Boldly breaking out of her shell with Boudoir

Edgy Boudoir Photoshoot
proves this shy girl has a lot to say.

   Let me start out by saying I am not a liar. Just remember that as I tell you these things and you see these images.
   Ok, so Coty tells me that she’s shy, her friends think of her as the reserved one of the bunch, and she’s not really about showing off her body or getting all done up.
   Now stop, I told you I wasn’t a liar. And I don’t think Coty is either, so... pick your jaw up off the floor as you look through these in your face, hot, bold, powerful portraits and remind yourself that ANYONE can break out of their shell during a shoot!
   Although Coty looks young, this petite thing is almost 23 and ready to celebrate and love her body again. She called inquiring about a shoot and we talked about how boudoir can be a great way to feel empowered and gain your confidence back.
   The day she came in for her shoot she brought a few clothes options, accessories, and was getting her hair and makeup done. I think a lot of us have been taught- pretty boudoir pictures = curls and pearls. Well. Not here.
   She brought a few bralette and undie sets, overalls, a comfy sweater, and these great ripped, patched jeans. We decided to incorporate them all, just swapping out outer layers for a different vibe. We opted for a thick silver choker over pearls.
   During hair and makeup she asked for it curled but Taylor, 1 of the hair and makeup artists we have here said- with these bags, are you sure you don’t want to pull off something a bit more edgy? And so she did. This is also why it's really awesome to work with us as your stylist, we can see things you in that maybe you haven't yet.
   Instantly I knew this shoot was going to have some attitude and sass, plus with all of Coty’s energy we were all excited to get out to the big studio and start shooting.
   We put on some music, some Britney Spears to be exact (bc Coty says it’s healthy to listen to Britney every once in a while) and just started having a girl's dance party, hair whipping, laughs filling the room. We started with the cozy, sweet bedroom look first and then progressed into this fashion icon. We finished with this in your face rockin little powerhouse. As you all know I scream when I get really excited, and I did a lot of screaming after looking at the back of my camera this day.
   This is the BEST example I can give you to date to just LET IT ALL GO. I want you in my face, I want you going wild, I want you having fun, I need you to be FREE. You owe that to yourself. It’s beautiful, it’s strong, and it’s the new age of beauty, so get with it.

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Check out our Full Beauty Gallery!

For more Self Empowerment, Check out Jodi's Gorgeous Photoshoot!

For some more Boudoir Fashion check out My Animal Instincts Session!

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The Easiest yet most Alluring Boudoir Session you'll ever do!

If you're under the impression that I am a little sexpot then we've clearly never met in person.
I enjoy combat boots, beer, and goofy behavior. I feel foreign in heels, I freak out when my dress is too short, and you can constantly see my underwear lines through my yoga pants because I just really hate thongs.

I am not your typical boudoir client.

But.

Boudoir intrigues me. The emotion keeps me coming back for more.
The way dark shadows and sultry highlights play on the skin. The way curves, muscles, bones, and the human body as a whole looks when properly photographed. The way motion and expression can evoke a feeling. THAT'S what I'm obsessed with.

A couple of years ago I asked women to give society the middle finger, where I wrote a blog and did a few self portraits that you can see here about beauty standards of today.

This is my updated version of that with a twist.

And if I can do this, then damn it, you can too.

But there's something you need to know about this shoot.

First off- half of these images you see here I'm in a big, ugly sweater and pj pants. Yes. Go back and look. You can see the high neck of the sweater in some of the shots.
The second half I'm just in a tank that was under my sweater, which you can also see in some of the shots.
And yes, I shot it all selfie style, sitting Indian style on my sunroom floor with a book shelf in the background.

So if your brain is stuck on lingerie, elaborate beds, and being naked for boudoir- you need to realize it's not about how much of you that you bare to the camera.

It's about the light, the emotion, it's about you in the simplest form. That's what sexy is.

Give me 1 room, 1 girl, 1 window and not even 1 hour or 1 outfit and I will evoke something out of you that you didn't even know you had hiding in you to begin with. Or maybe you did and you were just too scared to let it out. 

This is your opportunity to let it out.

Beauty. Rawness. That edge you feel when you look into the bathroom mirror and begin to sing and dance in your underwear, after a shower, with wet hair into your hairbrush to your favorite song like you're in a music video starring you. 

Yeah. That moment. Let's capture it and make it yours. Make it Natural. Make it beautiful.
 

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For those of you who are still unconvinced that this isn't possible for you.... here's a selfie less 1 minute after my "shoot" with myself.
Same spot, same hair, same clothes.
Different expression, different light, different angle.
It's seriously this easy.

I know what looks good, I know what to ask you to do. I know the angles, I know light.
I specialize in making women of all ages look and feel amazing. Let me worry about that part and you just worry about showing up for yourself.

I don't need you to be anything you aren't.
I just need you to be present in this life you're living and allow me to capture that for you.

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Contact me here to book your own beauty or boudoir shoot, or just to simply ask questions and chat about the process!

See more Beauty / Boudoir Galleries here.

See what other personal projects I've done here.

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Week 5 with ajbc photography (artistic port huron, michigan photographer

I'm not sure where all this Black and White is coming from...
It just seems right. 
This week I wanted to focus on an easy concept. No photoshop, no craziness, no time-consuming props. Just an "in camera" photograph. A lot of the time that takes more skill then a photo you spend hours tweaking with keys and controls in a program. 
I wanted to play with depth of field, lighting, texture, something abstract. 
When we took this shot I was very interested in how it looked and felt more like a painting then a photograph. I could picture someone drawing these forms and laying a piece out in this way. 
The circle is just a basket we held up (I love how it draw your attention right to her beautiful, sparkling, almost haunting eyes, and the fun abstract sguiggles is a just a branch I found while walking outside one day. 
All together, I feel as though it makes for an interesting piece.

Our more simplistic, softer concept below:

Fly Apart- week 3 with ajbc photography (artistic port huron, michigan photographer)

Fly Apart.
It's a phrase you'll find in the Thesaurus for Explode.
I find it much more elegant and appropriate. 
The whole point of this project for me, for us, for ajbc photography as a whole is to get outside the box, be different, yet still be beautiful. Tell a story, BE the art, make people think. I'm super happy this week because I feel like we unknowingly achieved ALL of that, even though our initial idea got thrown out the window.  

Below is actually where the whole idea started. With the driveway, some white sheets, black acrylic paint, and a butterfly. We grew from there. Although the final image I chose wasn't what we planned on, it's always interesting to see what stems from what. And sometimes, even if it's "wrong" that's the best part about it. 

I obviously have to give HUGE credit to Taylor for being SO willing to help me with ideas, go outside in the freezing cold, "strip" down, and cover her hands in harsh black paint, all for the sake of art, all for the sake of exploring, all for the sake of letting our creativity explode. 
Fly Apart.