3/13/13

Fit Momma of 6: Augusta Beauty & Boudoir Photography

www.augustaboudoir.com




She obviously works out.  She obviously eats clean.  What's not obvious is that SHE HAS 6 KIDS!!
 
After this beautiful and wonderful mom had a shoot with us, I totally stopped using "I have 3 kids" as an excuse for being out of shape.    She is so full of positve energy....simply AMAZING!!!!!!!!

And she is a really sweet lady (but of course all Augusta Boudoir clients are!!!), and I just adore that she is so dedicated.

EXCUSE ME WHILE I STEP AWAY FROM THIS COMPUTER TO GO WORK OUT!!

xoxo, Sharon











For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

3/7/13

An Augusta Boudoir Surprise From Afghanistan, With Love

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com


by Sharon....

So at the end of last year we got a very special inquiry all the way from Afghanistan...it was a husband deployed there and wanted to give his wife a gift certificate for a special experience as a gift for Christmas.  He wanted her to take some time just for herself to feel special and beautiful.

HOW SWEET IS THAT!!!

But he wanted to make it extra special by SURPRISING her, so we devised a plan.  He figured out a good date/time when she would be home, and he sent some very very very special wording for a card. 

A store bought card just didn't seem good enough for this special and unique surprise, so I enlisted help from Illustrated Events to hand craft a card and they also hand wrote his words.  And of course we threw in some oh so delish chocolate covered strawberries from our favorite bakery, Sweet Madness.

Okay let me just say that I was very emotional during all of this because it just was so touching.  Even though I often put my own husband up for sale on Facebook when he's in the doghouse, I still would be a basket case if he was away from our family for a year.

Imagine a complete stranger knocking on your door saying they have a gift from Afghanistan.   She was so sweet and had tears in her eyes after reading the card.  

Mission accomplished!!!!

So I really felt strongly about doing the shoot inside their own home because he is a way from home...seeing his own furniture and little glimpses of his own house just makes the pictures waaaaaay more meaningful.

She was very clever timing her session...she scheduled it in time to send her thoughtful hubby a Valentine's Day surprise.  And guess what....his book arrived  in his hands ON VALENTINE'S DAY

That was Perfect timing!!!!

And the best part of it for me was bringing this couple a little closer together.  I wish I could show you all of the images from her shoot because there are some that I absolutely love love love, but here are a couple that I do have permission to share...






9/25/12

Professional Portfolio Prep Form

For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

8/10/12

Arlund Photo Retreat Image Review

Hey!!  I'm back from Chuck Arlund's workshop....better known as the Arlund Photo Retreat.  I'll give you an overview of everything later, but for now I want to throw up some images I shot.  There is sooooo much to share that I will have to put it all into different posts over a period of time.

But I know that some of you are dying to see, so here is a sneak peek of some images...



 Chuck hired several models from agencies, and he flew in one model from Nashville.  I typically have no need for guy models in my portfolio, but there was a male model at the workshop who just absolutely was uber professional.  He couldn't take a bad picture and he pulled off any look that anyone requested.  At one point he even had on heavy make-up and he was so pretty he could have been a female.  I didn't take any of him n make-up, and honestly I didn't take many pictures of him at all because I just really don't have a great need for guys in my portfolio.

But wow was he a hottie!!   When we were first introduced, I was concerned because he had a pickle jar full of clear liquid.  I asked to see his ID and I smelled the pickle jar because I suspected it was moonshine.

It was water.

His "water bottle".  And so, he turned out to be a pretty good guy...he even wrote thank you cards to all the people who did lots of work behind the scenes to make our meals and clean up after us.

He's got a good future in modeling ahead of him, and there is a picture of him and his pickle jar somewhere on this post if you want to see it.  Enough about him though!!  (Can you tell I was super impressed!!). 




So, we played with lots of different lighting situations and gear. Wish I had more time to go into detail now  but you'll just have to wait.  There was an infinity pool that just was amazing.  The location where we were at is a huge blog post all by itself.  Enjoy looking at these, and I will share more information about the workshop...I mean, Retreat...later when I have more time.  xoxo, Sharon








For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

8/3/12

Augusta Boudoir is Growing!!

