Products I LOVE | Urban Undercover Underwearables | Austin Boudoir Studio

I'm about to get all "QVC presenter" on you. But it's totally warranted. When I find a product I love, I let everyone know about it. 

So. Girls. 

Here's the thing about me and my underwear.....it.absolutely.must.be.comfortable.  Like SEEEEERIOUSLY comfortable. I would rather not wear ANY underwear (HAYYY now!) than wear underwear that's uncomfortable. Duh. 

And you wanna know another thing about me? Don't answer that. It's my blog, so you're going to learn another thing, damnit!

I am a HUGE sucker for cute packaging.  I will ALWAYS buy the bottle of wine that has the best looking label. I will buy those itsy bitsy tiny cans of Coca-Cola, even though I don't drink soda, because the can is cute.  When I'm torn between what movie to watch, I go with the one with the best cover image. 

So put my love for comfort and cute packaging together, and you've got URBAN UNDERCOVER, my new favorite underwear. 

The owner of this fabulous company happens to be a Kara Marie Boudoir fan (HOLLLAAA, girrrl!) and was cool enough to send me all of the styles of bottoms (thong, boy short, and hipster), as well as the black bralete to show me her goods.  As soon as I pulled them out of the box, I was doing an annoying sorority girl squeal at how freaking cute these things are. 

These underwear have a built-in pouch so that they fold up all adorably and are discreet.  Which is awesome if you're like me and you are determined that every TSA security search person is a pervy panty stealer. (Ok so I'm a little paranoid.)

Urban Undercover

And girls. The quality is outstanding!!! And they're cute. If they can make my barely-there butt look like a shape other than "wall", I'm totally sold.

Urban Undercover Bralete

Urban Undercover Hipster Underwear

Be sure to visit the Urban Undercover website to check out their array of bottoms, as well as their balete, chemise, and other accessories. This stuff is SO great....good for a photo shoot or to just be comfy any day of the week. HAPPY SHOPPING, Y'ALL!!! 

xo

Naughty + Nice Part II | Austin Boudoir Studio

Yesterday, I shared the "naughty" portion of this shoot, and today shall be nice ;) Although...hm. I guess the naughty portion was pretty nice too. 

But I digress. 

Miss "M" brought two polar opposite boudoir outfits into the studio for her shoot. And while I have so much fun with dark and sultry images, creating a classic set of in-the-sheets black and white boudoir images was amazing. 

What's awesome about creating classic, timeless images like this is.....WALL ARTTTT!! YEAH! I was so psyched that this client got some incredible fine art prints for her bedroom wall out of these images. I didn't want to see them go!

Boudoir Wall Art

Talk about a diverse shoot! We had a great time and everyone involved adores the finished product!!! 

Naughty + Nice Part I | Austin Boudoir Studio

I'm not sure whether it was intentional or not, but when Miss "M" brought in her boudoir wardrobe selections for her boudoir shoot, the looks were clearly split between badass rockstar vixen and sweet and flirty bombshell. It was so cool to watch this shoot take 2 completely different directions! 

Today I shall share with you the "naughty"! I freaking LOVE that she brought in a spiked bra!! It was so fun to shoot with, it photographed powerful, strong, confident, and sexy as allllll get out. 

RRAWWRRR! Am I right!?

**No injuries occurred during the creation of these images.**

Stay tuned for part II tomorrow!! I'll share the "nice" half ;) 

I traveled. She cried. | Austin Boudoir Studio

One of my favorite things about being a photographer is that I can do my "job", my passion, anywhere I want. My camera, while at times after a long day of shooting it feels like it weighs 50lbs, is actually portable ;) I can put it in a small bag and take it with me in the car, on a plane, on a boat, wherever the hell I want. And while I love my studio, it's always so fun to shoot in different places with new light, new atmospheres, new people. 

Last month, I was hired by Moodboard Productions to travel out to Midland, Texas for a bit of a "pop-up" boudoir photo shoot. I worked with 4 incredible women to give them a boudoir experience, KMB style. 

One of them was Miss "A" here. She was a little southern belle ball of enthusiasm who said things like "I'm fixin' to leave" and I instantly loved her. She's a mom of 2 and seemed to have a hard time believing she was doing something "like this". Needless to say, she absolutely rocked it. 

“This was one of the greatest experiences ever. I felt so comfortable and at ease... Did I mention I was half naked? I cried when I saw the pics...”

