My favourite part of being a boudoir photographer is showing people their photos. The gasps, the shocked “Is that really me?!”, the excitement, the relief, the tears… the part where they finally start to believe in themselves. I also hear a lot of stories- sometimes hard stories- about the things that brought people to me. Here’s one of them.

Don’t Call Me Cute

Growing up a chubby girl, all people ever called me was cute. “You’re so cute,” they’d say, or “Look at your cute round cheeks.” Pretty was for other girls. Skinny girls. Girls with long legs and lithe bodies. My mom was the only one to ever call me beautiful, and every kid knows their mom doesn’t count- not in that great tally of voices that tell you what your body is worth to the world.

As they grew, those girls with slender waists and graceful limbs became beautiful and sexy. I stayed cute. Cute is a word for children and puppies, not for grown women, but no one but me seems to notice that. Sometimes, searching, they compliment my smile. That’s allowed, fat girls can have a nice smile. Friends and lovers, meaning well, continue to draw me back to childhood with that one word- cute. No one has ever called me sexy. Beautiful. Sensual. And I know it shouldn’t matter, I know mine should be the opinion that counts, but knowing it doesn’t make it true. How am I supposed to feel sexy when no one has ever seen me that way?

Making the appointment to do these photos was hard. Not bailing was harder. Believing I was worth it was the hardest yet. But looking at these photos I can finally see myself as sexy. Beautiful. Fucking HOT. And I wonder- why did nobody tell me?

 

Edmonton Boudoir Photographer Curvy Plus Size

 

Edmonton Boudoir Photographer Curvy Plus Size

 

Edmonton Boudoir Photographer Curvy Plus Size

 

 

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  • Peggy

    Knockout! Drop dead gorgeous! Those eyes are stunning, and those curves are killer!ReplyCancel

  • Sharon

    WOW….. JUST……. WOW!!

    How no one ever told you that you are drop dead gorgeous is mind boggling…… don’t ever look down on yourself, with anything other than pride.ReplyCancel

  • Melissa

    StunningReplyCancel

  • Aimee

    You are a fucking goddess. My God, you’re absolutley stunning. Society is fucked. I feel your anguish, honestly I do, from experience. You are nothing short of spectacular. Sexy, sultry, exotic, and just a little bit naughty.ReplyCancel

  • Barbara

    You are stunning I mean absolutely stunning! So proud of you for sharing your story and for having the guts to do this shoot! You Rocked this Shoot! You go girl and don’t ever look back! You are Not CUTE! You are STUNNING and SMOKING HOT!ReplyCancel

  • Debbie

    One word…. DAMN.ReplyCancel

By now you know my basic philosophy- if it’s fun with your clothes ON, wouldn’t it be even more fun with your clothes OFF? So when Priyaa Ravi of Herbal Henna Arts approached me with the idea doing a nude henna body art shoot, I was all in. It’s always been in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something like this- I love the way henna or body paint can add complexity to nude photography. So we arranged an art shoot to test and see if this was something I could start offering my clients.

The Artist

You never know what you’re getting when you are approached by other people for collaboration, so I was thrilled to find that Priyaa is a true artist, who has been dedicating herself to creating beauty through henna for many years. Our model (who did her first boudoir shoot with me a bit over a year ago because she had “never seen herself as sexy,” would you believe) was very patient throughout the painstaking application of a complex design- and the results are just spectacular.

Priyaa spent a lot of time researching full-body henna body art ideas and inspirations before the shoot, and came with a variety of design ideas. Together she, the model and I decided on a sweeping design of flowers and leaves that incorporated small clear gems into the dark henna:

The Art

We did our best to create Facebook-friendly images, but in the end found ourselves with breathtaking henna body art that was clearly and beautifully nude. So while I can’t show the full photos on Facebook, here they are in all their stunning glory.

Full-body-henna-designs-nude-bodyartFull-body-henna-designs-nude-bodyart

The Coach

So how do you transform someone from a shy first-time client into a fine art model? Getting people to relax and look great in front of the camera is one of my favourite things to do, but sometimes for special projects I will also bring in my favourite professional model/BFF Miss Alexia Day to consult, and that’s what I did here (she’ll also be teaching fine art posing at our retreats this year!). Check out this behind the scenes photos of her coaching:
Full-body-henna-designs-nude-bodyart

Be Brave, Make Art

Want a shoot like this yourself? I now offer collaborations with some of my favourite henna artists, and costs start at just $750 for both the spectacular henna AND the finished art for your wall. Email me at star@actsofbeauty.ca for more details!

 

 

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  • Vivienne

    Wow this is phenomenal ❤️ReplyCancel

    • Star

      Thanks Vivienne! We have an incredible team. <3ReplyCancel

Stephanie is fun and vibrant and sensual and she did a shoot a few months ago that I am gonna blog the SHIT out of. But today I want to share her fabulous wisdom, rather than her fabulous… other assets. This is some of the best life advice you’ll ever get, so listen up.

