Do you love these boudoir images?  Want boudoir photos done?
This session is an example of the Smokin’ Boudoir package.

Seven Deadly Sins has you covered.
Or maybe not so covered!

I do have to do a shout-out to one of my new business partners, Sam from Sam’s Makeup in Edmonton who consulted with this cupcake-lovin’ girl to create her beautiful smokey-eye makeup for our session. If you’re considering boudoir photos with me, add Sam to your day to make your makeup incredible.

Pretty much my favourite quote from the day was, “I’m going to make sweet love to this cupcake right now.” It did look pretty delicious! And when we’re talking about delicious, I should mention that the Food Network was playing in the background the whole time, even though I warned her that my attention would be divided.

The best part about this shoot is that our gorgeous subject said she never likes photos of herself. Lets see how she feels about these!

Are you thinking about getting some boudoir photos done?
Seven Deadly Sins has you covered. Or maybe not so covered!

Also, please enjoy the introduction of the new storyboard format from Admire Studios for images on Seven Deadly Sins!

Thanks to Amanda for bringing her awesome friend in for a fabulous session! Don’t forget that there’s a $25 discount reward for each person who books with me on your recommendations!

Looking into getting your boudoir photos done and want to do something cool?
I want to hear from you!

Have you ever looked up the dictionary definition of the word definition? I have, because I’m a nerd. The tertiary (third-ranked) definition of definition is “the accuracy of a picture reproduction” – which you might be familiar with if you’ve bought or considered buying a new TV lately – “high definition” just means a better picture. As a photographer, I am greatly concerned with creating excellent pictures, and as a person who loves words and finds meaning in many things, I am concerned with defining myself. For me, this makes definition the chief part of what I do on a day to day basis.

Not only that, but it’s fundamentally concerned with boudoir photography, and why I want to photograph women “as is.”

Here’s the problem – photography is getting a pretty bad rap these days for fixing people, creating an image that conforms to an impossible standard. As a person who has always held myself to an impossible standard to negative results, I can identify some of my issues in this same light. Society is a pressure cooker – and we individuals as a part of it contribute – to force an ideal. This is by no means a new thing. History is full of examples of conformist, impossible personal improvement, particularly for women. From footbinding and corsets to Weight Watchers and Photoshopping, extremist idealism has been a part of beauty culture for as long as the human race has been human.

I’m going on a journey to redefine myself in real ways, and I’d like to invite you to come with me. Please follow the blog feed, comment with your thoughts, and join me in discussing fashion, body image, and above all, the search to make clear the definition of how we see ourselves.

Also See:
Shed Your Problems

My husband is a ridiculously romantic person with a penchant for going over-the-top. If you’re up for a very long read, you can check out my story on how he proposed to me. (Gentlemen read it and weep if you think you can’t top it. Or if you’re brave, get some good ideas.)

Feed me romance, I say! Tis the season! And, GO. Simply comment to this entry, or if it’s a bit private for a blog post, you can email it to me, too.

Edmonton Bachelorette/Stagette Boudoir Photos – Group
Blonde Bombshell’s Boudoir
The Lady Godiva’s Boudoir
One more ladies’ pics in the PASSWORD folder – ladies only, contact me to ask for the password!

Chris is the best kind of client to work with for a lot of reasons – first, he read my entire FAQ, which I worked very hard to write, and then he was very co-operative and fun to work with and even helped me pack up my equipment. He’d also done his homework on “dudoir” photography, a term he introduced me to while complaining about George Costanza’s famous boudoir spoof. His confidence and sexy guitar helped make the shoot a great success – but then, punk/rockabilly scene people are great to know and work with as a rule!

Check out some more fantastic photos:
Edmonton Men’s Boudoir Photography, Male Boudoir, Dudoir and Punk Rock Photography

Okay, after talking with my newest male client, I’ve realized two things. 1) Dudoir is a thing. Up until today I hadn’t heard the word, but it makes sense! 2) Nobody knows much about it except that if you search for “male boudoir” you’re going to find that awful photo of George Costanza. Ouch. Both of the men that I’ve worked with have really enjoyed the experience, and I think it deserves some serious airtime – we all know that women like eye candy just as much as men do – and there’s no reason men shouldn’t look for seriously awesome masculine photography to show that off.

So, how would a man go about booking a male boudoir, or if they like word-hybrids, “Dudoir” session with Seven Deadly Sins? I’ll give you my number, call me! =)

What Will the Photographer Bring?
Myself, a key ingredient… A camera and lenses (obviously) and lighting equipment with extension cords. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your home or bedroom, these will come out! If you feel like your house is pretty dark or any of your spaces are, keep in mind where your plugins are for me. I do not bring props for guys, although you might want to bring your own! If you, like most men, have a crappy bachelor pad, we can also do a studio-style shoot, which works better for guys than girls usually.

What Do I Need?
Yourself. Your chosen pair of underwear. Any props that relate to your job or hobbies – a guitar, books, computer stuff, sports stuff… A nice stool or ottoman is a good manly choice, too. Hair gel if you have short hair and don’t naturally do the messy hair look. A white or solid-color dress shirt – one with a collar. A suit and tie if you want to do a striptease-type set. Sleeveless undershirt if you wear them with dress clothes. A nice belt. A nice (or super ratty – not just one with a hole, if you’re going for dirty jeans go all the way) pair of jeans or cargo pants. Sports jersey if that’s big for you. Jackets, particularly leather jackets, are always sexy.

