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 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!
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.
We played “Chloe gets married” at the warehouse the other day…
…don’t you think she’ll make the most stunning bride?
Perfect hair by Gemma, and fantastic-as-always makeup by Debbie. Bridal slip is Chloe’s own, and it worked perfectly.
Many of my bridal clients love the idea of using their wedding veil in their photo shoot, but often times they either don’t have it yet or are concerned about getting it dirty. Enter the ebay veil. This beauty was 8 Pounds and arrived in three days. Possibly the best purchase I’ve made this year!
Lovely lovely Chloe.
This is a boudoir shoot after all, so we stepped things up with a white bodysuit for our second look.
It’s worth noting Chloe’s red nails, which can be a little distracting. Red is a great for making a statement with dark or strongly coloured lingerie, but I’d suggest a more neutral nail colour that will transition through all of your wardrobe choices, particularly if you are planning to include a traditional white or ivory “bridal” look in the mix. We threw this shoot together on very short notice, so there was no time for a jaunt to the nail salon.
We did this set with no jewellery at all, but you could quite easily add some in if you wanted. A small necklace, diamond studs, or a gold bracelet to match Chloe’s metallic shoes would all work well.
A slightly pulled back view of this new warehouse venue. It’s very similar to the old one, so it’s great to have each as an option.
Simple, clean makeup seems to be the best pairing for a bridal boudoir set. I like a step up from natural, but not so much that it grabs your attention.
The new warehouse does have this incredible wall panel, which I fell in love with straight away.
You know I’m a sucker for the backlight.
Look 3: white lingerie separates and nude stockings. It retrospect, I wish we would have done this look barefoot or with different shoes – maybe patent nude heels. It looked great in person, but I feel like the shoes seem a bit heavy in the final images.
This mask on the left is from Tanith at the Masque Boutique. Her metal masks are incredible – if you need to look mysterious anytime soon I’d give her a shout.
Something about black and white images makes you sink into them – they always seem to feel older and more authentic. I’ve been playing around with these genuine polaroid textures and grain settings lately, I think I’m starting to get the hang of it:)
I mean…you can only be pretty and lacy for so long, right? Our last set was black on black, with a strong red lip, smokey eyes, and a lace wrap borowed from Gemma.
And see? Now the nails are purrrfect.
Chloe’s come to steal your soul in this one:)
And that’s a wrap! Chloe you were a dream to work with, thanks again for a fantastic shoot.
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.
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!
Something about black and white images makes you sink into them – they always seem to feel older and more authentic. I’ve been playing around with these genuine polaroid textures and grain settings lately, I think I’m starting to get the hang of it:)
And that’s a wrap! Chloe you were a dream to work with, thanks again for a fantastic shoot.
