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Archive for May, 2015

I’m just obsessed with this photo!

Boudoir Bride Christine [pictured below] had created a little scavenger hunt for her soon to be hubby on the day of the wedding. It included a few little notes, a case of his favorite wine and of course…his boudoir album, hidden away in the closet! Unfortunately in the hustle and bustle of the mid morning activities, Nathan never made it to the end of his hunt.

After the ceremony, and as they were riding around beautiful Newport, Christine said…“What did you think of your present?” Nathan looked at her oddly and said he loved the case of wine. He had absolutely no clue about the book! What’s a bride to do?! Christine immediately turned that trolly around and Mr. and Mrs. Kearns headed to their condo, just a couple of miles from where they were taking photos. The two of them took a few minutes to sneak away from the rest of the bridal party so Nathan could finish out the scavenger hunt. Christine got to watch as Nathan opened his gift, which she says “…was SO worth it!”

Congrats Nathan and Christine Kearns and thank you dearly to the lovely Robert Norman for capturing this priceless moment!
Want to surprise your man with a gift he’ll never forget? Contact us [info@shannon-michelle.com] for booking info!

Robert Norman Photography Boudoir

Newport Officer’s Club . CT Wedding Photography . Destination Themed . Newport Trolley . Forty Steps of Newport .
Bridal and Boudoir Hair | Make Up by Shana Christoforo.

As a boudoir photographer, I get to work with a lot of brides! And because I recently was a bride myself, I now have a better understanding of all that they are going through.

A lot…they are going through a lot!!!

I often get asked if I had a friend photograph our wedding or if I found it difficult to hire a photographer. So, I thought I would answer that in print. No. I did not have a friend photograph our wedding nor do I ever think that is a good idea. I had some of the most amazing photographer friends at my wedding, including Jaclyn Lombardo out of Newport, RI and Ming Han Chung out of Atlanta, GA but I still hired a professional wedding photographer. Here are two of the biggest reasons why:

Virginia Wedding Boston Bride

1] My friends are my friends. I wanted them to enjoy my wedding as guests and not feel obligated to work by taking thousands of photographs, leaving their own spouses to fend for themselves. They were more than welcome to take photos if they wanted to [because I knew they would know how to do it without getting in the way of the hired professionals], but it was certainly not required or expected.

2] To date, my wedding day has been the most important day of my life. I wanted to hold someone accountable and make sure that we had the entire day captured beautifully. Without a contract and money exchanged, there really is no guarantee of that. After all, once the music ended, the wine finished and in our case, the cops had left (I think I’ll leave that for another blog posting), the photographs are the only thing you have. And when it’s time to reminisce with the grand-kids, you don’t go pull your wedding dress out and tell stories, you pull out your wedding album so they can see the stories for themselves. Hiring a photographer made sure that we would have the most perfect story to share.

I should stop right there.

Hiring the right photographer made sure that we would have the most perfect story to share. So what were some of the things that went through my head as a photographer hiring another photographer? There were only three…

 

VA Wedding Boston Bride

BUDGET.

I’ll just get that out of the way because it’s probably top of your mind too. When planning our day, we decided what 2 or 3 things were really of utmost importance to us and we put our money there. I think it goes without saying that the photographs were top of that list. Because I had been in the wedding industry myself, I have a pretty good idea of what things cost [if you don’t, do your research] but I still had to be respectful of what our budget was.

Decide ahead of time what you want. Do you want an album? Wall portraits? Digital files? All of the above? Great! Consider what you can afford right now. If the two don’t match [what you want and what you can afford], is there another way? Can you hire your dream photographer for the coverage only and purchase the album after the wedding [once you’ve caught up from paying your other vendors or have some wedding money in your pocket]? By deciding ahead of time what’s important to you, it’s easier to keep things straight when you start to get overwhelmed.

And if it really is important to you, figure it out and make it work. You won’t regret it!!

