Vegas Boudoir Session and Workshops

Vegas Boudoir Session and Workshops

Every February in Vegas Photographers come from all over the world to take part in WPPI.  It stands for Wedding & Portrait Photographers International. Don't let the name deceive you though all genres of photographers take part. I've heard it said that it's the equivalent of spring break for photographers. So if you're going you should look into booking your own Vegas Boudoir Session.

vegas boudoir session

 This is a great time to meet up and network with your peers in the industry, but it is also a great time to hone your skills. One of the ways you can achieve this is to join one of the many workshops offered by many of the professionals who attend. Last year was Jessica's first workshop in Vegas and she is returning this year with a good friend of hers Aroha Mckaig.  Together they will be covering subjects such as maximizing your space. This will cover lighting, shooting, and setting up your space plus some portfolio building shoot out time. The second Day of the workshop will cover the topic of Mood & Emotion. In this class you will learn the art of creating images of both sexually suggestive and implied nature. You'll learn how to achieve the emotions to translate your own clients whether the are looking for a sensual or more sexualized style. Jessica's style lends to the more sensual side of the spectrum while Aroha enjoys pushing the boundaries to elude to more sexual undertones. Again this will end with a portfolio building shootout. This year they've booked a beautiful Air B&B for the workshop with plenty of space for shooting and learning.  Five lucky attendees will be able to upgrade to the VIP seats. These will include a place to stay at the Air B&B, meals while there, all the classes, and a small group mentoring session where you can pick Jessica and Aroha's brains while relaxing after supper. Workshops are a great place to start your time in Vegas, but there is so much more to do. Between the parties, shootouts, and the fact that it's Vegas you'll be busy the entire time. One of the attendees from last year took her experience with Jessica one step further and booked her own Vegas Boudoir Shoot with Jessica. This allowed to her to see Jessica shoot first hand and she walked away with some amazing images that she will treasure forever. I'll be posting her photos in another post soon to follow. Jessica's make up artist, Ashley of Ashley Paints Faces, wanted her own Vegas Boudoir Session and modelled for the last workshop. The following are some of her images from the workshop and her own session.Written by the Artist Jessica Rae team. xoxo 

For more information on the Workshop click here

To book your own session click here

Smile Pretty or...?!! - Greater Vancouver Boudoir Photography - Daily Inspiration

I often get asked: "What should I do, should I smile? Am I suppose to keep a serious face?"An intimate portrait session is all about YOU. I want to capture your personality. I want you to feel comfortable being yourself, whatever that might be!Are you serious? Are you bubbly? Are you conservative? Do you like to push boundaries?It's all about you, so BRING IT!

xoxox Artist Jessica Rae 

 

Posing with a Disability: Introducing the Queer, Curved and Crippled Male Model - Vancouver Boudoir Photographer

I was introduced to Andrew Gurza through a friend on facebook. He was going to be visiting Vancouver and was  looking for a photographer; it didn't take much to convince me that I needed to meet Andrew in person and capture his story. This man is going to move mountains, if you don't know him yet,  you will soon. His voice is strong and true when it comes to his advocacy of the queer disabled community. He will not be silenced. I am proud and honoured to now call this man my friend. Please go check out the work he is doing over at Deliciously Disabled  xoxox Jessica Rae