— Miss A

Thank you to Miss Olivia Jordan of Moodboard Productions for coordinating a great day of boudoir shoots , and to Ashlee Rice of Let's Face it Makeup Studio for the standup makeup job. 

If you're ready (or even if you don't think you are) for your own boudoir experience, let's chat dahhling! 

Kara Marie Boudoir is HIRING | Austin Tx Help Wanted

Ohhh heyyy! You there! You super friendly, awesome, hard-working, creative minded grammar-fiend, you! I'm looking for a new boudoir retoucher and studio assistant as mine is fleeing the country (I didn't scare her away, promise!)

This part-time position involves flexible hours in our south Austin studio. Candidates should be self-motivated, efficient, tech-savvy, super friendly and positive, enthusiastic (but not before 8am), organized, female, and have a passion for making women feel on top of the world. ✔✔

Candidates should NOT be photographers, based outside of Austin, mean, grumpy, lazy, confused by you're/your, or allergic to coffee.

Basic photoshop knowledge is a HUGE bonus, but if you lack that knowledge, it's not a deal breaker. Extensive retouching training will be given regardless, as well as assistant training. If this sounds like YOU, shoot me an email at hello@karamarieboudoir.com ! I want to hear all about you (you can spare me the fluffed up resumes!) and why you would be a perfect fit for Kara Marie Boudoir!

Cheers, dahhlings!

xoxo,

Kara Marie

Radiant Bridal Boudoir | Austin Boudoir Studio

The tone that a woman's photo shoot takes is inevitably set by their energy when they walk in the studio. I pay close attention to their personality, to their style, and the purpose for their session. THEN, my creative juices flow in that direction for the duration of the day. 

When Miss "H" walked in, timidly showed me her outfits, and giggled a little when talking about her fiancé whom she was about to marry in less than 2 weeks, I knew that this was going to be an airy, radiant, maybe even ethereal at times boudoir experience. 

Check out her experience and her gorgeous photos!!!!!

"First, the response time to my questions and fitting me in with such short notice was awesome and so appreciated. Along with rush on everything to have it by the wedding day was so great." 

"While I was very nervous for the session, I was welcomed and felt much more relaxed by everyone from getting my makeup done (which I've only had done once before the week before) to the actual session with Kara! Explaining and showing me the exact positions before and even reminding me to breathe was so very helpful."

“The results for my images and video far exceeded my expectations. The photos do not feel overly photoshopped and my makeup and images look like ME which I wanted. I didn’t want to look like someone else. That was a huge relief to me. I loved them!”

— Miss H

We breezed through these photos and she even added on a VIDEO which was amazing (and for his eyes only!).  If y'all didn't know, we offer boudoir videos which are super incredible! We take little snippets of video throughout your shoot and merge them together with music and a few photos, and BAM-- a supa sexy keepsake! If you ARE doing your shoot for a partner, that's a really awesome option!

But I digress.

Thank you SO MUCH Miss "H"...and CONGRATULATIONSSSS on your new marriage which just freaking happened last weekend!!! I was DYING holding on to these photos until then! ;) 

READY FOR YOUR BOUDOIR EXPERIENCE? LET'S CHAT!

The bombshell in hiding | Austin Boudoir Studio

I hear it all the time...some variation of: "Is that ME!? Hot damn! I didn't know THAT girl was hiding in THIS girl all along!"  

My personal boudoir philosophy involves rocking your beauty right NOW. Yep, we do hair and makeup and even "zzshush" photos a tiny bit, but I pride myself on bringing out the inner bombshell without completely changing someone's authentic appearance. After all, where would be the pride in that if you LOVED the photos but they weren't truly of yourself...rather a model caked with makeup and photoshopped to death? At my studio, you'll STILL look like you. On your best day ;) 

This woman, here, may have been a wee bit nervous for her session. She may or may not have had a cocktail fit for an old Irish man in her coffee cup. But she DEFINITELY rocked it, showed her confident self, trusted me, and got some absolutely FABULOUS images to be forever proud of.

"I originally booked this session as a gift to my husband for our one year wedding anniversary, as it turned out, and I've learned it often does… this was such a gift to ME! I loved my experience all the way from booking my session to hair and make up to the shoot to the reveal…"

“Every single moment was empowering and authentic. Every moment was ME, I just didn’t know THAT me was in there!”

— Miss C

She was gorgeous and funny as hell. I love a girl with a solid sense of humor and a great smile. Thank you, Miss "C" for sharing your story and your photos! 

