Too... This, That, or the Other - Why Imperfect is Beautiful

I hear all the time from clients that they're too old, too fat, too droopy, too thin, too wrinkly, too flabby... too imperfect to be photographed.  It breaks my heart.  This week I had a 60+ woman in my studio who is waifish and tall.  Last week I had a 23 year old who is curvy and petite.  What made each of them sexy is that they put their insecurities aside and trusted me.  Trusted me to show them beauty isn't about a size, a shape, or a feature. It's vulnerability and the confidence to see that imperfections are amazing.  These are some of the things I've heard from clients, who ended up near tears at how much they love their photos.

• I'm fat.

• I'm old.

• I'm too young.

• I'm too thin.

• I'm too short-waisted.

• I'm too long-waisted.

• My nose is too big.

• I hate my smile.

• My hair never looks good.

• I don't know how to do my makeup.

• My thighs are too thin.

• My thighs are too fat.

• My butt is too flat.

• My butt is too big.

• My ankles are so thick. (That one might have been me.)

• My boobs are too big.

• My boobs are too small.

• M boobs are too droopy.

• My legs are too long.

• My legs are too short.

• I wish I worked out more.

• I wish I'd lost 10 lb.

• My ears stick out.

• My teeth are weird.

• My face is too round.

• My face is too narrow.

• I have a double-chin.

• My arms are too wobbly.

• I have a huge zit.

• I have so much cellulite.

• My stretch marks are so bad.

• My face is too wrinkly.

• I hate my freckles.

• My lips are too thin.

Some of these comments have come from these beautiful women.  Could you ever imagine one of them saying such terrible about themselves?

THE Boudoir Tutu with K

Adeana and I attended the Association of International Boudoir Photographers (always learning to better serve you!) recently. We came back recharged and ready to play with a willing model. K was perfect the job. She’s a mom (like most of our clients), but she’s also a classically trained dancer. She is also studying acting, so I actually think I’ll have to have her back in for another shoot and let her take more control. But for now, I wanted it to be quite similar to a shoot I’d have with any other client.

She brought a pretty little tulle skirt of her own, but once I saw it, I knew I had to show her my huge pastel pink tulle skirt. She couldn’t see my grin behind the mountain of tulle I was carrying, but I couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

She just about squealed and said,

“Oh my god! My dream tutu!”

Here are a few shots I wanted to share. If you’re interested in where I got the skirt, shoot me an e-mail. I have a little girls’ version, too.

Makeup and Hair: Adeana Dillon
Photography: Leslie Cersovski

J's Bridal Boudoir Shoot

Dear J,

You were one of the most beautiful brides I've photographed. Women like you give me the urge to come out of wedding photography retirement.We met over the phone since you were coming all the way from Midland, Texas. We chatted between flights because we needed to get you booked asap. I remember hanging up and thinking that this was going to be so much fun. Your enthusiasm was obvious, and that's the best kind of photoshoot. We wanted to surprise your groom with a gift that he'd love. We created a photoshoot to be bright and airy. To show off your smile. I knew that we could create photos that showed him just how sexy and confident you are.

Some women worry about fading their tan lines before a boudoir photoshoot, but I think it adds to the allure. What do you think?

I'm so glad you wore your wedding shoes that had so much bling on top and the bottom had the prettiest teal bottoms for your "something blue." This is one of my favorite photos.

Your engagement ring is so beautiful. I'm sure that every time you look at it, you fall in love with B all over again.

Thank you J for trusting me with capturing you as a beautiful bride-to-be. I can't wait to have you and B back next year to celebrate your anniversary.

Sincerely,

Leslie

Photos: Leslie Cersovski Makeup: Edgar Campos Hair: Amanda White

What we retouch, and what we don't

I get a lot of questions about retouching for boudoir.  Especially, "You an make all my cellulite go away, right? Yes, but it's not usually with photoshop.  Here are the steps to ensure your photos display flawless skin:

1. I instruct my clients to prepare their skin at least a week in advance. Drink lots of what, hydrate with coconut oil and exfoliate a day or two before the photoshoot.
2. I provide my clients with a lotion that I LOOOOOOVE called Prtty Peaushun. You can buy it on Amazon directly. It diffuses the light without looking greasy.
3. I light with flat lighting on the potential lumps and bumps. No shadows? No cellulite!
4. If I get a fabulous pose with less than fabulous flat lighting, then I'll lighten up those unflattering shadows in post production (aka Photoshop)

So what DO I do in photoshop?

I delete bruises, pimples, spider veins, skin tone changes from being hot cold or nervous and stretch marks if I can even see them after the lotion is applied. I look for any wandering makeup that makes the eyes look dark where they shouldn't. I also will smooth out any bulges created by posing. For example below, I should have had her legs resting together slightly differently to avoid that tiny little curve on her leg. My bad. But I'm not going to punish my client for my oversight.  As you can see, I'm not making any changes to her beautiful shape or size, I'm just polishing out the things you would never notice in real life.

Because with a booty this fabulous, who would notice that tiny bruise on her top cheek?

PS: Next time I WILL NOT put the client right in the middle of a background crease. Even I have duh moments.

Our new dark and moody bedroom studio set!

If you've been to my studio, you know that I love bright and airy. Putting women in all-white room assures that cellulite and wrinkles are never to be seen.  But I do like to get a bit more raw and moody. In the past, I've had to drag out the huge 4x8 black and white v-flats to cut down most of the light. Effective, but I'd rather use my time taking photos of you than setting up the studio for moody photos. When the seamstress next door left a vacancy, I jumped at the chance. I painted it my favorite grey pain from Sherwin Williams. I strung up piles of sheer curtains and transformed a pretty weird and ugly space into the perfect place to capture the photos I longed for.

So now when you come into the studio, we'll capture some gorgeous photos in the skin-illuminating white room that you'll love, then we'll jump next door for some more sensual photos that will drive him wild.

By the way, isn't Miss J's hair incredible? That's natural folks. Her hair is what most people spend $$$$ creating with highlights and extensions.

Photography & Makeup: Leslie Cersovski Studio: Lavish Boudoir Wardrobe: ASOS

Miss L - Lavish Boudoir - 2018

Miss L, We absolutely adored photographing you. Your enthusiasm was contagious. I couldn't have had more fun during a session. You've got a kind of sass without having even a hint of snark.

That strappy red slip you brought in is perfect for boudoir. So perfect, I went and ordered one for the studio. It showed off your curves fabulously.  The cowboy boots and button down gave a sweet playful edge while the white sheets are always timeless. Especially with the bedroom-eyes gaze you have.

Thank you so much for choosing Lavish. I'm so glad you're already telling your friends. If they're as much fun as you, we'd LOVE to have them.

Cheers!

Leslie & the Lavish Team

Photography: Leslie Cersovski Makeup: Edgar Campos