Bodyscapes and Sports

Last year, lovely Mrs. C came to me and wanted to get her hubby a little something special. She was so quiet and sweet that I wasn't sure how she would be when we pulled the camera out. 

She was such a blast! She had some really great ideas and always had a killer smile on her face...too bad I can't show you!! (HINT HINT....I REALLY like showing off my clients in ANYWAY I can!) We started off really innocently and then I was super excited when she was completely willing to let me try out bodyscapes on her. 

bod·y·scape  

       an close up view of the body that shows details; an abstract view of a body part made to look like a landscape or cityscape

I was so happy with how they turned out! I really admire the women how can maintain their figures after having babies. It takes a ton of work and ambition and why shouldn't they be proud of it and show it off in a unique way? 

When we were almost done, she asked if she could incorporate some hockey into the session. She didn't bring any hockey equipment or anything, but she was lucky! My husband played hockey his entire life so we had a plethora of stuff lying around for her to use. After we wrangled up a stick and some gloves I finally got to see Mrs. C's fun side. Sometimes when I look back at these image I wonder what she would be like to compete against...I think she would be the one that leads you on thinking that she has no clue what she's doing until she jumps a foot and a half to spike the ball over the net. 

Either way, Mrs. C was a blast to work with and showed me that you really don't need a great deal of props to make a sport really hot. 

Beauty of the Bride :: Bridal Boudoir

The biggest gift you can give your husband is yourself. In every way. That's why you commit yourself to him on your wedding day through vows. men don't always listen to the words being spoken on that day, they are creatures of action. They see the what we do for them more than what we say to them...I guess in that aspect we are all the same.What better way to show him your devotion than to do a photo shoot to help "inspire" him and rejuvenate yourself.

This beautiful lady came in to have her session done for her wedding day gift. It was SO great to have her in my studio, as I photographed her Senior portraits as well. I love this family and I was so happy for Miss. K to become Mrs. K! She brought such class and beauty to her session and even a little spunk ;)

When your finalizing your weddings details, don't forget to throw in an amazing experience for yourself that results in a unforgettable gift for your spouse.

Step outside for a few.

I've been away for a little bit, but only because I have been busy taking incredibly beautiful images of amazing women so they can give those images to their well deserved husbands for Valentines Day.

With the weather warming up here in the "Frozen Tundra" it has me looking ahead to spring and summer. I will be moving on to Williston, ND at the end of the school year and will be without a studio or "shoot" space for a bit, so where am I to photograph my lovely clients? Hotels, personal homes.....OH! Wait! There was this one time I photographed an amazing individual OUTSIDE!!!!

She's a tough gal, enjoys the outdoors and sometimes is more of a "Tomboy" than most others. Does that make her less of a woman? HELL NO! That just means we need to bring move of her personality into her session.

So we bring her to the outdoors. We huddle up on four wheelers and trek down into the badlands till the sun sets. You can bet that our wine spilled a little bit, and the thought of the most recent Mountain Lion sighting certainly got us moving faster than normal.  But oh boy we had fun! We laughed at the collapsing bed, about me stepping in cow dung, the SUPER cold feeling of a four wheeler on your bare buns, and made some really great memories.  

So if your interested in a session this summer while I transition to Williston and a new studio space, keep in mind the world is full of wonderful and beautiful places...if your ready, I'm willing!

Now Hiring!

We're looking for a certified Hair and Makeup Artist in Williston, North Dakota. 

Job description: To provide clients with stylized hair and makeup for their portrait sessions. Must be able to do a wide range of hair and makeup looks. Hours depend on shoot days, must be flexible and willing to work in multiple locations. Wage depends on experience and will be paid per job. There is a possibility of training for certification if portfolio is promising.

Contact Megan Wold at megan@meganwoldphotography.com or 701.570.5841 for more information or to apply for the position.

His heart starts thumping...

After my session was complete, I was exhausted. My body had moved in a way that I wasn't ready for, so my muscles ached and my bones didn't want to move anymore. However I was so excited that I went through with it all that my heart wouldn't stop beating. I couldn't wait to see them and it had only been an hour!!

Being a photographer I understood that it takes time to get the photos back, but I just didn't want to wait. It was two days after the session that I got a sneak peek into my session and I was so excited. That's when the relief fell off of me, I wasn't worried anymore, I knew they would turn out beautifully. So I forgot about them. They honestly didn't ever cross my mind unless hubby asked me about them or when Suzie finally sent me the proof link.

I made the huge mistake and started looking at my images by myself. I got to image 13 and started realizing that I wasn't happy with them. I was nit picking everything. Complaining about my small boobs, the extra hump around my hips, even the wideness of my body. I critiqued everything about myself. I didn't look at the big picture. That's when I closed the site. I decided that I had to love myself before I could look at my pictures. That took some time, but I came back to the screen with the thought that my husband and children love me just the way I am now. I need to embrace that idea and love my body that is presented before me.

