I’m appalled that I’ve waited so long to share these images, but if you like theatrical outfits, the circus, and/or things that sparkle, I have something very special for you…
Say hello to Katrina (again): acrobat, snake charmer, lingerie creator, Aussie beauty, and an incredibly lovely person to work with. There’s nothing about this woman that I don’t like, and it’s a happy day when we get to shoot.
The learning curve certainly starts to level off after your first few years of photography. It’s at once a blessing and a curse. In a way, it’s encouraging that massive improvements are no longer an easy feat. It means you’ve mastered the basics, honed your style, developed your eye, etc. On the other hand, it’s frustrating doing shoot after shoot after shoot, knowing that none of them are going to elevate your portfolio to the next level. Make no mistake, I’m still learning from every single shoot, but improvements for me now are small, probably imperceptible to the average person. My big steps forward are happening on the running-a-business end of things rather than in pursuit of those elusive “next level” images.
That said, I feel like each time I’ve photographed Katrina I’ve created my best work yet. Maybe it’s because we’re on the same wavelength, or maybe it’s just that it’s practically impossible to take a bad photograph of her, but either way I’ll take it. The creative in me drinks deep working with her.
I’m so pleased to share this set of images with you. I hope you love them as much as we do. I owe a huge thank you to Gemma for her fantastic makeup artistry, and the rest of the girls that day for creating a fun, easygoing atmosphere and being so willing to lend a hand. It’s always a team effort, and I seem to get really lucky in that department lately.
I’d just add that if you’re here by chance and are offended by sequinned nipple tassels, I’d navigate away now;)
Katrina is going to take you to church. And when I say church, I mean a sexy, mysterious, back alley circus where the beautiful people play.
If you’re already hopelessly in love, you can purchase some of Katrina’s hand made pieces for yourself. She has an incredible collection of nipple tassels, bedazzled lingerie, and a few beautiful flowing skirts. To see it all, visit her Etsy shop or follow her on Instagram at @strippedbeautiful.
You cannot stop us. We’ll shoot whatever manner of lingerie ridiculousness we want. There are no rules here.
How do you know when there is too much gold? Trick question: there is never too much gold. Also, I’ll tell other photographers out there that you CAN put someone in front of a small softbox, shoot directly into an unbalanced modelling light, and still get great results. Shock-horror, I know. The photography community told us all we’d have to surrender our first born children if we did that, but it turns out it’s totally fine.
A simple set up – one light, one ladder, one wall, one model.
A second wardrobe look – this one is all pom poms and roses. If you’re feeling intimidated by Katrina’s muscles, you’re not alone. She’s in the midst of intense training and is incredibly fit, very bendy, and very strong right now. It’s totally fine if you do not look like this:)
After dark at the warehouse. I love how blue the night sky goes.
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:)
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 (stormy@rebelandromance.com) 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 stormy@rebelandromance.com or call 07799 390468.
Boudoir Photo Shoot Group Day: 13th September, 2013 in London
Back by popular demand….the Group Day.
Our first Boudoir Photo Shoot Group Day at this stunning Victorian Mansion was everything I hoped for and more. Another one has been in the works for a while, and after a few last minute hiccups I’m excited to announce we’ll be going for round 2 on the 13th of September.
This time we’re going for a “Last Days of Summer” feel. We have the perfect location secured for the day – a mix of French/English garden, eclectic knickknacks, beautiful details, and classic elements. I’m so thankful to Kathryn, who has graciously offered to open up her home to us for the day. Above and below, you’ll see a selection of images Olivia, Debbie, and I created here last year. I don’t know if it was the sun or the wine or just the act of creating art for art’s sake, but we all felt something magic working here, and I know you will too.
If you’ve never had a boudoir session with me before, I’d highly recommend you consider this Group Day as a way to get your feet wet. Group Days are honestly so much fun, and it’s a real ego booster to be around a bunch of women that can’t wait to encourage you and be your cheerleader. We’d LOVE to have you. Seriously. Come join us.
Here’s a little video to give you a better feel for how beautiful this space is:
Session Fee:
300 Pounds per person
All Clients Will Receive:
A consultation call with me prior to the shoot. I’ll give you some tips on how to prepare for your session, what to expect on the day, and we’ll just get to know each other a bit so I don’t feel like a total stranger! We’ll also talk about your style and address any concerns or questions you might have.
Professional makeup and hairstyling.
One hour camera time with me, including excellent posing and coaching help.
Unlimited “sets” and wardrobe changes, as timing allows. If desired, there may be an option for some clients to add on an additional hour of shooting time, please enquire for details.
A private viewing session a few weeks after your shoot. You’ll be able to see all the finished images from your shoot and revel in your good looks.
Your favourite two images are included in the package price as high resolution digital files (no extra to pay). Additional products and images will be also available at your viewing session. Digital images are available from 50 Pounds each. Many clients chose to create a beautiful keepsake album to house all their favourite images, or a full selection of wall hangings and canvas displays are also available.
Booking Details
Spaces for this September’s Group Day are limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact me as soon as possible if you’d like to join us, you won’t regret it:) The easiest way to reserve your spot is to email me at stormy@rebelandromance.com
The 300 Pound Session Fee is due in order to reserve you place on the 13th. This is payable via Bank Transfer or PayPal (small surcharge applies). You can also use any major credit or debit card with PayPal, no PayPal account required.
Questions and Contact Info:
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at stormy@rebelandromance.com
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 stormy@rebelandromance.com 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.