Posing with a Disability: Introducing the Queer, Curved and Crippled Male Model

Pictures have always been really important to me. I have always loved what it is that they represent. When you take a picture, you capture a moment in time. Not only do you capture the image, but if you look closely enough at the subject, you might actually be able to see what they were feeling as well. For myself, as a man with physical disabilities, the idea of taking a picture holds real power. When I take a picture, I want to show the world that I am in a wheelchair, that I am proud of it, and that I own that part of my reality. Each and every time the camera shutter clicks I want the viewer to know that my disability is right by my side, and won’t be ignored.In my work as a Disability Awareness Consultant, making disability accessible to the queer community via Deliciously Disabled, I have happily volunteered to take many a picture of myself. I did this, always, to ensure that Queers with Disabilities were somehow represented in queer media outlets. I loved these opportunities for a few reasons: 1) I love attention (no shame in that, right?) and 2) I finally got to see myself. For so many years I have begged, fought and clawed for representation and just to be noticed by my community, often feeling invisible in it. These pictures would help me change that, and show others in my position that they had a place too.I had gotten used to these photo shoots being done with just myself and the photographer – the two of us spending time working together to make me and my disability shine for the cameras. I was comfortable taking up this space on my own – there is an unmistakable power when you are the only sexy, seated and disabled guy in the room – and I jumped on it. Recently, I was given the opportunity to work alongside another model. I remember when I was asked, after the excitement of being professionally photographed had subsided (fame-whore, remember?), I was scared. I was immediately concerned about my body, and whether or not this model would be comfortable working with my unique body and me. My body that curved and contorted, that was seated and spastic and scarred. I started to worry how I would look next to him. I envisioned that he would look all sexy and suave, and I, try as hard as I might, would not. The camera would capture his beautiful body, and all the camera would see of me, was my cripple. I started to wonder if I could even go through with it. The day came. The first couple of shots were of me alone -- fun, relaxed, and easy. I smiled and laughed, the photographer putting me at ease. When those were done, it was time for me to be with the other model. I was excited because he was so sweet, but I also felt that pang of self-doubt. We both took off our clothes, and got in the position for the shot. At first, I didn’t dare move. I wanted him to call the shots, and I remember feeling that whatever I did, I had to make sure that my disability didn’t distract him. Here I was lying next to this model, I couldn’t be all disabled about it? Slowly though, we got comfortable with each other, and I was so happy he was with me. In those moments, I got to introduce him to my disability, and show him what being deliciously disabled is actually all about. He got to hold my spastic hands, nuzzle himself in the contours of my cripple canvas, and realize that I broke all the molds.As the camera shuttered on and off around us, I felt a sense of bliss come over me. I couldn’t stop smiling because I knew that when these images were developed, they would capture something important. They would show the world two very different men, one able, one not, lying together in happiness. They would show the world that the male form, no matter how it is configured, is a beautiful creation. Lastly, if you were to look really close at these pictures, you might see what I was feeling – I was both happy to show myself, my truth, to someone, and even happier that he actually saw me for the queer, curved, crippled man I am. - Andrew GurzaPublished in Vol 7 of Philosophie Boudoir MagazineThank you to Chad Walters aka LifeAsChad for joining me on this session and taking it to a whole new level xoxox**This post contains nudity  

Curvaceous Plus Size Boudoir Photography - Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley Photographer - Daily Inspiration

"There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologeticlly herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty." - Steve Marabolixoxox Artist Jessica Rae

Nothing is Concrete - Beauty Mark Magazine

Unplanned shoots are often the best...I was wanting to try out a friends studio space in Vancouver's west end so I invited Renee to come out and pose me. I also was interested in working with a man in a boudoir like setting, as I hadn't before, so I invited Chad Walters to join us. It was never my intention to have the two pose and model together but I am so thrilled that we did as the results and the story line that came through this collaboration really hit a mark.Chad took it upon himself to write an amazing piece about sexuality, that got picked up and published in Beauty Mark Magazine, which is included below.You can purchase a digital or hardcopy of this issue here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1015324----------------------NOTHING IS CONCRETE...It is my experience that many folks come to the conclusion that others are either “gay” or “straight” - while the “bisexual” folks either get honoured as a third category or tagged as “confused.” What is this drive we have to guess and assume other peoples’ sexual orientation? Is it that easily categorized? The human experience of interpersonal attraction, orientation or sexual preference, however you wish to articulate it, is far too complex to merely answer “yes.” It is in our nature as humans to label, divide, separate and categorize - it adds a helpful structure to our world. Putting everything into a cute little box that can be neatly stacked has its advantages, surely; however, this obsessive inclination to pack complex human sexual preferences into two (maybe three) tiny boxes is incredibly imprisoning. I think that it is easy to confuse identity and attraction. Just because I identify as gay does not mean that I cannot be attracted to women - it just means that I identify as gay. Let’s just leave identity on the sidelines for right now and focus on the experience of attraction, that natural pull towards another human being. My body is wired to send signals and it accomplishes this through inputs of touch, scent, sight, and so on. Regardless of how I psychologically identify with any one group, my body will always do its job. One of the many invasive and personal questions I often get asked by others is, “Have you or would you ever have sex with a woman?” After making a point to inquire whether that person asks everyone such personal and inappropriate questions I say, “Well, I do not feel 100% gay.” This often confuses people. See, I view sexual attraction as a scale - a sliding scale. As a baseline, I often self-locate at 95% on the gay scale, knowing that, if the stars aligned just right, it is always possible to have a “run-in” with the big V. Yes, 95% is quite high and the reason why I am not at 100% is that I have met a few women who have shifted my marker.My marker definitely shifted during a recent photoshoot with a female model. Unintentionally, in front of the lens, a story unfolded between her and me. I have never modeled with a woman before but naturally, and as if magically, it soon became an intimate story of lust and longing where she and I were wrapped up in mutual attraction. Divided by a pane of glass we were left wanting for each other and, as the storyline progressed, we found ourselves posing with one another on a bed on set. We got close and cozy and allowed ourselves to enliven the role of a man and a woman in the fuels of passion. It was beautiful. To be entirely frank, this woman is stunning. While she straddled me, in her light blue lingerie, I became increasingly aware that I was only wearing briefs… “what if…?” I thought to myself, “this is incredibly sexy” – as I chuckled that my older brother would surely find it amusing that his “gay brother” was in this situation. Because I am human, with senses, I could feel her hair and skin, hear her, see her, and pick up her pheromones… my neurones and synapses were firing beyond my control. It was a professional and mature photoshoot, but because it was at the same time intimate and sensual I left contemplating my place on the sexual attraction scale.Nothing is concrete.

