Being connected to the subject and not the equipment.
I have come to realize something about being a photographer. Not photographers in general, but ME as a photographer.
I do not have fancy equipment. I do not have a snazzy lens with a long name that looks like it should be a license plate. I do not have a degree in photography hanging on my wall (I was top of my class in photography in college, but graphic design was my major.). I do not have computers and cables instantly transferring photos to a photography program. I do not have extreme backdrops.
What i DO have is personality, and the vision to show my clients how beautiful they are. I can charm my ladies into revealing their inner beauty, and the natural skill to bring it to the surface and show it on their face, their body, their aura.
I have had more than one client tell me that ‘the other photographer’ was so sterile and serious, and that I was so engaging, enabling and empowering. They had the big fancy cameras with interchangeable lens, the artistic backdrops and the latest in digital technology.
What they did NOT have was the ability to engage with the client. They offered no direction or attempted to charm the client into brining out her personality. For them, they had the technical equipment they were taught to use and a vision of the photo they wanted, and a client standing before them.
I have no doubt that the photos were fantastic, creative and stunning. Photographers survive on their portfolios and word of mouth. Their clients walk away with stunning photographs.
My clients walk away with wonderful photos as well. But better than the photos, they walk away with an experience, an adventure and an awakening.
My sessions are not just about the end result. They are about empowering women to feel beautiful, for me to show them what they look like from other angles. They only see themselves in the bathroom mirror, they do not see themselves from all the other amazing points of view that others see them from every day. My goddesses walk out of my studio with a new found confidence, a Mona Lisa smile on their face, hiding the secret that they now know how beautiful they are.
There is me, there is my client. In between us is an unassuming well built collection of metal and plastic, powered by a battery. It is there to record a memento of the experience, nothing more, a reminder of the adventure. My studio is a low ceiling yoga studio, full of natural light and beautiful chestnut hardwood floors. My change room is a pilates studio.
The adventure between the woman baring her sensuality and soul, and the woman who stands before her with the camera, is where the real splendor happens.
Velvet Mae Boudior FAQ
Will my photos end up on the internet?
Only if you put them there. Your photos are private, for your eyes only, and those you wish to share them with. They will be given to you on a CD labelled “Green Fish Sauce Recipes” so even any wandering eyes at home will not be interested. If you want to show off your photos, you are more than welcome to give us permission to post them in on our online gallery.
Can my partner or friend come with me to the session?
Of course! You are more than welcome to bring anyone with you. There is a pub next door to the studio, if you wish to send your partner away for part of the session. If you wish to combine a session with a friend, we offer a special price.
Will I be charged extra to keep full rights to the photos?
When you buy a shirt, you don’t pay them 50 cents each time you wear it. Most photographers keep the right to your photos, and charge extra for prints and rights. My flat rates give you the rights to keep your photos and do with them as you please. I am too shy about myscars/blemish/stretch marks to want to pose nude. All bodies are beautiful. Scars remind us of survival, blemishes are natural, and stretch marks are earned. They are a part of who you are. I will respect your wishes to show them off or not. Should you choose to not have them as part of your final photos, we are more than happy to touch up your images to remove any unwanted marks.
I am a female photographer, with babies of my own. I have the stretch marks, the mummy belly and scars of past foolishness. I understand your shyness. I also know how to flatter your body, no matter what your age, size or identity.
Do I have to be nude for boudoir photos?
Absolutely not! Boudoir is a set of sensual intimate images. Its about showing off your playfulness and sensuality. It can be done fully or partially clothed. Boudoir is not about nudity, it’s about attitude.
Self love.
I love looking at myself naked in the mirror.
I do it every morning, and sometimes at night. That sleepy walk into the bathroom first thing in the morning. Jammies stripped and put away. I wander past the mirror in my bathroom. I always stop and look at myself.
I turn this way and that. I hold up my belly, soft from birthing 2 babies and disinterest in doing 30 sit ups a day. I turn around, and see my generous booty, and I think to myself, ‘its jiggly, but its not bad at all’. My breasts are not quite where they use to be, but I see their softness, reminding myself of the healthy children they nursed, and the enjoyment I get now from my sexy Soma bras (not to mention a few heads I can still turn). I hold my shoulders just so, to see the last hint of shoulder bones by my neck, feeling a little slimmer than I look. I see the extra things I have going on in my back. I straighten my shoulders with pride and watch them smooth out a bit.
For the record, I am 225 lbs and 5’6″. Not many women are comfortable sharing their weight, but i feel it is important. I’ll tell you why.
When I am reading some saucy tales of lust from a certain collection of subscribers stories, I often find the women are so unfair to the rest of us. I read things like “I am 5’9″ and I weight 105 lbs with a 35″ bust and a 34″ waist.“
Honey, unless you are as hollow as a puff pastry, there is no way on this earth your weight matches the rest of your dimensions. In the same book of collected tales, a man will offer a similar description “I am 6’1″ and I weight 190 lbs with a 35″ chest and an 8“….. ” you get the idea.