STYLE.

Because I’m a photographer it might have been easier for me to decide who to book. Or made it really difficult!! But here’s how I shopped for a photographer that might be a little different from non-photographers. I looked for, CONSISTENCY. I think as a bride it’s fairly easy to find the style of photography you like. You don’t even need a name for it [photo journalistic, documentary, modern, fashion etc.] you’ll just enjoy the photographs. Once you’ve narrowed down your style, start to look for consistency.  Throughout your wedding day, the light is ALWAYS changing. If your photographer can show you consistency in a variety of locations, a variety of venues and a variety of times of day, he/she knows what the hell they are doing!

Wedding days come in many shades and sizes. If I came across an image I didn’t like, I just asked myself…”Self, do you not like this photo because it’s a bad photograph? Or do you not like that there are tons of children in the photo, do you not like the location choice or do you not like the shoes?” Similarly, if I came across a photo that I loved…did I love the photo? Or is the bride really pretty and her dress is amazing?!

Don’t just look at your photographer’s style, consider your own style. Because you are styling your wedding, will be your wedding. It will have you written all over it [you don’t have to worry about that]. But your style doesn’t have to agree with another bride’s style for you to decide if you like a photographer’s work or not.

If you’re shopping for a photographer, make sure you’re shopping for a photographer.

PERSONALITY.

Last but not least, personality.

When I met my wedding photographer, I sure as hell wasn’t looking for a wedding photographer! My husband and I dated long distance for the first 10 months and as time went on, either he was going to have to move to Boston or I was going to have to be spending a lot more time in VA. So I decided to go to a bridal show to check out the local market as I started to consider marketing myself there. My hubby did end up moving to Boson [thank God] but I actually met my photographer the day of the bridal show [a whopping 2 years before my wedding]. I introduced myself to many vendors as I walked around and did my research about the bridal market in that area. I let them know that I didn’t photograph weddings but specialized in boudoir and that I was looking to network with some other local vendors. It’s funny how many of them weren’t very polite and didn’t want to give me the time of day because I wasn’t a bride. [I wasn’t even engaged at the time]. But not Melissa. Melissa not only went out of her way to get to say hi and actually chat a bit, but then continued to hunt down the editor of a local bridal magazine and initiated an introduction. There was absolutely nothing in it for her at the time. It’s not why I  booked Melissa but when I did a Google search of local photographers and her site came up, I remembered her instantly. I liked her work but I also knew I had already liked her as a person. Working with someone you get along with is super important! You are working with them for well over a year [before, during and after the wedding day], and they are with you on the most emotionally charged day of your life. If I know anything from working with professional models, it’s that being comfortable in front of the camera is one of the most important factors. You want to hire someone you’re comfortable with if you want good pictures.

[Note to professionals….Be kind, you never know where your next client will come from!]

So to quickly wrap this up…

1.] Figure out what it is you want, how much it will cost you to get it and be honest with yourself about what you can really afford. 2.] Narrow your search down to only 2 or 3 of your favorites who show consistency in their work. 3.] Then meet with them in person!

It’s just that easy.

Who did we hire?! The drum roll please…..Melissa Arleana!
Click HERE for a peak at our wedding album!
If you’re a Virginia bride, we also loved Tamara Riley of No Ordinary Ordained and Kristin Kirkpatrick of Fat Girl Cakes.

HAPPY PLANNING 🙂

Virginia Wedding Boston BrideVirginia Wedding Boston Bride

 

 

Virginia Wedding Boston Bride

Have you ever tried to copy a pose from a magazine? And, you looked nothing like the model?

What if I told you that sometimes, I pose my clients completely opposite of professional models, so that they look like professional models. Before I start to explain, I want to state that because every pose has various elements to it, it can get quite overwhelming. I’ve invested years and years in learning this stuff so I don’t expect you to get it overnight. Which is why today I’m breaking it down to just one thing, your weight.