And of course, their solo sets with me from that same day...

Scáthach - Published in Conceptual Magazine

I have been sitting patiently on this set for almost a year! It was suppose to be published, but that magazine just ceased to exist one day! So I waited till I found a magazine that it would fit into and finally I came across Conceptual Magazine and they just happened to be doing an issue with the most perfectly suited theme. High Fashion Tribal. Boom! (and they accepted women's topless images - so grateful!)This was the very first time I got to work with Charlene from Faye Tality Couture. She lent us the amazing body cage and accessories, as well as the 2nd outfit. It was the start to a beautiful friendship. I love that she just lives down the street from me, works great for last minute, impromptu photo shoots!|Photographer: ArtistJessicaRaeDesigner: Faye Tality CoutureHair/Makeup: Marecel DanielMuse: Karilee * This post contains topless nudity * Purachase your copy of Conceptual Magazine Issue 5  HERE xoxox Artist Jessica Rae

Big thank you to Dana O'dell who wrote a short piece that was included in the publication

Scáthach

The birds stir up at her exhaled breath

It is her, the lone Warrior Queen

Her body is alive with the feel of earth and moss and bark

She breathes the air exhaled by those

Who walked before her

Now she remembers

why she is the Warrior Queen.

She lifts her face to the sun.

gathering light, brightening the darkest corners of the forest

as, she cries out.

A cry from generations past–that summons ravens and dragons

A cry that all those who love the darkness

should learn to remember.Dana O'Dell © 2016

Frosty Morning in the Valley - Published: Hell on Heels Magazine

The beginning of January met us with the most beautiful frost and I just had to take advantage of this amazing setting! Thankfully, my friend Nicole Ashley was willing to come out and play with me and brave the cold. She wore an amazing tulle skirt that she made herself paired with some beautiful corsets she had. Designer, Faye Tality Couture was kind enough to loan us a stunning full length cloak, which not only looked lovely but kept poor Nicole nice and warm during the session.Hell on Heels magazine saw one of my posts and asked me to submit the entire session to be published in their Winter Edition. You can purchase a digital or print copy HERE

Victorian Boudoir : Gilded Magazine : Vancouver Published Editorial Boudoir Photographer

At the beginning of December I was playing around with new studio setups and  fell in love with this one so much that I put together a team right away and the next day this session happened. Sometimes the best laid plans aren't plans at all but whims of fancy! I partner up with one my of my favourite designers Charlene Rowley of Faye Tality Couture, she had the most amazing pieces to pull off the look I was aiming for. Fellow Maple Ridge photographer, Tanzyn Ambrose graciously agreed to be my muse for this set and she got all glammed up by the talented Makeup in Session's, Sana Nurani. I am so blessed to call all of these amazing women friends, and that they go along with my mad ideas <3These images  have been featured in Gilded Magazines issue 7 vol 2 edition. 

You can purchase a digital or hard copy HERE

Kerosene Deluxe - Published - Chilliwack Boudoir Photographer

What a way to ring in the new year - Published in the New Years edition of Pinups & Kustoms Magazine with my muse Kerosene Deluxe was the perfect way to say farewell to 2015 and HELLO 2016!!! I met Kerosene earlier this year and have had the pleasure of photographing her on a number of occasions. Not only is she a beautiful gal on the outside but she is just as beautiful on the inside. She is genuine and has a heart of gold and I am proud to call her my friend.We ventured up to the city of Chilliwack  so we could borrow a friends beautiful vintage car for this session. The sun was getting low in the sky and was casting the most beautiful golden light over the valley. I couldn't have asked for more. It was perfection! Kerosene did all her own styling, hair and makeup - she is a multi-talented lady at best <3xoxox Jessica Rae

Purchase your copy of Pinups & Kustoms New Years edition HERE

Published with Theresa Rock

Published in Surreal Beauty Magazine with the lovely Theresa RockYou can get your copy here:http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/968227?__r=338832&s=w