MayDay Boudoir Day Reflection - 5/1/16

Well, it's the last Tuesday in May which means the MayDay Boudoir Day was a month ago already (WOW)! All of the editing is done, all orders that have been placed are in, and I'm a little sad it's over! However, this particular boudoir event was special, and a bit of a landmark in terms of my artistic career. With one (actually...two....no, three....) so far scheduled ahead in the near future, I do have stuff to look forward to.

I had last done a Boudoir Day in April 2014, and it was one of my favorite things I had ever done. It was so rewarding, and while I like other forms of photography, I felt a belonging and meaning for my work through Boudoir. It was a random thought on a random day in march where I didn't even tell Toby about my idea. I just thought to myself I've gotta do this again. So I made a quick little photo graphic, emailed some people to gather a team, and ran with it. I was spamming so crazy with social media feeds, wanting it so badly to happen. We ended up booking four lovely ladies for this event!

Everything went SO well! Hotel Ruby Marie gave us their most beautiful suite from last time with plenty of space and beautiful vintage, Victorian era furniture with sunlight dripping through. This historical Madison landmark provided us with plenty of space and amenities to shoot in, get hair and makeup done, set up the champagne and other refreshments with the gift bags and product samples, as well as for the clients to feel comfortable and change in. I don't have enough good things to say about this place.

Our team included myself, Kerry Conway from Hybrid Salon working her hair and makeup magic, and a couple of dear friends that helped host as well as assist with lighting, donate to the gift bags, and hang out with our clients and make them feel happy and comfortable. We had so much fun this entire day! We had a group of very different, very awesome ladies. We had two brides-to-be: one a fitness instructor and massage therapist, the other a pure romance consultant who also works at a local news station in her town. One lady was single, back to school for Psychology, and on her way to Spain for the Summer. Another was another fitness instructor and part time barista in a relationship doing this for herself and her personal training business.

Whenever I wrapped up a shoot, I would tell the client that the shoot was over unless they needed anything else. Each time, without fail, the client would proclaim something along the lines of: "Oh my god that was so much fun!" They didn't even see their photos yet. After we finished our work for the day, we did ourselves a favor by toasting with the remaining bit of champagne we had left over from the event.

Afterward, I immediately went home and uploaded them to my computer and began the long editing process. I shared and blogged images in the meantime, and I was floored by the feedback I received on the images. I loved reading through the comments from friends and family of the clients saying how beautiful and amazing their loved one was. This brought tears to my eyes.

xx emily

PS: Below are some images from Instagram as I always share some behind-the-scenes of every event and photoshoot I can. This way followers can get a taste of what the day is like, and maybe they'll see it for themselves someday. For future Boudoir Day events, or to book your own, please visit emilybartos.com for more information.

Product samples and refreshments for all.

Each client got their own "Unicorn Gift Bag" full of awesome goodies.

Kerry working her magic.

More makeup magic.

The crew!

Cheers to a successful day!

Check out our amazing room we got for #BoudoirDay 📷💋🦄 #hotelrubymarie #boudoirphotography

A video posted by Emily Bartos (@emily_bartos) on May 1, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

MayDay Boudoir Session #4 - 5/1/16

This woman is one of the most confident and body-positive people I've ever met. She could teach me a thing or two (she really could, she's a personal trainer).

The energy of this awesome lady is astounding. She's incredibly spirited, knows what she wants, and knows how to have fun and keep laughing: I can only imagine her clients feel amazingly lucky to have this portrait of feminine strength as an instructor. She did these photos to help promote her services, but she owned this session and made it about her. She's powerful, strong (fit as hell--WOW), so sweet, and a leader.

Kudos to this woman for rocking at picture-taking and life in general. We need more people like her in this world.

Kat's MayDay Boudoir Day Photos (Session #3) - 5/1/16

Session three? Correct. Session #2 must remain secret until a certain time, therefore we will skip ahead to the third session from MayDay Boudoir Day!

Kat is a dear friend of mine, and happily offered to attach her name to these photographs. Our friendship started from an introduction of a mutual friend (of course, another photographer) and we connected during a time in our lives where we were both trying to find new beginnings. She did this shoot for herself, to have fun, and to clearly look AMAZING! What I like most about Kat's photos are that you see many sides to one person: someone soft, sensitive, eclectic, spirited, vivid, edgy, sweet, and down to earth.

Kat knows herself well, and her originality is what makes her so uniquely awesome and gorgeous inside and out!

MayDay Boudoir Day Session #1 - 5/1/16

I knew this client was going to be a blast right when she walked in the door carrying a kettle bell (you can't see those!) as well as veil netting sticking from her backpack.

This woman is an easygoing, relaxed soul with a badass edge: oozing with self-confidence. She was nothing short of a delight with an infectious laugh and possessed a smile that likely wins the heart of all her massage clients and the love of her life (who she is going to marry in June!).

This girl knew the definition of work it. Which she did, and it shows in the photos. She also stated that while she is getting married, these photos are for HER.