A rare treat today – a few anonymous images from a recent couple’s boudoir shoot. This pair has an edgy, alternative vibe and were great fun to work with. To maintain their privacy, we’re keeping everything cloak and dagger, but you can still get a feel for how things turned out;)
Love a good black and white details shot.
I know this is just one person, but how gorgeous does Mrs. look here? Those shoes too…
Bums and hands:)
Seeeriously. Legs for days.
We did an “Eyes Wide Shut” inspired set with some of the Venetian masks I have available for clients. Obviously you can’t see them here, but they turned out great and it’s a theme I’d happily shoot again.
Anyone else feeling like it’s time to hit the gym? Such good figures on these two.
A slightly different frame here. It think black and white feels more classic.
Good light never fails.
Jeffrey Campbell spiked boots and lots of edgy accessories made for a completely different feel to the second half of the shoot. Part of the fun of a photo shoot is that you can put your own personality and style into it, whether you’re the corporate power suit type, the rock ‘n roll headbanger type, or something in between.
Mr. and Mrs., it was lovely working with both of you!
Wedding season is upon us, and it’s been lovely working with so many of this year’s brides. If you’re engaged, let me personally invite you to consider a bridal boudoir session.
Obviously, bridal boudoir photography makes an incredible, daring, thoughtful groom’s gift. A gorgeous album full of images like these is sure to be a present your significant other never forgets (and it’s so much better than personalised cufflinks), but it’s a great idea for you too. Wedding planning is no joke after all. What starts out as a magical, fun project full of romance and fairytales can often devolve into a stressful, full-time job. It’s important to take time out so the pressure doesn’t get to you. Even if you’ve hired the most brilliant planner and everything is going swimmingly, it’s still a major life event that comes with stress and uncertainty. You deserve a break! Odds are you’ve been hitting the gym hard too, so there’s never a better time to document what your dedication to the treadmill has earned you;)
Here are a few of my favourite images of Miriam, from my recent shoot with Essex based hair and makeup agency TeamGlam.
For bridal boudoir, either white or cream lingerie works best. Pair your wedding shoes, nude heels, or play up the “something blue” inspired by Carrie Bradshaw.
It’s also a great time to experiment with styling, because you can be a little braver than you might want to be on your actual wedding day. Something like this boho lace hairpiece is the perfect example – looks fab here, but might not be quite right for walking down the aisle.
I like white stocking for bridal lingerie looks. If you’re not a fan, a nude set also works well, or you can go without. Avoid black though, it looks weird.
Loooove this look.
Le veil! You all know I have a special place in my heart for a good ebay veil. This gorgeous number was lent to us by one of the TeamGlam girls, and it’s from her own wedding many years ago.
When it comes to boudoir photography, veils fall in line with heels: the bigger the better.
Here’s a great example – these images were captured about five minutes apart using the same wardrobe, same lovely bride, same location, and very similar lighting. If you’re feeling fun and flirty, we’ll do that. If you’d rather appear more demure and romantic, no problem:)
I retouched out one of the veil’s crystals in this one, because it looked like Miriam had a really big nose piercing lol!
A pulled back shot of the scene. Lovely lovely. Stay tuned for more from this shoot:)
I joined forces with TeamGlam recently for a day of bridal and wedding boudoir. It was great fun playing wedding dress up and prancing around a few million pound flat like we owned the place;) Final images and a full film to come soon! For now, check out this teaser film, which is the exceptional work of Alex at Black Frog.
Miss L is the nicest person you’ve ever met. Not probably the nicest, she actually IS the nicest, warmest person in the history of people. As in, if Disneyland made a woman prototype to entertain children at the park, it would be her. So when I needed someone to help me teach a 1-1 workshop for another budding photographer, she was the perfect choice.
Valentine’s Day is coming up, so of course we did red.
Red lingerie on red velvet. A winning combo if you ask me!
Loooong legs, and a sort of weird, accidental pose we stumbled into here on the right. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it’s growing on me. What do you think?
Chunky black heels give this a more contemporary, quirky vibe than a traditionally stiletto.