Self Portrait Project | Austin Boudoir Studio

Currently on year 4 of my boudoir self-portrait project, I can finally say with confidence that I have bettered myself as a photographer through this project. It started out as a means to an end...an effort to getting my husband an anniversary present at the last minute when I procrastinated just like I tell my clients not to do. 

It quickly became a challenge to do it more regularly AND to outdo myself every time. Sure, there were flops. Thousands of images that were instantly deleted. Dozens of times that images turned out way differently than I imagined...in a good way.....and dozens of times that images turned out way differently than I imagined in a "EEEEEWWW, OH MY GOD. NO!" kind of way.

Self-Portrait set up. Just a tripod, interval timer, and a badass location.

Looking back on all of them over the years leaves me with the reassurance that I am, in fact, evolving as a photographer, as a more confident woman, and as a self portrait artist. I do believe in practicing what you preach, no matter what your passion or profession. 

Recently, a "colleague" of mine (I guess that's what I call other photographers, right?!), wrote an article on FStoppers featuring an old article of mine on the Business of Boudoir about what I think it's so important for boudoir photographers to practice what they preach. Sorry for that run-on sentence. 

I wanted to reiterate a few of those points, as I know that a lot of boudoir photographers are reading this blog. But I also want to demonstrate to my clients and potential clients reading along that I HAVE in fact put myself in your shoes so many times I can't count them. I know how it feels to see an AWFUL photo of yourself, and I know the kind of power an AMAZING photo of yourself holds. 

If you are a boudoir photographer-- more so than ANY other type of photographer because THIS is SO very emotional and personal to our clients-- you absolutely should know what it's like to be in their shoes.  They come to you nervous to the point of shaking, they trust you to empower them and not make them feel even more insecure. They trust that you are an expert. To be an expert....TRULY an expert...you need to never stop learning. Self portraiture is an amazing way to work on getting there.

It was through self portraiture that my style evolved into what it is at the moment. I learned that I was very drawn to less posed, more "imperfect" type of images. Darker. Grittier. More emotion. Black and white and white and black. Had I only been shooting clients, I may have never discovered that as I loved to keep it bright and clean and cheery and safe.  If you are struggling with evolving your style, you may discover that self portraits help you hone in on what yours is.

And just like I go on and on about feeling AMAZING about yourself through boudoir photos to my clients...HEY. That applies to me too. I need a lift, a boost, a "hey girl, you've still got it!" every now and then. Especially now that I am holding back on actually photoshopping my own self portraits...it's a really amazing demonstration of how seeing the REAL you look great in a photo can be a massive confidence boost. 

As a professional boudoir photographer, why WOULDN'T I do this!? 

According to some other boudoir photographers, here's why they feel that self portraits aren't for them:

"I'm a hairy dude. Not a pretty woman."   Um. SO.FREAKING.WHAT?! Men deserve to feel awesome, too. Male boudoir photographers ALSO should know what it's like to be in front of the camera. It would be an outstanding learning exercise. 

"I'm overweight." Um. So.FREAKING.WHAT!? I can guarantee that you are telling your clients to embrace themselves with boudoir photos as they are RIGHT NOW. How can you say that and not put yourself in the same position, regardless of your current physical appearance? Let it be a confidence boost for you the way it would be for your clients. And yes, you WILL get all those "IMMEDIATE DELETE" images, but it will make you appreciate your craft and yourself as an artist all-the-more. And the more often you contribute to your project, the less "IMMEDIATE DELETE" images you will get.

"I don't have a pretty studio." And neither did I when I first started this project. And the majority of my favorite self portraits were not taken at my pretty studio anyhow, although that tends to be slightly more convenient because it's kid free. Learn to use what you've got, whatever that is. Another learning exercise. Put yourself in challenging lighting positions. Put yourself in tiny spaces. Work with zero wardrobe. Work with no professional makeup. Push yourself...that's the only way to get better.

"I tried once, and I'm scarred for life."  All the more reason to try again.  I applaud you more for doing it a second time than a first. 

"Because it's narcissistic." Nah. It's field research. I personally feel that sharing (some of) them demonstrates to my clients and potential clients that boudoir photography is nothing to be ashamed of. That you should be proud of your images. HOWEVER, you obviously do not NEED to share them publicly if you truly don't feel comfortable with it. But that should not deter you from taking them at all! I certainly save a LOT of the images for just my husband and I, as do many of my clients. This isn't about drawing attention to yourself. It's about making a statement that BOUDOIR is for EVERYBODY and that you TRULY believe in the power of it. 