*  *   *

On Happiness

So much of our lives is centered around our relationships. I’m not just talking about romantic involvements, but also all those other connections we build on a day to day basis. If I could give everyone three things to remember it would be these:

You are the gatekeeper of your own happiness

Surround yourself with those people who help YOU make your life happy, not those people you rely on to make your life happy. The two sound very similar but the difference is great. We are the keepers of our own happiness and it is our own responsibility. If you rely on others to make you happy, not only are you creating a dependence that is not under your control but also putting a stress on those around you that is not fair. Those people that help you make your own life happy are the greatest friends you can have, and hopefully you can be the same kind of friend to them.

You are enough

Seek out your own self worth. Don’t base your self worth on the opinions of other people. Don’t see what you provide others as your only measure of self worth. It is so easy to fall into the trap of feeling like without the relationships we have and the things we provide to others we would be worth nothing. Each of us is worth everything to ourselves.

Learn to be alone

Learn the joy of being alone with yourself. Even if it’s just for an hour. Turn off your phone. Go on a date with yourself. Experience the world as a “you” not connected to hundreds of others. Ask yourself questions about yourself. There is no greater joy than knowing that you could be completely happy if you were completely alone.

~ Steph Kuhn

*  *   *

See what I mean? Beauty AND brains. This holiday season, take some time to appreciate yourself and treat yourself to whatever makes you happy; don’t wait for other people to make your holidays great. You deserve happiness and you have the power to give it to yourself. So get on it!

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I first photographed Janet years ago when I was just a little baby photographer. I didn’t know her that well, and was surprised by the sexy energy she had in front of the camera- this glimpse into a side of her that I’d never seen, though we’d known each other in bits and pieces for years. So when she contacted me to photograph her again after I got the new studio I was incredibly excited- first, because she was so much fun to photograph the first time and second, because it is always such a relief to be able to photograph people I took pictures of during that period. Like, “If you thought that was good, you are going to LOVE this!”

What I didn’t expect, though, was how totally great it was having her wife at the photo reveal. Spouses are pretty much always huge fans of sexy photos of the person they love, but I don’t think I have ever had someone be so enthusiastically in awe of their partner’s beauty as she was. It was a window into their relationship that I will always treasure. Anne was an enthusiastic and authentic cheerleader who was so in love with Janet and the art and the vulnerability of the photos and… I could have listened to her rave all day.

Janet is both tough and strong, with a deep, tested-by-fire resilience. She is a smart woman with a sometimes dark sense of humour and she speaks her mind like someone who knows it. But she still fails to believe in her own beauty. So if you like these photos, don’t forget to comment and tell her what’s what. She can take it. 😉

Grey-hair-sexy-black-and-white

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  • Anne

    Star,

    Thanks again for revealing Janet as the sensual goddess she is. She can be retiring and quiet in company, preferring to listen and absorb, so it takes an artist like yourself–with respect and insight and talent–to draw her out.

    I still take this book down and look at it, and we always receive comments from visitors on the photo we have up in the living/dining room.

    You have a rare gift and it shines through in your work.

    Thanks again.ReplyCancel

  • Cori May

    Janet is now, and always has been, my ideal of feminine beauty and grace.ReplyCancel

  • Vicki Bryanton

    Love the photographer’s eye and love the subject’s beauty. The combination really is wonderful!ReplyCancel

  • Janet

    This was an amazing experience.ReplyCancel

Sexy photoshoots in a historical mansion with a colourful past- and also outdoors with the beauty of the mountains all around us. New friends, great food, and just the right amount of adventure. What more could you ask from your summer vacation?

Inspiration strikes at midnight

Last summer I hosted the first ever Canadian Fearless Retreat in Revelstoke, BC. I’d stayed the night there on a trip to Vancouver earlier in the year and fallen in love with this little mountain town; old houses and a beautiful river, endless green trees and towering peaks, and some really, really excellent pizza. While I was lying in bed listening to the wind in the trees, it occurred to me that this could be the answer for all the women who say, every year, that they’d love to go on one of my retreats if it weren’t for life getting in the way; not enough vacation time, money is tight, finding a babysitter… you know how it goes. There are a dozen reasons why flying away to exotic places isn’t always an option. So instead of sleeping I took out my phone and started searching.

Destination: Fabulous

I knew as soon as I saw it that I’d found the right place. The colourful outside made it look like a gingerbread house out of a fairy story, and inside, the mansion was full of fragile light and rich wood, lace and intricately detailed wallpapers and quirky, wonderful, richly appointed rooms. Exactly the sort of place that I love to photograph in, and just right for setting the tone of the retreat.

And when the time came…

It was perfect. We laughed and explored and took endless, amazing photographs and bonded and learned about Tinder (!) and accidentally flashed a stranger (whoops) and laughed some more. Some people went for quiet morning walks and others went whitewater rafting, we sampled some truly incredible restaurants together, we found the world’s best coffee and picked fresh raspberries for our breakfast.

Here, long overdue, are just a very few of the many wonderful photos from Revelstoke 2016. I’d love it if you’d comment and let us know what you think. <3

Join us!

Registration for Fearless: Revelstoke 2017 is now open! Want to be a part of the fun? Contact me at star@actsofbeauty.ca or use the form below!

 

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