Things We Like: The Purse Hook
Our product score for this week is the purse hanger that includes a tiny mirror compact. Gotta love those two in one deals! But seriously this is such a great idea and practical for an evening out.
I was having dinner with a girlfriend when she pulled this interesting looking contraption out of her bag. She slid the small metallic object onto the side of the table as I gave her an intrigued glance. It held perfectly to the table and became a hook for hanging her purse on! The waitress even came over and commented on how neat it was. I have never seen anything like it but love the idea that you don't have to put your purse down on the less then clean floors or stuff it into the corner of your chair. It is also a great solution when you can't hang it on the back like in the case of a rounded chair. Plus having it attached to the table you don't have to worry about your purse being taken from behind your back. There are several different designs, my favourite is one that includes the mirror for a quick and subtle make up check. You can get this find at : http://www.bellebags.com or do a quick google search for "table purse hanger" to explore all of the different design options and find one right for you.
A Brief History of the Pin-Up
From as far back as we are able to trace humans we have discovered carvings, inscriptions, paintings and sculptures of the female form. The Venus symbols have been admired, recreated and even worshiped for centuries.
In most ancient civilizations idealistic female forms were displayed, the images varied according to what was considered of great beauty in the different cultures.
The term "Pin-Up" was introduced into the English language in 1941 but the actual practice and art of Pin Up sprouted in the 1890's. Pin Up is a style of photo or painting where a beautiful women (often a well known celebrity) poses in a playful sensual way. Quite often the pictures were some sort of parody. Pin Up was a picture that you could literally pin up, such as a calendar.
One of the oldest and most talented artists of early Pin Up was Alberto Vargas (1896-1982)
We appreciate the Art Of Pin Up and respect it for what it represents, an era in time where we had yet to have been bombarded with sexual images everywhere we glance. Where the subtle revealing and sensuality of a women was fresh and exciting. Pin Up is a true lost art that has been and continues to be rediscovered.
A few works by Vargas:
Click to enlarge for caption... "Can Anyone beat my pair?"
Email Back Up - Sort of
Unfortunately we had a lot of issues with our web-hosting service this past week and we may not have received your email or you may have not received a reply that we thought was sent.
If you contacted us and have not heard back from us please resend to taitboudoir@gmail.com
Thanks very much!
Things We Like: Third Floor Design
We love that part of their philosophy statement has similar qualities to our mission... They say "our design philosophy has always been simply to create lingerie for every woman to express themselves from the inside out".
Third Floor Design has appeared in various magazines internationally and has outlits across Canada, U.S.A,United Kingdom and Japan! We adore the subtle prints and beautiful colour tones this seasons line is offering. Send us your own feedback on this company we would love to hear it. You can find out where you can purchase their designs on their website.
http://www.thirdfloordesign.com/
http://www.thirdfloordesign.com/
Image Retouching
Retouching is included in all images ordered through the studio as a print or to be included in an album. To give you an idea, here is a 'before' and 'after' shot.
If you zoom in on the images you can see a couple of adjustments that were done: skin smoothing and blemish removal, softening of hair line, brighter eyes, eyebrow shaping, lessen shine, and under-eye bag removal.
Body shape refining was not done here but is also available at an additional cost.
LoLo Oh No!
Marilyn Monroe is without question one the the worlds most infamous Actresses of all time. Not only was she the sex icon of the 50's but she also had brains behind the illusion of the blond bombshell. She started her own production company in 1955 (Marilyn Monroe productions) and starred in 30 Hollywood films. Marilyn was an orphan and grew up in various homes, she had a lot against her and worked hard to get her status.
Lindsay Lolan was a childhood model starting at age 3, her father is also an actor. She began doing commercials and made her way into mainstream Hollywood before her teen years. Lindsay starred in three movies - all teen pop movies.
I'm sure you are all wondering why we have put the two random biography's together, well in 1962 photographer Bert Stern shot Marilyn Monroe's last photo shoot that has become known as "The Last Sitting". The photographs are arguably the most famous images ever captured of America's most famous actress. This shoot was only weeks before Marilyn passed away in her sleep from a persciption drug overdose (so they say, check out the conspiracy theories!) She was only 36 years old.
Last month Bert Stern shot Lindsay Lohan recreating "The Last Sitting".
*Sigh* Yes Lindsay Lohan...personally she would be the last actress we would have chosen to recreate the most famous Marilyn shoot ever!
In our opinion Marilyn has a complete raw sexuality and an emotional realism that leaches out of the image.... Lindsay looks posed and blank, you cant blame her she has merely a fraction the the life experience of Monroe.
We also just have to say that the blond wig is pretty brutal to top it off... and we are not sure why the photographer chose to parody his own work!
Let us know what your thoughts are on the recreation of this famous shoot!!!
Fishnet Top and Thigh Highs
Inspired by our recent shoot with the San Diego Boudoir Divas we now have a fishnet top and thigh highs that you can use for your shoot. Just bring a black bra and panty or whatever you'd like to wear underneath.
Both items are "one-size". According to the packaging they fit: 90 - 160lbs and 4'10" - 5'8"
Boudoir Divas Mini Workshop - Part 2
An Outdoor Boudoir -- Amber was our other boudoir model and we shot a lot of her outside. It was so much fun! Here are a few images...
Boudoir Divas Mini Workshop
We are in Las Vegas for the annual Wedding & Portrait Photographer's International (WPPI) Conference & Convention. It is over a week of industry education and inspiration. Today we attended a mini wokshop by San Diego boudoir Divas Marissa Boucher and Kimberlee West and it was sponsored by the KISS Wedding Album company.
Here are a few images from our demonstration shoot:
Maternity Boudoir
Yes we know these words typically don't go together, but perhaps they should! How many of you saw the Jan 2008 Marie Claire featuring Christina Aguilera's gorgeous baby bump? We were so excited to see a pregnant women portrayed in such a raw sexy way. Check out the images here and see just how beautiful Moms to be are. Certainly there are times through pregnancy where you feel less then attractive, however it is also a time where you are very connected to your female strength and true beauty. This is why it is so common to hear of or see pregnant women who have that "glow". Pregnancy is truly a unique experience and to have an image of yourself as a mom to be is such a beautiful way to remember that time. You can book your own "mom-to-be boudoir" session at www.taitboudoir.com during any of the boudoir marathons. The suggested time for showing off your baby bump is around 29 weeks, but of course you are welcome to be photographed at anytime.
Our Mission
Our mission is to give every woman a set of image they are proud of. We believe that the camera can capture more than the physical self and hope that our images help each woman to realize their beauty both outwardly and within.
Welcome to the Blog
The name "Boudoir" has mystique built around it, along with a few misconceptions. The word Boudoir derives from the french verb bouder meaning to pout. Historically the Boudoir was a part of the ladies private room where she would bath and dress.
In photography it is used as a term for a specific style of photo, usually involving more intimate pictures of a women but always classy. A way to reveal and then capture the feminine beauty that we all poses. The amount of revealing is up to the client anything that makes you feel beautiful and sexy. Wardrobe can consist of anything from your favourite dress to some new lingerie or simply draped in sheets.
We encourage women of all ages, sizes and shapes to express themselves as the beautiful females we are. One of the great concepts of Boudoir Photographs is that each one rewrites the societal image of "beauty" and showcases what true beauty is all about.
We hope that you will enjoy this blog where we will share images from our shoots, interesting news and fun finds for women.
Enjoy!