If you have never done a boudoir shoot before, whether you are a photographer or not, I encourage you to go out of your comfort zone a little bit. I'm willing to bet that you won't regret it. 

WANTING TO SHOOT? LET'S START THAT CONVERSATION NOW....

Doing what you're meant to do | Austin Boudoir Studio

I am to the point in my life that I am doing EXACTLY what I want to be doing. I wouldn't change a thing about my current state in my career. What thrills me even more than that is when my clients can sense that through their boudoir experience with me.

When I got the following e-mail from Miss "N", I sorta kinda burst into tears... 

"You are one of the lucky people in life doing EXACTLY what they were destined to do!!  I definitely want to come back again- it was an empowering experience and you really make women feel beautiful and look their best!"

Because it's one thing to preach this over and over, but to hear it coming from a client, I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Thank you, Miss "N" for your kind words and your super amazing shoot! You rocked it....and you BETTER come back again. #boudoirislikepotatochips

"After inquiring with a few different boudoir photographers in town, I could not get past how stunning Kara's images were. I knew this whole experience would be worth the investment, and I am not at all disappointed with the outcome! The images are beautiful, the shoot was a blast, and I can't wait to see the finished album. Thank you!!!" ~Miss N

HEY YOU! YES...YES....YOU!!! I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE...HOW ABOUT WE START THE CONVERSATION? GO AHEAD...I WON'T BITE...

Doodles, Brainstorms, and Travels | Austin Boudoir Studio

As a child, teenager, and grown adult, when I get off the phone with someone, I find my limbs COVERED in pen doodles. I can't write a card to someone without decorating the envelope. When I was in school, I would get scolded for "not paying attention", i.e.: doodling during class.  

Finally, in my freshman year of college, I had a professor that encouraged people in class to do whatever they needed to help them learn more efficiently. Whether that be listening to music with one earphone in, closing their eyes, or in my case- doodling. Interestingly enough, students didn't abuse this. They respected him for understanding that everyone learns differently. And everyone in the class had high marks.

I'm not an awesome pen-to-paper artist, but it soothes me, helps me concentrate, and generally helps me come up with all of my ideas worth taking action on.  When I have a lot to think about, I doodle. (Also, if you find yourself doing the same, I encourage you to check out the art of Zentangle. You're welcome.)

Lately, I've been putting a ton of thought into the reasons that I am doing what I'm doing. I'm photographing women in the boudoir capacity because I thoroughly enjoy impacting these women, giving them confidence and increased self-esteem, as well as self-discovery. Also I'm good at it. And I love it. And it fulfills me. And it's fun. And not a day goes by that I question what I'm doing with my life.  I know what my mission is and I know that I'm ON IT. 

I'm working for myself because of the flexibility to be me. The flexibility to be with my children when I want to be. The flexibility to take a freaking month off if I want to. The flexibility to travel whenever.  But wait........I've been falling flat.  It's funny how it's SO natural to fall into routines, isn't it? I have a very set studio schedule. And while every day is completely different because I'm working with a complete stranger of-a-woman-turned friend, my schedule is pretty regular.

For the last several years I've been making an effort to travel more. But the effort hasn't been the kind of effort that I typically put forth when I want to do something. Because it's a challenge. It's not easy to plan trips around school schedules and soccer seasons. It's not easy to secure childcare (if necessary) on a whim. It's not easy to take a chunk of savings and spend it on a trip. BUT I NEED TO DO IT.  

In 2015, I've traveled quite a bit. It's been awesome. I do tend to find myself going to all of the same places, though. And there are SO many places on my list to visit. And yolo. I get requests so often for destination boudoir shoots. Women in all different cities wanting me to come to them. Sometimes I'm able to pull this off, and sometimes it's just too complicated. 

When I have shot in other cities, it has been an absolute BLAST, a raging success, and a learning experience. 

So for 2016, I shall travel more. The ultimate goal is 2 different countries and 3 U.S. cities that are new to me. 

I shall succeed in this venture. 

THAT SAID, if you live....well...WHEREVER...and want me to come to YOU to photograph you and other women in your city, hit me up! I'd love to add some cool places to the list. Help me brainstorm and plan. xoxoxo

WHERE SHOULD I GO IN 2016 FOR DESTINATION BOUDOIR SHOOTS!?! HIT ME UP IN THE COMMENTS! Tell me WHERE I should go, and WHY. And tell me all about the food scene there...because I tend to base my travels around food. ;)