Body Positive

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Pre-Shoot Do’s And Dont’s | From a Raleigh Boudoir Company

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In the days leading up to your shoot, you may be lost on how to prepare. That’s totally normal my friend! Don’t worry, I’m here to help. In the week leading up to a photoshoot there are some things you can do to boost your confidence and guide you to the shoot of your dreams. Remember, this day will be all about you, your unique body, and your vibrant spirit. Now let's jump into some of the do’s and dont’s for preparing for your shoot!

Let’s start with skincare. What’s your skincare routine? You might have your daily routine and maybe a regime you use before a big event. Don’t stray from what you know. New products and methods can aggravate your skin and result in a complexion that may not make you feel like your most confident self. Things like exfoliating and moisturizing add a glow you can feel. I know that after a good exfoliation and moisture I walk around feeling beautiful and powerful! Another question for you. Do you get spray tans? If so, it’s a good idea to get that tan refreshed before your shoot. Just make sure you give it a few days if you will be working with white sheets. If you are not a regular at the tanning salon, it’s recommended that you don’t experiment with spray tans before your shoot as you might not be as happy with the outcome. Remember, your most authentic self shines the brightest!

When it comes to hair and makeup, it’s important to express yourself. If you want to go full glam, go for it! Don’t forget we also love to see a bare faced beauty. To glam or not to glam is up to you! If you decide to wear makeup, overdo it a little. The camera loves when you make it a little more dramatic. Choose the look you love and run with it! Long haired loves, loose curls are a fan favorite. Short haired friends, we love when you go with your usual style. For those doing their own hair and makeup, make sure to have it done before you walk into the studio. If you go the route of using a professional hair and makeup artist, make sure to have clean hair and a clean face. It’s way easier to work with. You’re going to look and feel amazing. 

Don’t forget to feed that body! You might be tempted to skip a meal before your shoot but remember: food is fuel and you are using a lot of mental and physical energy when you're workin’ it in the studio. Our bodies change throughout the day as we eat and drink and that's totally okay! To be honest, I love when I have a food baby. It reminds me that I am taking care of my body, the only oneI have. If you decide to exercise in the days leading up to your shoot, take it easy. You don’t want to be crazy sore while posing for that camera. I want you to have the most comfortable experience possible.

The most important thing when it comes to your shoot is that you’re comfortable, empowered, and representing your beautifully authentic self. I hope this article gave you some helpful information for the next time you step into the studio! Be strong, be vibrant, be you. I know you’ll crush this shoot.  

Embrace all Bodies, especially the one that you are in.

Love,

Samantha and Katelyn, the Embrace All Bodies team




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Embrace All Bodies | Dear Closet Fat Shamers

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Dear Closet Fat Shamers,

This blog post has been weighing on my heart for a few weeks and it’s been hard to write because it is a vulnerable topic that generates strong opinions. I will preface this with the simple statement that I am writing these words from a place of love so I hope you read them as such. I am not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t believe but I am the kind of person that wants to help educate people if they are unintentionally offending someone. So here goes.

In the last two weeks I have had to block account after account on social media for blatant fat shaming. What scares me is that I don’t think the people creating the content are intentionally trying to hurt anyone, but they are. Fat shaming has two faces. The person who outwardly trolls people (yuck, don’t ever be that human) and the more lethal version, the person who doesn’t know any better. The second is usually disguised as the person who wants you to be healthier, encourages you to participate in a different life style or wants “better” for you. They come across the screen hidden behind a curtain of concern for your health, appearance or a plethora of other reasons.

