A Personal Note on Women’s Beauty, Studio Changes & chance for a women’s studio portrait makeover day.

March 27, 2012 in Announcements, Family, Portraits, Studio News, Uncategorized

For as long as I can remember I have always loved transformations. Especially those that involve making woman feel beautiful. Every time there was an Oprah show makeover, or Ambush makeover I’d be glued to the TV set. I loved seeing how they would take everyday woman and make them look like they were movie stars. The audience in the Oprah studio along with myself (who’s butt was glued to the sofa) would gasp in excitement as we saw the ‘Before’ shot, and then the radiant, confident newly transformed woman as she burst through the doors onto the stage in her grand ‘After’ entrance. Her family would cry, she would cry and of course I would ALWAYS cry! The smile on those woman’s faces could have lit up a room. But why? They were the same girl they were before. It wasn’t as if someone gave them a new life, a new personality, a new family. What they did give to them was simply the chance to be able to see just how beautiful they really were and could be. Simple. A new haircut (or even having someone just curl your hair) and some makeup goes a LONG way. When I became a photographer this naturally fit well into what I do, especially as a boudoir photographer. Woman would come to me and get all dolled up for a day, take some sexy photos and leave with a beautiful gift for themselves or their husbands. Which don’t get me wrong is AMAZING, and I still love doing it. But over the last few months I’ve felt this restlessness in my creativity, a desire for change. I was frustrated as a photographer and feeling like there was a void in my business. Whenever I start to feel this way I know something is about to happen in my life. Change. Not really sure as to what this change should be, I just pressed forward, pushed myself as an artist to branch out and keep growing. I signed up for a online webinar with a photographer I’d heard a little bit about, but never really checked out too much. As I flipped through her website, I was moved and excited for her workshop. The day finally arrived and I was SO excited to watch her workshop. I didn’t realize how much it would impact me. Within just the first few minutes of her introduction I was in tears.

“I don’t want to photograph anybody famous,
I want to photograph Sandra from Canada and Amanda from Florida…
I want to photograph any woman in the world who’s ever looked in the mirror
and not felt good about herself at any time in her life.
I want to photograph her every year through the changes of her teenage life,
through her 20s, through her 30s, through her 40s, through her 50s,
and as she flowers into her most beautiful-ness.
I want to photograph her every year of her life to watch
and celebrate the changes of who she is and what she is,
so she can experience how she looks to other people”
~Sue Bryce

That was it. That was exactly what my heart was feeling. I have had the BEST time shooting boudoir portraits for the last few years and I fully intend to keep doing it, but I feel as if EVERY woman no matter what her age needed to feel beautiful and have beautiful portraits of herself. Not every woman wants to do a boudoir shoot, but every woman wants to feel beautiful. There really isn’t anything else in the world that makes me happier than giving that opportunity to women. I know it’s what I’m here for and that’s what I’m planning on doing. While I will still keep my boudoir business and move forward with it, it is going to take on a new direction. A new look, a new brand, a new name for myself. This in itself is scary for me. I’m going to keep my Bold Boudoir name and website for now, but I will be branching off as a new division of Gardner Photography. I’m going to keep it simple. Most likely, Katie Gardner Portraits or something. =D  But I want my portraits of woman to take on a new meaning. Beauty is ageless. I feel boudoir has limited me in shooting a small window of ages. I want to showcase woman of ALL ages, in all walks of life. Beauty is 10, 15, beauty is 25, beauty is 35, 50, 60, 80+! I will still be infusing boudoir into these portraits for those of you who want the lingerie looks. They will just be a lot simpler, fresh and have a more magazine, high fashion look than my full studio shots. So still bring in sexy lingerie if that’s the look you want.

With that being said, I need your help! Help me make this a dream I can bring to fruition.

I would love to gift a makeover and photo shoot experience to some wonderful woman in exchange for letting me showcase your beautiful faces on my new website. I thought it would be a great time as it’s close to Mother’s Day. I would love to extent an invitation to 7 groups of woman, to come into the studio for your very own transformation day on me. You could be a group of sisters, best friends, mothers and daughters or partners. I will do your hair and makeup and you just show up with 2-3 tops or outfits that I’ll help give you ideas for. =) On top of having this wonderful makeover and photo shoot, as a gift each girl in your group will be given a beautiful 8×12 mounted image of your choice, a web size profile picture for your Facebook, and a $100 voucher to use towards a purchase of anything you’d like. You are not obligated to buy anything. In exchange all you have to do is sign a model release form and let us display your before and after transformation. If you are interested in being apart of these special sessions please send pictures of yourself and the woman you’d like to be in your group (up to 5) and a personal story about you, or your mom, or your sisters, or friends, telling me why this day would be special for you. You can email your submissions to katie@gardnerpd.com

For this event we request that the age limit be 8 years old and up.

I cannot wait to get your entries! We will be picking groups by next Tuesday so don’t delay in sending them

Thank you in advance for your submissions! =D

- Katie