So I re-evaluated my images. I looked at them like I look at my clients, I began to see the beauty in all my flaws...the stretch marks, those are there from every kick I received while they were in the womb. They remind me of all the cuddles I got, all the baby laughs and the beautiful memories of their infancy. My boobs may be loose, saggy and small, but that's because I fed my babies all the nutrients my body could make, in order to give them the best. And my body may be "thick" but that comes from enjoying a dinner and drink with my husband with laughter and memories instead of counting calories and worrying about whether I could fit into my size 6 jeans from high school.

After I saw myself in that beautiful light, my love for the pictures blossomed. They were just who I am. That's when it it me. What will Tyler think of these? I wanted so badly to show him, but I wanted to keep the surprise. I was so happy that I did keep it. When he saw them I got a string of "wow", "damn your hot", and "I'm a lucky lucky man". I couldn't have asked for a more amazing boost of self confidence. Not only did I think I was a great woman, but so did my husband!

Now that I've tackled my first one, I will be doing more and more of these. They are so invigorating, memorable and extremely needed for EVERY woman. So with this, I welcome you all; the survivors, the elderly, the young, the divorced, the married, the disabled, the beautiful women of this world, to embrace yourself and step into my studio.

Image provided by Sassy Suzie Glamour and Boudoir

My Personal Boudoir Session. Part III

Changing into the next outfit was a little mortifying for me. I mean even though I was fully nude under the lace dress, this one I really wanted to look great. I knew it would be something that my husband would like on me...but I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to pull off the look...

Thankfully Suzie had some spare shoes lying around that fit my outfit a little better. It was nice that she had visions for the look of my outfits, and helped me to make my look come through in the images.  We flew that outfit pretty quick because my feet were a little too small for those shoes. 

I was pretty excited for my blazer outfit, but as I was rummaging through my bag, I realized I forgot my black thong. Suzie to the rescue again. She keeps a stock of them on had, just for this kind of occasion. Oh thanks goodness! 

By the time it came around for me to do my final vision. I was done being nervous. They had all seen my tiny boobs, my thicker thighs, I'd gotten compliments on my ass, and no one seemed to say anything about my stretch marks all over, so I was living happy. I didn't even feel the need to go into the bathroom to change, I just dropped it all right there. See I wanted to do a nude fine art piece where I was covered in old film. You know the kind that you had to develop in a dark room, back in the day when being a photographer was honored and not everyone thought they could be a paid professional. I wanted to honor the skill, and my body. I stripped, in front of the big windows, my coworker/best friend/ first cousin, and two unfamiliar women. I felt comfortable with who I was by that point so why shouldn't I? And after laying on the really cold floor in a somewhat awkward position while two of the ladies taped the film to my body..that right they were TOUCHING me while I was naked and it didn't even phase me. I had the final image in my mind and I am so happy that I did.

Want to know my reaction to my pictures? Follow my blog or like me on Facebook to stay updated on Megan Wold Photography's events, specials, and session reviews.

My Personal Boudoir Session. Part II

We laughed as we rolled into Minot. It had been forever since I'd been there, and the last time I was there it wasn't necessarily a good experience. Maybe the laughter was a nervous laugh. We pulled up to the building and I let it all go, even the 'nervous fumes'. I heaved and wiped my sweaty palms on my sweat pants and walked up to the beautiful brick building in front of me.

Suzie (the photographer) and Ju'tone (the HAMU artist) were over grabbing lunch because we were late, which made me nervous that they already hated me. They greeted us at the door and we crossed the threshold of boudoir. They offered me some goodies from the bakery next door which was great because I totally spaced eating anything for the past twelve hours and my stomach was pissed!

They then sat in me in the chair to get started on hair and makeup and we started talking. About everything. From my business to her business, to why I was doing this, to the meaning of yellow roses (more on that story another time). I felt like I was talking with my girlfriends in my living room. After being all dolled up, it didn't feel so bad to get into the first outfit. Even though my first outfit was something I wear often, I was awkward in it. I didn't know how to move, I didn't know how to look at her with "sexy" eyes or if I should smile. I didn't know what to do! Thankfully Suzie is a professional and she knew just what to say to get me to relax, and make the expressions that she needed in order to 'make' the image. After outfit number one, I went down to a little something more revealing and by the end of the session I was completely comfortable and by the end of it I was LITERALLY walking around butt ass naked. You heard me right, completely nude.

Back track a week and a few days to one of my late night panic attacks where I found that I was second guessing my outfits. And I went to my stress release, online shopping. I purchased a piece from Victoria Secret that I thought would look good and help show off some of my curves, and in the midst of it I had this crazy idea. I wanted an image of me that displayed my passion. My passion for women, my passion for self love, my passion for photography. I threw the idea to Suzie and she was game. YEAH! Now to only get it to work the way I envision it.

 Want to see more of my images and my reaction to all my images? Follow my blog or like me on Facebook to stay updated on Megan Wold Photography's events, specials, and session reviews.