Miss L’s lacy red lingerie set is from Boux Avenue. They have several great Valentine’s Day lingerie options, all for about £50 for a matching set. Step things up a notch with a corresponding suspender belt and stockings for around £30 more. If you throw on a classic pair of black heels from your closet (or mine) and a signature red lipstick, you’ve got a killer head to toe look for around £80.
It’s worth remembering nails too – Miss L’s sparkly 4th finger looks fab in person, but sometimes a bit weird on camera. My advice is a solid neutral colour that will work with each outfit you have planned.
A grainy black and white is always so moody.
These images we created in the window were my favourite from the shoot.
Oh Miss L. You and your doe eyes are so prettyprettypretty.
Do you need a gift for Valentine’s Day? Hmmmm? Hint hint.
Seriously. You will WIN Valentine’s Day if you show up with images like these.
New studio (updated pictures coming soon), new favourite pose.
I thought that I came up with this “play in the curtain” idea on my own, but I’ve recently realised that I’ve probably subconsciously stolen it from Victoria’s Secret.
#sorrynotsorry
We did this whole shoot in one lingerie set. I’d encourage variation and variety when possible, but in a pinch, one look will do!
Miss L, you were wonderful as always. It was so nice to catch up, can’t wait to see you again:)
We are now back home now and getting over our jet lag. I wanted to write to you as soon as we saw the pictures, but we got a bit busy. So here goes…WOW!!!! really Stormy, it was absolutely exquisite. You really have given us a wonderful experience and a memory we will physically treasure always. Thank you for that. Thank you for making it so comfortable and enriching in every way. I can never remember my mirror showing me that fantastic a body :)))) Lying on a cold floor has never been so rewarding…Please convey my thanks to your makeup artist Gemma too, she was absolutely wonderful with her work and her personality…and you both make a wonderful team. My husband and I genuinely thank you for all that you have created, and wish you and Gemma all the very best and success in all that you do.
“I met Stormy over five years ago, and she was the first camera I was in front of for any sort of ‘modelling’ session. Since then we’ve worked together at least 10 times. She has always been exceptional at her craft, but this was a whole new experience. Having been involved with Stormy since the start of her career I can tell you that she is meant to be doing this.
Over the last year I have gone through a pretty significant transformation, most noticeable is my 70 lb. weight loss. It’s been an adjustment to feel confident in my body, and as a Health Coach I am often overly critical of my figure. Stormy has a way of making you feel free and beautiful just with her presence. She makes it easy to be comfortable with her clear, articulate directions and has an impeccable ability to see all the tiny details like stray hairs or a piece of grass in the way to ensure the shot is flawless.
Looking at the photos from my session was a liberating experience. Yes, Stormy is an unbelievably talented photographer and she knows how to take a beautifully executed shot but that’s isn’t what separates her from others. It’s her ability to capture a women being authentically her. Being around Stormy is a trusting and loving experience where you are free to be as you are and she instinctively knows the exact moment to press the shutter to capture the real you.
Thank you Stormy for helping me to see myself and my body for what it really is. It has helped me on my journey in accepting and learning to love myself more than I can put into words. I have appreciated every opportunity in the past to work together but this time was life changing. You have reached a point in your talent that it almost scares me to know you are going to continue to get better.
If you have even a hint of intrigue to shoot with Stormy, listen to that voice. She doesn’t make you look beautiful, she captures your authentic beauty. You deserve to see yourself as the rest of the world does, beautifully YOU.”
“In my adult life, being in front of the camera has always been uncomfortable for me. As a makeup artist and stylist, I prepare clients to be photographed, not the other way around. Stormy and I have worked together in the past and I knew her talent. Her images are fantastic and the women she has photographed are absolutely beautiful! What I didn’t know was how beautiful I would feel being photographed, and how it would carry over in my daily life.
As I stared at my wardrobe, before the shoot, I felt sweaty and anxious. I was nervous as hell to pose in my UNDERWEAR and had no idea how to position my body in a flattering way. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, clothes, face…ahhhh! Stormy helped with my wardrobe making sure aesthetically, everything was in harmony and we began! I took my first pose and she has this way of authenticating your pose; waiting for you to settle into yourself a little. She makes very direct and clear adjustments- chin down, drop your leg, relax your hand, etc… I never felt awkward or uncomfortable!
