I’ve been dying to share with you the results of the competition Michelle from Kandigloss and I held last month, I’ve been busy editing everything and I’m really happy with the outcome.
Sit down, get a cup of tea and read on……
It was a pleasure to shoot the two girls who won , they were so lovely and really deserving of the prize. Thanks to the Osprey Hotel we had the fabulous penthouse suite as our backdrop to the shoot, a lovely split level room so we both had plenty of space to work, there was a massive bath in the bedroom upstairs and a really cool swing seat downstairs, lovely light from the big patio doors and we were blessed with sunshine that day as well!
Here are some behind the scenes shots of the room and Michelle.
behind the scenes at a boudoir shoot
First up was Mandy and her bright red hair, (as you probably know I have pink hair so we were very well matched on the day!) I loved the way Michelle styled her hair, very movie star glam, she had a pretty rose clip and we used my diamante kitten ears for a couple of shots as well, which I LOVE! – Sexy retro glamour.
Lisa is engaged to be married this year and this was the perfect time to do a shoot for her fiancé, she had her hair straight but messed up rock chick – dark smoky eyes with a hint of cranberry, the makeup really brought out the colour in her eyes, and she brought along a tie and hat as a prop and it suited the look perfectly.
I always ask my clients if they have any particular poses they want to do, so they’d both come prepared and we did those ones which turned out really well, sometimes they don’t work, they might not suit everyone’s body type but it’s always worth a try. I had sent the girls a questionnaire about their style and thoughts on the day so we could both be on the same page as to what kind of photos they’re looking for, I always want to get a feel for the person I’m going to be working with, Boudoir is such a personal thing, It really helps to make us both feel comfortable and prepared for the shoot.
I also asked Mandy and Lisa to write me something about their experience and I have to say I’m totally blown away by their words , ( see below) I never take for granted how difficult it can be to stand in front of a stranger in your underwear and have a photo taken, Its totally out of anyone’s normal comfort zone, and it takes a lot of guts to do a shoot, it can be really scary but once the first 5 minutes are out of the way you nearly forget what’s happening and start to feel better.
Thank you so much Lucy , I had such a lovely day doing the photo shoot it gave me confidence I didn’t know I had and made me feel sexy and wonderful as a woman , I would highly recommend you to everyone I know and also thank you to Michelle on doing a great job on my makeup so looking forward to seeing the finishing photos , thank you again. {Lisa VIP WINNER}
When I discovered I won the competition I thought it was a mistake, I could not believe it was true. After I got over the shock of winning, dread and worry set in as I am so self-conscious and despise my body, I have body dismorphia , I was sick with nerves. I tried to talk myself out of doing it. So best foot forward after some lovely emails from Lucy the day arrived and off I went. As soon as I met Lucy and Michelle my shoulders fell and I relaxed instantly. It was like chatting with your best friends.
I had my makeup done by Michelle, it was so lovely and relaxing. The finished result was WOW, I felt like a film star!
The time came for the photography part, so nice underwear was put on and I hid in a dressing gown, I had it gripped so tight!
Lucy put me right at ease, immediately, so dressing gown was flung off! We giggled and chatted, Lucy guided me and took all the time in the world with me. I felt good. I felt uplifted too. I was actually upset when the day ended, it was just all so lovely, every aspect.
The experience helped me feel better about myself and gave me a real boost, I didn’t believe that could be done with me, but the girls did it! They gave me a day to remember and treasure and the photographs that blew my husband away….his eyes and smile said it all, thank you so much girls!{Mandy VIP WINNER}
We were all mums that day and I think something happens when you’ve had kids, you might be a stay at home mum or lost a job in the recession, but i believe that not being in the routine of a 9-5 workday sometimes knocks your confidence a bit, you’re bringing up a baby/child with no one to tell you how good you are, your boss doesn’t tell you the targets have been met and you deserve a raise! There’s no one to give thanks for doing that overtime , xmas bonus etc. and your body might be a different one to before kids! I don’t need my husband to high 5 me for cleaning up the sitting room but not having that external recognition does start to eat away at the self-esteem of even the most confident person. There are so many things that can bruise us and what do we do? We carry on! We’re selfless; we take care of everyone else before we think of ourselves.
I’m the first to admit that low self-esteem is an issue for me, I’m a quiet person, I have the same worries and insecurities as everyone else- but I do have confidence in what I can do with a camera. I have confidence in the fact that I can make you relax into the shoot, I know I can pose you no matter what body type you have, I can give you curves in the right places, I have total confidence in the other creatives I work with and you will love your makeup!
This is my passion and what I love most about boudoir photography is the thrill I get when I know I’ve done a good job and the client is delighted with her photos, it’s a therapy, I feel good when I make people feel good, and that is why I want to work with as many women as I can because being brave for those 5 minutes at the beginning of your shoot is just the start of it, allow yourself to love you a little bit more or think of it as a therapy, self-healing, whatever you like, it’s fun, its different, it’s exciting and that feeling you get when you finally see your finished photos is what really makes it special. xxx Lucy
lucytakesphotos 
Oh my god Lucy, that is flipping amazing!!! All the pics turned out sooo well and the girls look incredible. I’m delighted to have been part of something that empowers women and gives them such confidence 🙂
🙂
Reblogged this on Kandigloss Makeup and commented:
You might remember that myself and Lucy from Lucytakesphoto’s ran a Boudior competition recently and 2 lucky winners got a chance to have their hair and makeup done by myself and be photgraphed by Lucy who is an amazing Boudior Photographer! Check out her blog post for the results!
Amazing images!!
thankyou!