Hi Everyone! I cannot believe Summer is almost over. It went by so fast. Goodness, so many things are taking place...I don't have any time to go into much detail so I'll just give you some highlights.

In less than 12 hours I am getting on a plane headed to Kansas City so that Augusta will be a little bit sexier!!

I truly believe that growing and learning in this business is sooooo essential.  I always search for new information that I can find online or from local photography classes, but hands-on  learning from talented, successful and world-respected photographers is most valuable.  Last  year I spent many months devoted to learning and growing...a mentor ship with the lovely and super awesome Kim Mallory, I completed a workshop with Christa Meola (although I wish it could have been her Paris workshop!!), and I traveled to Washington D.C. to get some hands-on shooting time with  Robin Owen...those are all well-known and successful boudoir photographers, and they have all made their mark on the boudoir world in their own BIG special way.

This year I am so excited to let you know I am investing in an Arlund workshop!!



Chuck Arlund has workshops in NYC, Nashville and Lake of the Ozarks, which is the one I'm headed to. It's kind of awesome because only 10 photographers get attend this unique workshop, and someone from as far away as the Bahamas is coming to it. Chuck Arlund is just phenomenal...his style is so unique and it is a real investment for Augusta Boudoir and Scribbletime to have the opportunity to learn from him.

Okay before I leave, I want to let you know that my business is GROWING, and I have added an administrative assistant to handle all my scheduling. Her name is Kristy and her email is: kristy@scribbletime.com   Please give her a warm welcome!!!!

 She is the person who will actually make all the arrangements for your session. I am so happy to have her help, and she will be covering for me since I won't have internet access next week. Please contact her if you'd like to schedule a session and she will get the ball rolling for you!

I am transitioning to a new website for Augusta Boudoir, so hang on until we get it all done. I am not sure how long it will be until you see a different look, so keep checking back! If you know me, you know I like to shoot on-location to get a variety of different looks.

Shooting in the studio gets pretty boring to me, but it occurred to me that I really shy away from posting studio shots. So here are some for your viewing pleasure! I shot this session a while back in the studio. Enjoy!

 xoxo, Sharon

(Hair/Make-up by Grace at Aqua Salon)




For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

7/12/12

Top 5 Reasons To Show/Not Show Your Boudoir Pictures Online

Hello to the most wonderful Augusta Boudoir friends ever ever!! I say that because my children and I have ended up sick, and we have had so many wonderful well-wishes. Sweet Madness Bakery even made us some of their famous (okay, soon to be famous) peanut butter balls. YUM!! If you haven't had those things, OMG call that bakery and ask them to make some for you. Thank you to my sweet friends for caring. Feeling physically yucky has given me some down time to examine some of my (many) flaws as a Boudoir photographer. One of these flaws is that I am probably a little bit too conservative to be in this line of work. I am guilty of talking some clients out of giving me permission to show their images, and I am also guilty of not showing images in an effort to protect clients. So isn't that a little bit two-faced of me? Nah. I know very well the potential pit-falls that can happen from sharing these types of images, and honestly it is not the same outcome for every woman. So how do you know if sharing is right for you? Here is a guide....a list of reasons to show or not to show your Boudoir images. After I write this list, hopefully I will no longer find myself shielding clients who do not wish to be shielded. Maybe I will include in the model release a signature line to indicate that you've read this blog post. Haha!!

TOP REASONS TO SHOW OR NOT TO SHOW YOUR BOUDOIR IMAGES ONLINE:

1. YOUR EMPLOYER: Obviously if you had to sign a contract with a moral clause, never letting the pictures see the light of day would apply to you. I have a lot of teachers who seek my services confidentially because of this reason. BUT even if you aren't in a current job with this as a problem, think about what your career goals are. If you aspire to be in a field or position that could be jeapordized by the images, then keep them private. If your employer or career choice is something that embraces revealing or edgy pictures, then by all means, show them off!

