K and I are going back and forth on where our BIG out of the country 2011 workshop will be. We are crazy about Paris and were just figuring that that would for sure be the destination, but then we started thinking how cool it would be to photograph a woman in a silky ballgown (Grace Kelly style) in the teal-ish blue water. Her hair all wet and her face all sandy. Then we thought about the warm sun… and the pina coladas. BUT, we are still torn and ulitimatly we want whatever YOU guys want. This about you getting the most benefit possible out of a workshop. So PLEASE ONLY VOTE IF YOU ARE THINKING THAT OUR OUT OF THE COUNTRY 2011 WORKSHOP IS A POSSIBILITY FOR YOU. Thanks fellow boudoir lovers. Au revoir or no worries mon (depending on the decision) – M
We are crazy about WPPI week. It’s the one week a year our entire staff gets to go on a trip together. Sure we work really hard, but we also have a serious amount of fun. Check out the vid, my fav part is when Deen talks about “the men”…. and “the men” in the Dragon show, La Reve.
PS……….. We just submitted our 3rd speaking proposal to WPPI (for the 3rd year in a row)…. crossing our fingers that the 3rd time will be the charm! We believe that it’s time for a little DIVALICIOUSNESS to hit the stage at WPPI!!!!!!! 😉
Anyone who shoots boudoir will probably agree that posing can definitely be one of the toughest parts of getting a great photo. Your clients are wearing next to nothing and have the expectation of a gorgeous (and basically flawless) photo. Every woman is beautiful in her own way, and with that said, every woman is different! Finding the right poses and angels to flatter each body type is time consuming and we know because it took us years of trial and error until we had a solid portfolio of great poses for every type of body.
Because of our own experience finding these poses, we created The Posebook to add to our Boudoir Shop which is filled with resources for photographers looking to get into the boudoir photography business or just want to take their already successful business to the next level. This book is FILLED with 28 of our most popular poses, with variations in each pose. It shows which poses are most flattering on each body type and how to get the best angels. In addition to receiving the beautiful book, you also receive a DVD with a 20 minute video of Kimberlee and Marissa showing you exactly how to get your clients in these poses, using an actual client!
We love hearing back from photographers who have purchased this book (and other resources) about their personal experience using the Posebook and it is always the best to receive a letter like the one below! Thanks so much for taking the time to write us Birgit and we are so glad you love the book. 🙂
“I lOVE THE POSEBOOK!
I have been in the photography business for almost 5 years. Weddings, families, babies. So great I love it!
But I wanted to bring it to another level, I attended a seminar a couple months ago, it said that you have to offer something others don’t.
Had a lot of ideas, and tried them out, but I wanted more. But what ????
I get a lot of inspiration from other websites, and by coincidence I found … yours!
By then I knew it, this is what I wanted to do.
I was amazed by the beautiful pictures. So pretty, so glamorous, so stylish, but sexy too.
Haven’t seen something like that before. So I knew this was something I could do to be different!
For a couple of weeks I have been looking at the website and doing some research. Showing the websites to friends, and wanted to know what they think.
A lot of people got really excited with me, and some girl friends said they wanted to pose for me.
And although I thought the posebook in the beginning an expensive purchase, I had to have it.
And I am soooo glad I bought it.
My friend Addie was the first one.
We had a fun weekend out, shopping and dining, and stayed at a nice hotel.
A good opportunity to try it out.
After a glass of champagne we started it WITH THE BOOK!
It was so much fun. And the pictures came out great.
Addie was so happy with it, her reaction was just what I wanted!
Even I tried it out and we turned places, I was the model, and Addie made the pictures.
I am not that confident with my body, but wow I loved it, although Addie wasn’t that great with my camera, hehe.
4 more shoots are planned with friends. After some practice I definitely want to offer this to others.
So thank you , thank you , thank you for sharing your poses, ideas and pictures.
Groetjes from Holland!
Met vriendelijke groet,
Birgit de Jong”
If you can’t be personal on your own blog then, really, what’s the point of it anyway? In the past month, I, Marissa, have been challenged in ways that are completely new to me. Among the many major rough patches in the last few months, really nothing compares to the passing of a 15 year dear friend (and bandmate of Weston’s) Aaron, and then a few weeks later, my Grammie. I think Grammie would even give Weston and my Mom a run for their money in her deep love for me, and trust me, to put up with my flighty, dreamer, go for it and sink or swim attitude, they really have to love me. It was like her reservoir of quite love was inhumanly deep. Like that saying, “still waters run deep.” Yea, her love was for sure the perfect parallel to that saying.
