Kate is a blonde bombshell, and she came well prepared with lots of outfit and shoe options. This is Kate’s first plus size boudoir photography session with me, but I suspect we’ll be going for round two before we know it:) Enjoy.
Kate and I arranged to shoot at a gorgeous French antique sort of location in East London. Although this place has a few quirks, I really loved shooting here and am looking forward to going back.
I mean, with a bed like that it’s never going to be a hard sell, is it? I love Kate in this simple white lingerie set. Throw on a veil and a garter and this is a great way to do a contemporary bridal boudoir look.
Such a pretty face!
We added in this frilly white petticoat from Kate’s personal lingerie collection, and it worked so well. Items like this are great for covering up trouble bits, and they also give us lots of fun posing options. If you love images that showcase movement, a big skirt or dress is a no-fail way to create that look.
Just like Sunday morning…
There’s nothing like good backlighting to highlight natural beauty.
Probably my favourite image of the day. Look. At. Those. Legs. Also, it reminds me of a particular plus size boudoir photography editorial shot by Vogue photographer Steven Meisel. I wrote about it ages ago, you can see the images here.
This simple black bodysuit is a great option for a plus size boudoir photography session with Rebel & Romance Boudoir Photography.
Kate makes it all look so effortless.
I opted for a lot of black and white images in the end. The moodiness and contrast seems to fit Kate a bit better than a light and airy colour images, even though during the shoot I was envisioning a much lighter outcome.
At the very end of the shoot, Kate whips this bad boy out. Although she warned me, at length, how everyone hates it and makes fun of her for wearing it, I really really want one now.
Kate, you were fab! Can’t wait until next time;)
xx
Stormy
Ready to start planning your very own Plus Size Boudoir Photography Session with me?
I’d love to chat with you about all the details of how a London Boudoir Photography session with me works, or how we can arrange to hold your session in any major city worldwide. We’ll go over what you can expect, how to prepare, and talk about the beautiful imagery we can create for you. Plus Size Boudoir Photography Sessions are so much fun, and they make the perfect surprise gift for a partner, or even better – as a big confidence boost for yourself. Please feel free to get in touch, you can reach me (Stormy) at 07799 390468, or just drop me an email here. We’ll plan a Plus Size Boudoir Photography Session that will thrill you:)
This place has the most amazing wrap-around terrace.