Here’s the golden rule: Whatever is closest to the camera lens, looks the largest. This is particularly true when using certain types of lenses. And yes, your point and shoot or camera phone would be one of those lenses. So, when you push your weight forward [toward the camera], you’ll look larger than when you push your weight back [away from the camera].

You might think. Perfect, I’ll just always push my weight away from the camera. Done. However, models tend to push their weight toward the camera.
So when you copy them, you’re doing exactly what you shouldn’t do.

Why do they push their weight forward you ask?

Well, we don’t call them “walking clothes hangers” for nothing. Models typically are very thin. They actually need to create shape where there is no shape [irritating, I know]. So it makes total sense for them to push their weight forward. If you’re like me [and most women in America] we have curves!! And although our men [or women] love our curves, we need to know what to do with them on camera or we end up looking like one large curve. No one wants that.

To help demonstrate this concept, I’ve attached two pictures below. One is a professional Victoria’s Secret model and one is a client of mine. They are not the same pose but I want you to look at the curve of their hips and where the weight is on each of these women.

The model is putting all of her weight on the leg that’s closest to the camera [she’s bending the leg that’s farthest away], essentially pushing her weight forward. Our client is putting of her weight on the leg that’s farthest from the camera [she’s bending the leg that’s closest], essentially pushing her weight back.

Both women look amazing but they are posed completely opposite from one another.

So don’t feel bad about yourself the next time you try to copy a pose you like and don’t end up looking all that great. It’s not your fault, you just don’t understand yet how this all works yet. If you want to learn more about posing, CLICK HERE to check out our posing video. If you prefer to let me pose you, shoot us an email to work with me directly.

how to model

Boudoir is the ultimate in intimate gift giving. So it makes perfect sense that brides are having designer boudoir albums made to give their fiance’s on their wedding day.

Traditionally, grooms gifts are given on the morning of the wedding day. But when it comes to your intimate images, there are some logistics to consider. Like, how will you get the album to him without your dad or ring bearer getting a peak? Below are three “safe” ways to give him the gift he’ll never forget!

A.] THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

O yes, your boudoir album on your very own personal app is the safest way to get your intimate images in the hands of your man without a drunken, joke-playing groomsman finding and sharing them with anyone and everyone. Imagine the love of your life, just a few hours from becoming your husband, and getting a text from you that contains the password to the NO PEAKING app, that you’ve so sneakily downloaded onto his phone the evening before. Even if he noticed the app, it says “no peaking” and if he is like most men and can’t keep his hands off it, he can’t get into the app without the password anyway. Click HERE to see the app.

B.] MR & MRS

Now that you’ve tied the knot, laughed with friends, cried with family, danced all night, and finished off the last of the champagne…there’s one more thing. It’s wedding night! Giving him the album the night of your wedding is a great way to share in the experience, make sure no one else sees it but still honors that bit of tradition about exchanging gifts the day of.

C.] HONEYMOONERS

Were you too exhausted to give him your album the night of? Did he have too much to drink and manage to shuffle his way to the suite’s kitchen to eat a snickers bar while wearing nothing but his socks? No worries, I’ve saved the best for last!

Give him your boudoir album the night of your honeymoon. This is my personal favorite because you get to see his reaction to the photos, you are both relaxed, refreshed and can enjoy the time together. Slip into one of those super sexy pieces of lingerie you’re wearing in the album, pop some champagne and have it wrapped and waiting on the bed…or even better…under his pillow.

There really is no right or wrong way to give your album to your groom to be but know that you have options and decide what’s going to work best for you!!

 

Boudoir Albums005

 

“YOU, HERE! STAND RIGHT HERE!”

‘Where?’ I thought.
[There wasn’t enough space to physically fit, never mind see over the hundreds of other photographers in front of me].

“YES, COME. RIGHT HERE!”

Fashion Week International Press Corp

[I’m in there somewhere!!]