And if we are getting really personal I will share a lesson I learned in the past few weeks. Here goes…you can think you’re tough, you can think that you’re getting through it really well because you are able to get your mind off of it, or you aren’t weeping as much as thought you would be. But if you don’t take time to to sit still and process it, you will find yourself in a much more difficult place than if you had just not tried being “Mr. Tough Guy.” Or in my place, “Girl.” It came on in a stronger wave than I ever would have imagined and I am blessed to say that I think the wave has passed. Thank you to friends and family who jumped to support and be near me.
My Grammie was an amazing lady. I try to remind myself that I can’t be too sad that she is gone, because I was so fortunate to have her here for any length of time. I was lucky enough to be able to talk about the Grammie that I lived with for 20 years of my life at her memorial. The Grammie that took incredible care of me when my wonderful, hard-working, single mama had to be making a living. I wanted to keep things a little bit light, knowing that if I got a little too serious I would just lose it and not even be able to speak. Because I feel like these lessons are so important, I wanted to share them with y’all.
20 Life Lessons I Learned From Living with my Incredible Grandma Lalie
20. That loving God and family are the most important things on Earth
19. That adding a few pieces of bacon is the secret ingredient to the best refried beans ever
18. That “spanglish” is a completely acceptable form of communication
17. That Wheel of Fortune was and still is the best show on TV
16. That praying for others is the most powerful gift you can give them
15. That your bible should be the most used possession you own
14. That the love for rocky road ice cream can be passed down genetically
13. That opening presents extremely slowly is really just a way to teach your family members patience
12. That you don’t need to ask a man to open a tightly sealed jar. You pound it with the end of a knife, pull out a crazy contraption that looked like it was from the 40’s, turn with all your might and voila!
11. That I don’t need to seek extravagance, a simple life is the best way to find true joy
10. That I can be content in whatever circumstance I am in
9. That talking on the phone for hours with friends is the best way to spend lazy afternoons
8. That action movies are simply just “que papas”
7. That your favorite Charger player should always be the kicker and you can yell for him really loud even if you are watching the game by yourself
6. That after 50 years of serious loyal commitment, Publishers Clearing House is in fact bogus
5. That nothing leaves a legacy like servitude and self sacrifice
4. That saying “won’t you need a jacket Baby, it’s cold outside” to every family member that leaves your home even if it’s summertime is basically another way to say “I love you and I’m always worrying about you”
3. That one woman can teach a family of 42 people through daily example that “to love your neighbor as yourself” just as Christ said, is entirely possible
2. That home-made tortillas and empanadas can chase away even the worst teenage problems
1. That God will always, always be with us
And in closing I wanted to share a video of Weston’s band. A little fast paced compared to what I shared above but I just couldn’t talk about Gram and not mention Aaron. Then in the next video is Aaron just improvising a song for the camera. A-hog, we miss you so much. Your love and talent will never be forgotten.
One of the best parts about hosting boudoir workshops is not only meeting awesome photographers and making new friends, but is to see how excited and inspired these attendees become over a 3 day period. When we receive emails like the one below, it only affirms that we are doing the right thing by hosting these workshops and Bringing Boudoir Back and making it more popular than ever to cities around the world!
“Dear Kimberlee & Marissa,
I’ve been waiting to send you a proper thank you for the workshop I attended at your San Diego Studio this past February. I wanted to be able to share a success story with you, and let you know exactly how your workshop forever changed my future in photography.
I have wanted to get into Boudoir since the beginning of my photography career, but never quite knew how. Typically shooting weddings and portraits, I was used to “shooting on the go” and not doing so much posing. Before signing up for your workshop, I had done a few shoots at client’s homes and in hotels, but knew nothing of studios and studio lighting.
At your workshop, I was so nervous to shoot the models on our own… lighting seemed unfamiliar and posing was still so new, but really, it was one of the best parts of the workshop. It gave me the confidence that I would be able to figure this out, even when nervous, and accomplish great shots. Playing hands-on with the lighting was really great as well. How nice of you to let us all come in and get our inexperienced hands on your fancy equipment! 🙂
And while all the technical stuff was really great to learn, my favorite part of the workshop was the last little bit, during my private one-on-one with Marissa. I am in my 4th year of business, and I have never had anybody critique my work before. Completely self taught, I’ve always just gone with what I liked, but it was so nice to have somebody analyze my shots with me. The best part of that conversation was that Marissa forced me to think about my future business plan… what did I want my life to be like 5 years from now? What kind of shooting schedule would I want, etc.? Again, something I hadn’t pushed myself to think about.
