How about a little fantasy boudoir photography to spice things up?
Happy Halloween from Revealed!
In case you were having an inner debate on whether Halloween should strictly be for children, we’re here to convince you that being someone you’re not, even for a night (or perhaps a photo shoot), is an exhilarating experience. We love to create unique, fantasy boudoir photography and portrait sessions. Women are beautiful when they are comfortable with themselves and their bodies; but for a little fun, great photos, or a Halloween evening, why not find the joy in being someone you’re not for a change?
Here are some of our favorite images from a few of our recent conceptualized shoots.
Interested? We’d love to hear from you. Contact Revealed Studios today and bring your ideas to life in a customized shoot.
Behind the Scenes – Heart “O” Chicago Editorial Shoot: Part 2
by Zurina Ketola
In our last post, we left you hanging on the details for what happened once we got inside the Heart “O” Chicago motel. After snapping some great pictures outdoors of model Brooke Boerman and Actor Brenden Carney, Maggie went to rent a room. With the key in hand, Maggie came back to the crew and announced we “were in.”
We grabbed the gear over and started setting up. This was pretty entertaining. For one, I don’t know if they’ve changed the decor since the 70’s or 80’s, which ended up working in our favor. There was still definitely quite a bit that needed to be changed. Styling a room for any conceptual idea takes a keen eye, and there’s a lot of taking things away and adding key pieces to create an overall vibe that fits in with the style you’re going for. Maggie’s experience came in really handy here.
Phones and alarm clocks were removed, while lamps and paintings were covered with scarves, and various lacy underthings. Because we wanted that grungy, gritty feel, we also brought in cigarettes and beer and strategically placed them around the room. A big shout out to Brenden on this – we had the guy smoking like a chimney, and drinking the rest of the night! I think we all smelled like an old dive bar before the smoking ban by the end of the night. I’m not a fan of smoking, but I think it was worth it. Smoke can be a character all on its own, and it was perfect for the ambiance of our set.
This portion of the shoot got a little racier. We transformed the light-hearted feel to more of a push-pull rollercoaster between the couple, first having Brooke tease Brenden before he came in for the assist. Jen pulled perfect pieces for this series. We loved the taupe blouse with buttons just asking to be undone and old school thigh-highs perfect taunting Brenden.
One thing we sought to achieve from this experience was a full story, from start to end of a young couple in the throes of love. We’re so stoked by with the result. It’s always fun and exciting working with the talented team of creative professionals that Revealed brings together. Not only does it show in the finished product, but working on set was a real treat as well. Everyone involved was a doll and brought something special to the table. I can’t wait until the next collaboration!
I hope you enjoyed the post. Let us know what you think – post your questions and comments below. Thanks for reading!
Find out more about the collaborators for this project below.
Maggie Rife-Ponce | Revealed Studios | Principal Photographer / Creative Director & Principal photographer at Revealed, Maggie is a creative force to be reckoned with. Her composition, style, expertise and never ending curiosity evoke a dynamic feeling within her work. As both the Creative Director and Principal Photographer for this shoot, Maggie really knocked it out of the park!
Laurie Peacock | Revealed Studios | Creative Concept Laurie Peacock is a highly sought after wedding, boudoir, and portrait photographer in the Chicago area, and is also business partners with Maggie at Revealed. Loved by her clients for her professionalism, expertise, and charm, she and Maggie developed the inspiration and stylistic concept of our shoot. While we missed her sparkling personality on the day of, we’re always happy to work with this lovely lady and new mom!
Jennifer Burton | JB Styles | Wardrobe Stylist Jennifer Burton of JB Styles is a highly sought after stylist here in the Chicago-area and abroad, working with both private clients and styling for ad campaigns and magazines. An expert in her field, she has made several television appearances dishing her style advice and expertise to a wide audience. Jennifer nailed the looks we were going for in both of our models, and we’re so happy with the results! Love what you see? Visit www.jbstyles.com for more info.
Zurina Ketola | Zurina Ketola Designs | Jewelry Designer / Stylist Zurina Ketola has been designing and creating jewelry for over ten years, and has had her work appear in local and national publications, as well as various fashion and indie blogs. These editorial shoots really require us to pump it up when we’re styling the accessories. Armed with a wide variety of bohemian inspired designs, we really piled it on for some of the looks here. Check out her work at www.zurinaketola.etsy.com.
Emily Wolf | Emily Wolf Artistry | Makeup & Hair Emily Wolf loves applying her stunning artistry to the faces and hair of her clients, and it shows. As a working model, she understands what makeup and hair looks will translate perfectly to photography and film work. Her work has been featured in fashion spreads and on private clients alike. She made Brooke’s transition from bohemian hippie to super sultry go smooth as silk, and we love her for it! She even did a little bit on Brenden – it’s true what they say, by the way. A little bit goes a long way! To see some more of Emily’s amazing work, check out www.emilywolfmua.com
Brooke Boerman | Model
Brooke Boerman is an up and coming model in the Chicago fashion scene. A regular model for Revealed Studios, Brooke has also been featured in magazines and has worked with several corporate clients. Brooke from wild flower child to foxy lady, and looked damn good doing it. Find more info on Brooke here.