Why lie? I am speaking to the women of course. I think the men are quite honest about their weight, but maybe just a little exaggeration in the other department. Some men admit to their particular size, and seem perfect proud with what they have, flaunting other gifts they have to offer to make up for certain shortcomings.
I digress.
Women. Why lie? Why add to the horrible notion that women need to be lightweight and dainty? Why can a women with the same measurements as a man weigh 60 lbs less? I understand that muscle makes up a good amount of bulk, but we are talking basic physics here.
On a side note, I hate when people say “muscle weights more than fat”. A gym I use to work at told me to use that line if there were no results on the scale, but some on the measurements. People, people, people. Muscle does NOT weight more than fat. Muscle is DENSER than fat, and therefore takes up less space in our universe. Its up there with a pound of feathers weighs less than a pound of rocks. Think about it. A pound of feathers would fill my bathroom. A pound of rocks would fill my toothbrush tin.
Back on topic. Ladies (and boys, feel free to do the same), take some time and admire yourself in the mirror. Strip off all the undies and bras, and just admire yourself. See what your partner sees. Your partner loves every bit of you, and so should you. Embrace the extra bits if you are lucky enough to have them. Discover your belly button, admire your backside.
Then please embrace my fave moments from one of my heros, Gok Wan. Grab your delicious breasts, no matter how old or how round you are. Look yourself straight in the mirror and say “Who’s got the best tits in the world?”.
You already know the answer.
new and old
My amazing few months at Good For Her came to an end (for now at least!). They did say they would love to have me back. The artist after me has some lovely paintings hanging up, be sure to swing by and check them out!
It has inspired me however, to perhaps take things to the next step. Today, I was experimenting with transfering photos onto glass. What a great thing to combine 2 of my favourite things, glass and nude photos! I would like to have something more artistic to hang next time I showcase my work.
Check out this really sexy work by artist Wm Delvoye:
http://www.wimdelvoye.be/gothicworks.php
Tip of the Week:
Add a little of a voyeristic twist to your photo. Position the camera outside a door, with it closed just enough to give the viewer the sensation of peeking in.
Spring is in the air!
And Velvet Mae is ready to roll with the freshness of the spring air and get back into the groove. We took a month off for some travel and family time.
With the warm air I can now celebrate longer hours in the studi o working with natural light. I have enjoyed some great effects playing with the studio lights, but there is something soft and magical about sun kissed skin.
I had a great session with Patte Rosebank last month. We did a set that I am looking to turn into vintage flip books. After the thrill of the sun of march break, I’ll buckle down and get the books designed and ready for all to see!
Tip of the Week
Don’t spend time priming and updoing your hair for a shoot. We are talking boudoir here. Come fresh out of the shower, and you are good to go. If your hair is dry, just tussle it up for that bedroom hair look. If you have a hairstyle you do like, then for sure, go for it. But for fun, after all the careful shots have been taken to keep it in place, have some fun and literally let your hair down. Long or short, bedroom hair is sexy.
Velvet Tips
Each week, I’ll be posting a tip on taking portraits at home, either on your own or with your partner!
Its always best to start with the basics, a blank canvas. I’m not talking about your body, I’m talking about your home made mini studio! Find a spot in your house where you can take away as much clutter as possible. YOU are the focus of the photo, not the pile of books or squeekie toys. Keep the background and floor simple. Perhaps just your bed with a pattern free bedsheet, or the sofa with the side tables cleared away. Keep in mind that you will need somewhere to rest your camera when it is on self timer (if you do not have a tripod). Play around with a good spot, preferablly higher than your waist. Photos taken from below are not flattering…but thats another post.
Random musings…
This weekend I set up shop at a lovely women’s spa weekend. It was a bit like a trade show, but as the ladies wandered in their fuzzy slippers and bathrobes, they were treated to lots of spa treatments and goodies. Velvet Mae set up a little mini studio, offering free 3 x 5 black and white boudoir photos.
Velvet Mae was the hit of the show! I had close to 200 women lounge on my feather duvet chaise. Some ladies kept their robes snuggled up just over their bra lines, and some ladies whipped off robes and bras and celebrated themselves with the full monty.
It was also an educational weekend. I learned something that I never quite expected. I had a few ladies who were not happy with the photo I took and asked for another. They said they were not photogenic anyways, and never liked seeing themselves. It took a few tries, but we eventually came up with something they were content with. I had other ladies who barely sat down, and I managed to click a photo that they loved and were excited to show off. The difference in these ladies was NOT subtle.
The ladies who loved their photos and flaunted their bodies and their confidence were middle age and older ladies with lots of extra curves. The only ones who wanted to be re-shot, were unhappy with the photo and proclaimed to never have a nice photo of them taken were all young slim women.
Here I am, campaining to cater to the more well seasoned ladies with the extra bits, in hopes of boosting their self confidence. But they already have the confidence. They long ago stopped worrying about stretch marks with each baby, and the changing location of their breasts with gravity and age.
What a strange and wonderful world we live in.