 2. YOUR SIGNIfICANT OTHER: Even if you are super happy and excited to show off your pictures, HE may not be so excited for everyone else to see so much skin. I like to wait until he sees the pictures before I share them because even though you have the ultimate say-so, the whole point of showing him is to enrich your relationship.....if Both of you disagree about showing the pictures, then the pictures become a sore spot in your relationship, which is opposite of the goal. Let's respect your guy's input so he will be proud of your images and know that his opinion is reflected. I LOVE it when a husband is fine with the pictures enough to let them be seen. But even when husbands are not supportive of it, I do not knock them for it. They have to consider their own position in employment, the community or their future goals as well. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you or isn't proud of you....it means he is trying to protect either you or himself and that's part of a husband's purpose too. Honestly his opinion counts more than anyone else when it comes to showing the pictures. If he is supportive of it, then who cares what anyone else in the whole world thinks? Okay, other than your mom.

 3. YOUR MOM: Moms play a huge role in a woman's Level of nervousness or confidence with choosing to do a Boudoir session. If you are super worried about telling mom, then maybe in the end showing them online is not going to be a good fit. On the flip side, some moms are highly supportive and will share in the excitement that comes with doing a session. Your mom may want to do her own session!! If your mom is on board with these pictures, then show Them off for sure! Passing the mom test is really ultimately a big hurdle. I have actually found that moms end up really loving the beautiful pictures of their daughters because they are tasteful and elegant.

4. IT IS PERMANENT: once the pictures are "out there" they cannot be retracted. I can take them off my blog and website, but that doesn't mean they weren't copied by someone, pinned on Pinterest, or archived somewhere out there in the cloud. If you have a change of heart about it, then the pictures could pop up later and come back to haunt you.

 5. YOUR REPUTATION: Did I just dare suggest that we should care about what other people think of us? Oh well, it's true.....we humans DO worry about what others think about us to a point. But why?!!! I'll share a HUGE secret with you that I am pretty sure my own husband doesn't know (although I am sure he wouldn't mind me sharing this info regardless). More than a decade ago I went to Key West, Florida during a Fantasy Fest event. Okay so the secret is that I participated in the festivities by having some (alcohol-inspired) body paint artwork done....two frogs strategically placed on my front chest area. I am certain somebody somewhere has pictures of that. And short of a family tragedy, my worst fear in life ever has been that those pictures would end up being seen. I have spent more than one night wide awake worried about the fate of those pictures. Eek!!!

 But I am almost 40....after being married for 9 years, having three children and taking on the identity of a boring housewife, some froggy pictures Really might help spice up my reputation some instead of ruining it. I no longer care about trying to show only a squeaky clean image. Being honest and open about our flaws disarms others from using them against us. I am no longer terrified of the frogs. To thine own self be true. I think the only place a reputation ultimately matters is the reputation we have inside our own brain, and If we are trying to do good, to be our best and to treat others with Nothing but love in our heart, then that's all we can do to make others talk fondly of us. I am accountable to myself and to the people in my life who truly love and care for me! Like the people who make me peanut butter balls when I am sick. Love me or hate me for my pictures....in the end, a little bit of skin may be just what the doctor ordered, and if not, then honestly our world has bigger problems to worry about than seeing a little bit of uncovered skiN, frogs or no frogs. Ribbit, Sharon For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com

7/1/12

Building her Portfolio in Augusta Georgia: A Natural Model



 This very beautiful lady was in need of some shots to start a portfolio for her budding career.  She had an idea of what types of shots she needed, the Michelle James team handled her hair and make up,  I got behind the camera and she did the rest. 



 She is a natural model for sure, and she has her heart set on acting.  The week before she came to me for some pictures, she had an appearance in a movie that was being filmed in Atlanta and she got to be right alongside someone who is a pretty big Hollywood name.  Not sure if I'm allowed to spill the beans about her it, so I'll just keep the rest top secret.  Muck luck to this sweet lady...I hope to see you on the big screen soon!!













For a consultation or to reserve your Augusta Boudoir Experience, visit the website: www.augustaboudoir.com