Brenden Carney | Model / Actor Brenden Carney is an actor by trade, and has been growing his modeling portfolio. He’s completed training in improvisation at the Second City and we think he killed it here at the Heart “O” Chicago!
Behind the Scenes – Heart “O” Chicago Editorial Shoot
by Zurina Ketola
Earlier this week, you saw the results of our bohemian-grit Heart “O” Chicago editorial shoot, but have you ever wondered about the process behind a conceptual photoshoot? Read on for some behind the scenes goodness!
Our inspiration for the shoot came from Maggie and Laurie, who envisioned a Bonnie and Clyde meets dingy 70’s style. They envisioned a day in the life of a vivacious young couple in love. Beginning with a fun, flirty afternoon where the young couple pulls into a motel for a stop on a summer adventure. Things are light and easy at this point, then later temperatures rise as the scene transitions to a more intimate and risque feel behind closed doors. Drawing additional inspiration from dreamy cinematic scenes with soft,tungsten lighting and smoke filled rooms as well as work by fashion photographer Steven Meisel, the team met up at the studio, late afternoon and got to work creating the look and feel of the shoot. Wardrobe and accessories options were discussed between Jen, Maggie, and myself after some last minute pieces were gathered for Brendan from Chicago boutique, Hazel, who generously loaned pieces for the occasion.
One of my favorite parts about the the process? Seeing the transformation from fresh faced to bohemian beauty! Emily did a fantastic job bringing this look to life with hair and makeup, using matte finishes on Brooke, extenuating those amazing eyebrows with filler, and accenting her youthful glow with warm cheeks. Brenden’s natural look was perfect for the shoot, rocking a haircut that brings to mind American classic actors James Dean and Marlon Brando. Granted, the 70’s had longer, ehhhhh, shaggier cuts, but we much preferred Brendan’s current do, reminiscent of the 50’s era. Jen further enhanced their looks with some amazing wardrobe options (wait till you see our next post with Brenden rocking one of these pieces, and not much else) , and our super-stylish model even had a few itmes that came in handy. After the wardrobe and accessories were finalized, we packed up all camera equipment and everything we needed for our additional looks and headed out to The Heart “O” Chicago.
The Bonnie and Clyde theme ended up being perfect – we technically didn’t have permission to shoot on the grounds, it is The Heart “O” Chicago, you can imagine why cameras aren’t encouraged. Discretion during the outdoor session was key. Fortunately there was a huge moving truck that just so happened to be parked in the perfect spot for our covert operation. Thanks to the unusually cold and rainy weather Chicago had in store for us, Jen, Emily and I were in a car watching Maggie and the models do their thing. Occasionally Emily hopped out for makeup and hair touch ups, Jen did the same for attire, and I jumped in for some jewelry changes. I’m always fascinated watching Maggie work with her subjects, so I was busy snapping away behind the scenes shots in between pulling out new jewelry for Brooke.
Since Chicago was dishing out some pretty strange weather for July, we opted to move into a room after the light was fading. Check back tomorrow for part two, where I take you inside the motel. You’ll definitely want to hear the story of how Maggie rented the room. “By the hour, please…”
I hope you enjoyed the post. Let us know what you think and check back tomorrow for Part 2- post your questions and comments below. Thanks for reading!
Chicago Editorial photos: Summer love at the Heart of Chicago Motel
At Revealed Studios, our main focus is photographing beautiful, tasteful boudoir pictures for our female clientele. Every so often we want to stretch our creative legs and venture beyond our comfort zone. Our most recent editorial photo shoot allowed us to do just that. Taking inspiration from bonnie and clyde and the wonderful work of fashion photographer Steven Meisel, we collaborated with actor Brenden Carney, model Brooke Boerman, and a talent packed creative team, Emily Wolf on makeup, Zurina Ketola on jewelry, and Jen Burton of JB Styles on wardrobe to create Summer love at the Heart of Chicago Motel. We had a ball creating this shoot. Everyone brought their A-game, especially Brooke and Brenden, who met for the first time the day of the shoot. What professionals, not even breaking character when Zurina, Emily, Jen, and I cat-called from the background while Brenden slid Brooke’s stocking down!
In upcoming posts, Zurina Ketola will detail just all that went into the creation of this shoot with behind the scenes pictures and bios of all involved! Make sure to check back in coming days for that post.
You might ask how this relates to our everyday work? We’d love to create unique, conceptual boudoir and engagement sessions. Of course they certainly needn’t to be so racy, but all the other elements could be involved. We’ll start with the consultation, interviewing you as a couple to determine the story for your original engagement shoot. This team will plan every detail–styling, accessorizing, location, and timing. We’ll collaborate to create a one-of-a-kind experience to showcase your love. If you’re interested in a conceptualized boudoir or engagement session, please contact us at [email protected] for more information!
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