BRING IDEAS!
If you are getting dudoir photographs done as a gift (even for yourself!), then can you include some aspect of your relationship or your personality in the photos? Are there any stories from you and your lover’s history together that you might want to consider? Anything you’ve been told is sexy? If you are doing this as a gift for a loved one and she cheers for a different sports team than you, make a concession and wear her team’s jersey! Or if you have a favourite book in common, if there’s any hobby stuff of hers that we could use as a prop (you holding her lingerie with a “Shall we?” look, for instance), those would be great things to bring!  And if you saw a sexy man photo or two you truly love on your hunt for the right photographer, we can try to recreate something similar for you.

How Do I Set Up The House?
Get rid of as much clutter as you can! Clutter even includes neatly kept storage stuff that will possibly appear in the background of your photos – the least distracting view possible is best, so we can make YOU stand out, not your stuff! Typically, we’ll work in the bedroom, the living room. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you might try something different: the kitchen, the office space, if you have a cool claw-foot tub or jacuzzi/pool in and around your home that’s also an option. Think outside the box for something really unique, and I’ll make suggestions too.

Hope this post has been a helpful journey! Any questions or other ideas can be left in the comments, I’d be happy to speak with you about your ideas any time. And gentlemen – if you’re looking for a boudoir photographer who works with guys and have a reasonable budget to get yourself where I am or get me where you are, I’m willing to travel or give you priority scheduling.

Inspiration:
Dudoir men in my gallery…
A dudoir set on Flickr, also taken by a woman I think
A lovely set of a guy in California
The Gypsy Boudoir – A Dudoir Session

I’ve been noticing a lot of interesting articles about body image lately, and particularly about body image as regards sexuality. There’s a great post in a blog called “Curvy Girl Guide” that talks about the latest Victoria’s Secret campaign.

I don’t have a single positive thing to say about Victoria’s Secret. I thought they might be coming around when I saw that poster this summer, but instead of changing their lineup of models to fit the (seemingly obvious) implications of the slogan, “I Love My Body,” the company swept the entire campaign under the rug and kept the waif brigade.

The fashion industry has it out for the human form, and has for a good many years now. But my question is, what can we, as people do about it – and more importantly for me in this profession, what can boudoir photographers do about it? This is a real question, so please, post any thoughts or possible answers if you have them. I mean, I have a few thoughts. We could decide to bite our tongues when others try to involve us in body-bashing conversations – or better yet, say something else. We could choose a part of our bodies that society is teaching us is inadequate – just one part at a time – and re-examine it with love rather than loathing. Maybe there’s an end to all of this and one day we can be back the beauty we see. And I see hope for this around us! In the popularity of the singer Adele, for instance, her voice is beautiful, as she is. I happen to think she’s very sexy. I see plus size women wearing much better clothing – most of them used to wear what amounted to sacks due to low availability of nice clothes. There are good things in all of this, things to be celebrated – like that we are human, and there is hope that we will change for the better. Sometimes, we do.

This photo of Marilyn Monroe would never have survived the culling and editing of a fashion photographer in 2011. But it should. And we should try to make it happen again.

What Will the Photographer Bring?
Myself, a key ingredient… A camera and lenses (obviously) and lighting equipment with extension cords. If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your home or bedroom, these will come out! If you feel like your house is pretty dark or any of your spaces are, keep in mind where your plugins are for me. Finally, a selection of very simple, pretty universal props – various kinds of sensuous cloth, fake red rose petals for those who like that look, pearl strings in a few colors, and occasionally other things. I don’t bring outfits, and hair and makeup are not included in session fees.

What Do I Need?

If you have lingerie you like, compile a selection of 1-3 outfits to choose from while we’re working. If you’d prefer to just use sheets/cover-ups and a few simple props, that’s fine too. Cute PJs are great for an innocent look! Pick out a few pairs of your favourite heels if you have a collection, but bare feet are nice as well. OR, Think Theme! Check out Persuasion Boudoir in Hampton Roads, Virginia for some unified ideas – there’s a new post every “Thematic Thursday” to help you check out ideas that could create your look.

IDEAS! If you are getting boudoir photographs done as a gift (even for yourself!), then can you include some aspect of your relationship or your personality in the photos? ]Are there any stories from you and your lover’s history together that you might want to consider? Anything you’ve been told is sexy? Here’s a great site I found for a U.S. photographer who posts theme ideas for shoots. If you are doing this as a gift for a loved one and he cheers for any sports teams that there’s a jersey hanging about for, or if you have a favourite book in common, if there’s any hobby stuff of his that we could use as a prop (model car, gaming controller, etc.), those would be great things to bring! Fur coats are very luxurious if you have one or access to one, and leather coats are an option as well. And if you saw a boudoir photo or two you truly love on your hunt for the right photographer, we can try to recreate something similar for you

How Do I Set Up The House?
Get rid of as much clutter as you can! Clutter even includes neatly kept storage stuff that will possibly appear in the background of your photos – the least distracting view possible is best, so we can make YOU stand out, not your stuff! Typically, we’ll work in the bedroom, the living room. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you might try something different: the kitchen, the office space, if you have a cool claw-foot tub or jaccuzi/pool in and around your home that’s also an option. Think outside the box for something really unique, and I’ll make suggestions too.

Hope this post has been a helpful journey! Any questions or other ideas can be left in the comments, I’d be happy to speak with you about your ideas any time.