Savannah Boudoir Photography // A Country Chic Boudoir Session featuring Brittany

I am so excited to kick off a series of blog posts featuring the ladies from my recent boudoir marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma!

The longer I’ve been away from Oklahoma, the more I’ve grown to love (and miss) it. We do things a little slower in Oklahoma, but with a level of care and grace that you don’t find just anywhere. So, I was pretty excited to host and enjoy a full 2-day boudoir marathon in Oklahoma, knowing just the group of ladies I wanted to work with and what would make this event memorable for them. A lot of these ladies were close friends or family, miss Brittany included.

Brittany is my country-loving, cowboy boot wearing, fiery red-haired cousin! We grew up riding four wheelers, swimming and watching fireflies on summer nights, and camping in the field by her house. She was always a lot more daring, a lot more “country” than I am, so when she decided to do a boudoir session, I was super excited about the idea of doing a country theme. I knew that Brittany would absolutely rock it, and of course she did!

"I was extremely nervous beforehand,” Brittany admits. "I had a baby 8 months ago, and my body is not the same nor does it look the same as it did before. Allowing someone to see your flaws on a personal level is very nerve racking. Emily had me start my shoot with an outfit I was most comfortable in. This set the mood for my comfort level. Once we started the shoot, I forgot all about my flaws and had a good time.”

Brittany did an awesome job on picking outfits that photographed well and fit her style perfectly. I was especially a fan of the emerald green lingerie set from Victoria's Secret, which looked amazing with her red hair!

How does she feel about the end result? "I personally feel that every woman should have a day to feel amazing about themselves!" Brittany says. "Emily is the one that made that happen for me, and I am very grateful for that."

And I'm so glad you decided to do it, Britt! <3

Recap! // The 2015 Tacoma Boudoir Marathon

I am so thrilled to finally be sharing the results of my first boudoir marathon, hosted right here in Tacoma, WA at the Hotel Murano! I had such an amazing time meeting these ladies and getting to know each one of them. There was so much care and planning that went into each and every session, and I love that everyone who participated had so much fun with it!

This marathon was an absolute blast for me to put together. One of my favorite things about boudoir is the pampering aspect of each session. I absolutely loved setting up the whole day as an event, not just a series of photo sessions.

Megan Bourque Cosmetology did an amazing job on hair & makeup!

Feel free to scroll through the gallery below to see some of the gorgeous portraits from this marathon! (Keep in mind that this is a boudoir marathon! These are sexy images!)

A huge thank you to the ladies who participated in this event (especially knowing that it was a modeling event--you brave women!). I am so excited for the upcoming Tulsa Boudoir Marathon (there's one spot left!), and may or may not have one more Seattle-Tacoma boudoir marathon in the works before our move later this year! ;)

xoxo
Emily

The Creative Heart of Emily Caldwell Photography

A few nights ago, I was sorting through an old, old, old portfolio site I had made for myself back in 2010. When I first opened the home page, I felt a little... guilty. Like I'd wronged myself. We all expect to grow and change in 5 years' time, but sometimes the growth isn't what we thought it would be. Sometimes, while developing one part of a heart, another vital piece gets pushed aside.

I'd like to share a little history about my creative journey. This is history that, until I was flipping through process books and websites and old portfolio pieces a few days ago, I had almost forgotten. But, with the direction I'll be taking my business in the coming months, I feel this is a vital part of me to share because this is where my passion comes to life.

2008-2009 process book

Brag moment: My 2009-2010 process book was turned in for credit and received an "A+++" with the note: "Raw, vulgar, I love it. You nailed it."

In 2008, I was attached at the hip to my best friend, Chelsea. We would spend 80% of our time after school clipping fashion magazines and creating some honestly vulgar "collage-y" interpretations of pop culture, pasted into required reading books from our English class that we hated. (My "process book" was The Old Man and The Sea, in case you were wondering) We'd take inspiration from the colors, textures, and compositions we created in those books and bring it alive on camera. Chelsea would get dressed up in something classy, sexy or downright weird. We'd take my little Canon Rebel XTi outside and find a well-lit spot, or we'd go to my brother's old empty bedroom, drop a bed sheet down the wall, and I'd use his car work lights for studio lighting. We did some variation of this almost every day for two years.

For two years, I did nothing with my spare time but create. And looking back, given my knowledge and the tools I had to work with, I am damn proud of what I created.

Fast forward to fall of 2009. I had gained admission into my dream school, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, with plans to pursue a career in fashion and editorial photography. I was happy. I was sleep deprived and sometimes my work got shredded to pieces in critiques, but I at least had momentum. I organized regular Fashion Friday events with my friend and art director, Zamin Dharsi, collaborating with all kinds of local artists and creatives; I was doing what I loved even when it wasn't the assignment.

But at some point, I got spooked. I don't remember exactly how or why. I don't know if it was something that was said to me by a well-meaning friend or professor, or if it was the weight of the idea that my art would have to be meaningful and unique to sustain my career. In a sea of artists of all levels, I couldn't help but compare myself and feel inadequate. So, I left MCAD to "figure it out."

Reality check: You know what happens to students who leave school to "figure it out?" Most of the time, they don't. At least, not for a really long time. I can't say I regret my decision to leave school. I think huge parts of me--parts totally unrelated to my creative life--needed to grow or heal before I was ready to pursue my art. I do, however, regret that when I left school, I left my art with it. I should have known better!

It was a long time before I really picked my camera back up. I continued shooting occasionally, either at the request of friends and family or when I had a creative urge. But for the most part, my creativity was stifled by fear of the unknown. As an artist, I was completely paralyzed by fear.

When my husband, Nick, and I got together, I really got the what-for. Nick knew my work from far before we were a couple or married (in fact, I took his moody-guitar-player senior photos back in the day). He knew my talent and he loved that about me. Nick pushed me. At first it was, "Don't you want to do photography again?" or, "Would you like to shoot this session for my buddy?" I'd respond with a sheepish excuse: "I haven't shot anything in so long" or "I don't have the right equipment" or "I'm just not ready." Finally, his "do you wants" turned into him volunteering me for every type of session or event under the sun, which led to my hesitant first few bookings.

When my passion for photography came back, it honestly took me by surprise. I'm no longer a 19-year-old college student with nothing to my name but a beat up Toyota Celica and a closet full of hand-me-downs. I am now a wife and a mother; people are depending on me to do this right. I don't know why I dared to jump in like I did, investing so much of my time, money and heart. If I had to guess, I'd say (as cliche as this sounds), I did it for my daughter. In 17 years, Olivia will be going off to college to start her own career. I don't want her decisions to be based on fears. I need her to know that it's okay to fail, as long as you try with all of your heart. I can't teach her that if I don't show her that.

Last year, I committed most of my time, all of my money, and a little bit of my heart to my business. This year, I'm doing things differently. This year, I'm committing some of my time, a little bit of my money, and ALL of my creative heart (but not my family heart--shout out to you, husband, you tolerant, neglected man!)

How will that change Emily Caldwell Photography? How will that change my style and how I do business? It’s going to be amazing… but more on that later.

Yours,
Emily