After the workshop, I came home and talked with my husband about our future. I wrote a business plan to open up a boudoir studio, and with just having a website and my shots from your workshop, I was able to get 11 clients to sign up for a grand opening Boudoir special. I ordered a black set, a white set, a pink damask set from Drop It Modern, all the necessary lighting, a few pieces of antique furniture, and off I went! I anticipate I will have all my start up costs paid off after my 2nd month in business.
I just completed my first week in the Studio with 4 of my clients, and they all have loved their photos, signed model releases, and ordered books and prints. It’s off to a really great start, and I’m already loving how great it feels to make these women feel good about themselves.
I partnered up with a lingerie shop owner, who takes care of my clients so well, helping them find lingerie that flaunts (or hides!) particular assets. I also partnered with a fantastic make up artist who comes to my studio for our clients, and she is making them look and feel gorgeous. I feel that these two people are key in helping my clients feel good about themselves before I start shooting. It really is a team effort.
Our plan is to make Boudoir my full-time business, and still shoot occasional weddings as well. For the first time in my photography career, I actually feel like I have control of my business… that I can go out, market like crazy, and get clients in for Boudoir. With weddings, I always felt like I was sitting around, waiting for inquiries to come in from referrals and ads. I am so excited about our new studio and all of its potential, and all the gorgeous photos that will come out of it.
Anyhow, thank you again, none of this would have been possible without your help 🙂
Much love,
Joey Nicole
Joey Nicole Photography
http://www.joeynicole.com
http://www.joeynicoleboudoir.com“
A HUGE thank you to Joey, for taking the time to write such a kind and thoughtful email. We are so happy you joined us at our February workshop and wish you the best of luck with your beautiful new studio and business!
The invites have finally been sent out. It has been a huge project and a long time coming and we are so excited to launch The Boudoir Divas International Referral List. Didn’t get an invite? Read below as to the two main reasons as to why we may not have invited your photography business. It was a hard decision process and we really wanted it to be the top quality boudoir photographers in the world! We would love for anyone to resubmit their portfolio in 2 months and we can re-evaluate as we will constantly be updating the international referral list site. We really hope you all understand and hope that it only motivates you to get out there and take your business to the next level!
So I know we told you all that invites were going out yesterday, and sorry if we scared any of you waiting for an invite and you thought you didn’t receive one! BUT, they have finally been sent out! There were so many wonderful photographers it took us awhile to compile the list and we are so grateful for all your patience and support as we launch this new venture. 🙂 So check your inbox in the coming hours for your invitation. We are very excited about this International Boudoir Referral List and we hope you all are too!
I know we normally post this BEFORE our workshops start, but with the volcano and travel delays and everything else, I am a little behind. My apologies; but better late than never! Here is some information on our awesome attendees from our Paris boudoir workshop, week 1. This isn’t everyone, but I wanted to post the attendees who I did have information on! If you are one of the Paris Workshop attendees, you can still send me your information and I will update this blog! Thanks again for all of those who attended!
FIRST WEEK WORKSHOP:
Nikki McLeod
City you represent: Dalgety Bay, Fife, Scotland
Your website: www.nikkimcleodphotography.com
How long you have been shooting boudoir: 5 years
Why you got into shooting boudoir: I enjoyed seeing the Divas work on DWF, and loved what their approach could do to woman who were insecure with their bodies. I hadn’t really much interest in portraiture until I had seen the Divas work, but this changed my mind!
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: the posing first of all was the most useful for me; positioning the girls to get the best out of their bodies was a real lightbulb moment! I also enjoyed the marketing, being shown the different styles of lighting; actually everything was useful! I have 7 pages of a word document of notes to digest, and several hundred images to process!
Annamarie Stepney
City you represent: Sussex
Your website: www.leboudoirrouge.co.uk Website coming soon!
How long you have been shooting boudoir: 1 year – just starting to do it more seriously and am creating my website as I type.
Why you got into shooting boudoir: To encourage women to celebrate their bodies and see how beautiful they really are.
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: The whole workshop was really excellent…if I HAD to pick my favourite bit it would have to be…the strawberries and nutella combo! – no seriously, although that was good, it would have to be hearing and watching the BD’s instructing the models to pose, and then after having an opportunity to practice them one-t-one with the models themselves.
Lulu Ta
City you represent: Calgary
Your website: www.ltphotography.ca
How long you have been shooting boudoir: about 1 year
Why you got into shooting boudoir: i wanted to show woman that they can be comfortable in their own skin regardless of their shape, size and color. i wanted to revive that inner confidence that we all should have of ourselves.
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: was having such an intimate experience with the divas and the attendees – some great support and friendships were build there and i hope that it lasts a lifetime.