It was my very first day inside the tents of  New York Fashion Week and I was getting a crash course in runway photography. There were just minutes before the lights went down and the music came up and I was just being thrown into the pit by runway photographer Anton Oparin, whom I had met the night before at an offsite show and had offered me the opportunity to shoot inside the tents. The energy was palpable and I had no idea what I was doing other than that I loved photography and I was getting to shoot at Bryant Park! Fear was not an option. I was left alone to just figure it out. Sink or swim. And as it happened, I was dead center in the middle of the biggest ring of hungry, angry, stressed out, sleep deprived photographers from all over the world. And fresh meat; they could smell it, I’m sure. The new girl Anton had brought in to take up one of their coveted spots. [Sorry guys. I would hate me now too…lol.] But everyone starts somewhere and I did eventually figure it out. Shooting fashion was the first time in a long time that I had felt challenged again. Combine this with my love for all things fashion and it’s the perfect recipe for me being here some 15 seasons later, with my own team of amazing people. Now I’m the hungry, angry, stressed out and sleep deprived one but I love it!  I look forward to being able to shoot fashion for as long as I’m still in love with it!

Throughout the time I spent on those fashion risers, I’ve met some wonderful people. Once such person is Charles Beckwith of modaCYCLE and The American Fashion Podcast [I love listening to this podcast and you should certainly check it out the next time you’re in the car, on the train or even in the grocery store]. Charles brings to fashion week a very kind, calming and much needed patient personality. So when his team sat down to interview fashion designer Ralph Rucci, I just couldn’t not share it with you!

Enjoy!!

Click HERE to watch an honest and open interview with American fashion designer, Ralph Rucci.

An interview with Chado Ralph Rucci

You’ll see me directly under the lowest light (right) waiting for the show to begin.

Fashion Week International Press Corp

Ralph Rucci Spring 2014 Collection[Ralph Rucci – Spring 2014 Collection]

Ralph Rucci Spring 2014 Collection[Ralph Rucci – Spring 2014 Collection]

Ever heard all you need is confidence to take great picture? It’s total bullshit! How many of you have felt confident but still didn’t like your pictures?

Exactly.

Do you know that models are some of the most insecure people I’ve ever met? [shhhh, don’t tell anyone….they’re human too]. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Their entire career is based on rejection and rejection solely on their physical looks. They know exactly what’s “wrong” with them and they’re always aware of it. So how can that be? How can a model be insecure when one of the most important things you need to look great in pictures is confidence?

What models do have, is confidence in how to pose on camera and because of that, they are comfortable being photographed. They know their angles and how to show a product, but as a person they have insecurities with their bodies just like you and me. So that thing you’ve heard about confidence is sexy. That’s probably true in person. But on film, I find that your confidence isn’t really needed. Mine is.

[Huh?!]

Keep reading…

Boudoir Photographer Model Fashion Maternity Boston

[Megan – Norwell High – Class of 2016]

Since I don’t expect you to learn how to become a model overnight [although that would be nice], what you really need is a photographer who is confident in posing you!

So many of the women I work with are nervous about how to pose and that’s completely natural. But what I want you to know is that when you work with me, whether it’s for a boudoir shoot, a senior portrait, a headshot, maternity…it doesn’t matter… I will pose you, nose to toes! You will never have to worry about how to pose when you step into my studio. You just have to relax, enjoy having your hair and make up done and then trust me. I will teach you industry tricks and tips that work best with your body frame. But the best thing about fashion? The editorial division! If you’re just so totally bad at posing straight to the camera, I’m going to have you move in a way that I know will photograph nicely. Playing with your necklace, playing with your hair, movement, looking away and photographing details are all things I use to create a diverse album but also keep you looking good, no matter how awkward you get! After all…

You don’t pose to look like a model; You look like a model because I pose you!”

Contact us info@shannon-michelle.com now for booking info and find out firsthand how I would pose you!!