I left the set feeling incredible, beautiful and confident and she hadn’t even shown me a photo yet. I trusted by the experience that she had made me look incredible and real. That’s all I needed…or so I thought. When she sent the email invite to the gallery for the shoot, the cover photo was stunning. At first glance, I didn’t know it was me. Viewing the gallery confirmed that I had never felt or looked more beautiful than I did that day. I am sure I stand a little taller and shine a little brighter these days. Having an incredible photo of yourself and seeing you as someone else sees you is an experience of a lifetime.
Thank you so much Stormy, your talent and empowerment is so inspiring. I cherish our experiences together and I hope there are many more in the future!!”
She’s a yoga-doing, vegan-eating, entrepreneur-minded stunner. Also, a salon owner and dreadlock extraordinaire at The Eclectic Chair in Idaho Falls, ID where she does great work. She cut and coloured by hair while I was in America and I’m so happy with it, which is really saying something.
And now…I’ve captured her soul in my camera:)
We created this outdoor set for Shante’s boudoir photography session, but when Tia said she was up for a shoot as well I couldn’t resist adding her to the mix. I mean – look at her real life hippie hair!
I’m still so amazed by this light:)
This lacy shawl is ideal for a bohemian theme. It’s also a really forgiving cut, so if you’ve overdone it on the cake lately something like this would be a great wardrobe option.
Dreamy. Those earrings are perfect.
Tia never smiles on camera, but I tricked her into it.
See? I’m funny.
And if you don’t think I’m funny, I’ll just fall off something or do a chicken dance. Whatever it takes. You can only be so serious when your job is basically playing dress up and taking pictures of people in their underwear.
Look two with big hair and really dramatic, dark lips. This is probably a stronger look than would suit most people, but it certainly makes a statement.
Love love this image.
These look so different in black and white, don’t you think? I prefer the colour versions for most of this shoot, but I liked the soft light spill at the top on this one.
The golden hour is so bewitching.
Tia, it was such a pleasure working with you! Already looking forward to next time:)
Are you in need of some inspiration for your next London boudoir photo shoot?
Some of my best ideas have been sparked by the major fashion houses, in particular their fragrance commercials. They are often glamorous, beautiful, and a little mysterious, which is the perfect mix for a boudoir session.
There’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from the brands who have the resources to do things exactly how they ought to be done. Y’know, how you’d do it if the sky was the limit and Chanel wrote you a blank check. Here are a few of my favourites, enjoy!
Whatever you want to call it, we had a lot of jewellery, tassels, and sun flare going on for this shoot.
Putting a bed outside is an idea I’ve been blabbering on about for so long that I’m even sick of hearing myself talk about it. I’m so pleased we finally made it happen though. Isn’t this light incredible?
Like lots of things this past trip to America, our shoot location had to be changed at the very last minute. Luckily, we were able to make this little group of trees in the back yard of Miss S’s childhood home work. When in doubt, light over location.
Coco Chanel said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Great advice, but the trick to pulling off this sort of look is to do the opposite. Just keep piling it on. When you think you have enough, add some more. Then look in the mirror, and add one more thing. For more irreverent styling advice, visit Shante’s fashion blog, The Confashional.
Isn’t this floral shawl great? Miss S found it at TJ Maxx (TK Maxx for those of us in the UK).
We pulled this entire set together in about an hour – everything was scrounged together from stuff we found in the garage and around the house. A big thank you to Tia at The Eclectic Chair for her fantastic work on Shante’s makeup and ridiculously good hair extensions.
Happy happy. Love those feather earrings.
Hazy hot summer sun.
A slightly more moody feel to these.
Oh, did I mention we found some more animals to annoy? Neighbourhood horses came to play!
Once again, I was reminded how challenging it is working with animals. Horses are by far worse than snakes, but we still got a few fun shots out of it. Miss S is working it like a pro here.
A quick makeup and wardrobe change for our second look. Deep dark lips are one of Miss S’s signature looks, so it only seemed right that we add it in to the mix.
Check out those custom boots!
And to finish this post, a few frames shot in the dying light of day. Shante, I’m so glad we did this. You absolutely killed it;)