SECOND WEEK WORKSHOP:
Laura Evans
City: i’m not sure, Ramstein Air Base i guess
Website: www.levansphotography.etsy.com
How long you have been shooting boudoir: since day one of the divas workshop
Why you got into shooting boudoir: thru seeing the work of the divas & wanting to try & learn from them
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: learning
Laura Boyd
City you represent: NYC
Your website: www.ownyoursexy.com
How long have you been shooting boudoir: I just launched the boudoir side of my studio this year.
What got you into shooting boudoir: I started seeing boudoir popping up everywhere and just loved it and wanted to try it myself. It is my favorite thing to shoot! I love that is is fun and girlie and at the same time empowering.
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: My favorite part in terms of amount of fun was getting to shoot in Paris with those amazing models. But I was also blown away by how much valuable info Marissa and Kimberlee shared with us about the business side of boudoir. It was all-around an extremely worthwhile experience that I would definitely recommend to other photographers!
Anne Buennig
City you represent: Duisburg/Germany
Website: http://anne-buennig.com (It’s a blog)
How long have you been shooting boudoir: Since 29th of April 2010, it was the first workshop day.
Why you got into shooting boudoir: I love boudoir photography because I love the idea of making women feel gorgeous and sexy beyong their imagination.
Your favorite part of the workshop: I loved the two shootings with all the posing tips from Kimberlee and Marissa, because I think this is a huge part. Very good was also the business part, because I am a complete newbie and it was awesome to get some help from these amazing business ladies. So, I guess, I just loved everything about the workshop.
Dixie Pearson-Shute
Website: I’m working on it. Should be up soon!
How long shooting Boudoir: Just started and loving it!
My favorite part of the Boudoir Divas workshop: Shooting on the streets of my favorite city in the world~Paris! What a great experience!!
Anita Larsen
City you represent: Copenhagen Denmark
Your website: http://ByAnitaLarsen.com
How long you have been shooting boudoir: 2.5 years
Why you got into shooting boudoir: A close friend asked if I was interested in doing a boudoir session for her and I instantly fell in love with the style.
Your favorite part of The Boudoir Divas workshop: Everything! Especially learning the DIVA style, and Marissa and Kimberlee sharing their experiences.
5.14.10: UPDATE!*** INVITES HAVE NOT BEEN SENT OUT SO DON’T PANIC IF YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED YOURS! WE ARE TRYING HARD TO GET THEM OUT BY THE END OF TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE 🙂
OHMYGOSH, you guys!!!! We are SUPER-excited to announce that we’re finally sending out the official invitations for our BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY REFERRAL WEBSITE! We’ve been working hard to sort through all of the submissions, and we have finally narrowed down the choices to our top 220 photographers that we’ll be inviting to join our referral list! I know we’ve talked about this before, but in case you’re wondering why we started this referral list, here’s the deal: At our studio in San Diego, we receive over 12 new inquiries per day from potential clients looking to come in for a boudoir shoot. Out of those inquiries… we ALSO receive a lot of questions for women who live across the US or in other countries, who are looking for a boudoir photographer nearby them in their own city. In the past, we haven’t been able to refer any photographers to these women, but that got us thinking about finding a solution for the problem. And so, we decided to create a Boudoir Divas referral list – an exclusive list that is only open to those photographers who we have approved and invited to join. We can’t wait to get this site up and running, and all we need now are you fabulous photographers to join in the excitement!
Check out BoudoirInternational.com to see the ‘basic’ version of the website (it’s still under construction, and we’ll be working on it a TON over the next few weeks before it’s launched)… but just to get an idea for what it’s going to look like, go check it out! And if you haven’t yet submitted your online portfolio for us to review, you can submit to be a part of our referral list here! If you DID submit your info already, check your inbox later today to see if you’ve received an invite!!!! Woo-hoo! Let’s get this thing rocking! xoxo, Team Diva
Images by Laura Evans Photography
Ashley here 🙂 Kimee and I are just starting to get back to a regular routine at our San Diego Studio after being in Paris for two workshops and dealing with all the chaos the volcano in Iceland caused: disrupting travel plans, delaying flights, canceling our models and many attendees trips, and over all making it much more stressful than it needed to be! Marissa and her hubby, Weston, are still doing a little traveling on their own and we can’t wait for them to get back! But even with all the craziness, it was still a successful couple of weeks and we enjoyed meeting all of our amazing attendees! One of our attendees, Laura from Laura Evans Photography, joined us at our second workshop, just posted a blog about her experience at our workshop. If you have been considering a workshop, and maybe wanted a little insight from someone who has been to one already, check this out. Thanks so much for sharing Laura and we are so happy you joined us and enjoyed your time at our Paris workshop!