The post usually sport a very sad “before” photo on one side and a joyful “after” photo on the other. The caption reads something like “Sally has reclaimed her health after losing 45 pounds! Give her a shout out!”. Or “John has really been working hard on his appearance, way to take back your swag!”. The post may vary in severity but the two common pieces are:

  1. In the before photo they are portrayed as fat, unhappy and unhealthy

  2. In the after photo they are portrayed as skinnier, happier and assumed healthier

Do you see why that’s a problem? Even though these posts come across as a celebration, the underlying message is that only a thin body is allowed to be happy. Only a thin body is allowed to be healthy. Only a thin body is worthy of the pride and joy shown in the after photo. The root of the issue is that we have no idea if Jane was healthy before but as a society we assume that smaller is healthier. For John, we couldn’t compliment his appearance before because that is only reserved for smaller bodies. To add insult to injury, people then feed into the narrative with praise, ultimately validating the message that thinner is better. This is a problem.

People are going to have different opinions and reactions to what I just said. I’m ok with that. The argument is usually the same. You don’t want better for Sally and John? You don’t want to celebrate them? You don’t want them to live a healthier life style? Or be happier? My answer is yes to all of it! The difference is, I want to celebrate them no matter what the exterior looks like. I never want anyones happiness to be tied to the antiquated opinion our society has formed that they can only achieve those things with a smaller body. I want to help people see that there can be so MUCH joy, pride and happiness in whatever body you are currently living. This shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for only what society sees as thin.

I write all this to help people see that when a “before” photo is posted, it implies THAT body is not worthy. This is a slippery slope because you are promoting the message that anyone in that size body is not worthy. Stop and close your eyes here with me. Think about who in your life has a body that looks like yours or is bigger. Is it your daughter, your son, your wife, your aunt, your grandma, someone you love, someone you respect? If the answer is yes, this is your chance to change the narrative and I am lovingly inviting you to start.

What you post, the words that you use and how you talk about yourself do just as much harm to those around you. If your words about your body are negative and you love someone who has a larger body, you are DEFINITELY doing damage and that person will most likely never tell you. They will just hide it away in their brain under the file tab “they hate their small body so I can’t imagine what they think of my bigger body”. Even though you are not openly fat shaming them, you unintentionally are from the comfort of your closet.

Words matter, images matter and what you say about your body or other bodies matters. A simple thing like a before and after photo can do so much unintended harm. Society tells us that smaller is better and it’s time to rewrite that ending. If you are guilty of shaming from your safe space, it’s ok. Society did it’s job and trained you well. If you didn’t know any better, you do now and please accept this as a form of forgiveness. All I ask is that you acknowledge your part and don’t continue to feed into the cycle. It can change and having the knowledge to do so is the way out.

Embrace all bodies, especially the one you are in.

Cheers and Love,

Katelyn

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Embrace all Bodies | These Wings were Built to Fly

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Wings and boudoir. What comes to mind when you think of wings….and boudoir? If you had asked me two years ago I would have said something like “oh those gorgeous fairy wings that are strapped to the backs of the Vicky Secret Angels that float down the runway!” You all know the kind I’m talking about, they are etherial and dainty and not worth a damn in regards to actually flying. Ya, those. The equivalent of a penguin wing. Cute, pretty but completely useless for actually getting off the ground. Today, we are going to chat about wings….but I don’t want to talk about the wings that keep a woman helplessly tied down, I want to talk about the wings that actually help women fly.

When I started this boudoir journey in November of 2017 I had no idea what I was doing. Let’s be honest, who decides to jump into croc infested water with no boat and no paddle? I was a completely green boudoir photographer who didn’t know the first thing about posing, lighting, what makes a woman feel good or where to start. What I DID know was that I was yearning to leave an industry that played into the stereotypical bullshit of what makes a woman pretty. Thin face, flat tummy, big boobs, fake and photoshopped. I would leave a wedding I just shot and ache for the mother of the bride who spent the entire day bashing her appearance. I wanted to hug her and say “sis, your baby girl is getting married today. Put that worry and weight down for a minute and just enjoy the day.” Instead I would get in my truck and hurt. Women wanted me to transform them into something they were not and I just knew something had to change…..so I jumped into that croc infested canyon with faith and hope.

Growing up, women are not taught to jump, let alone fly. We are taught to make smart, calculated decisions. Go to school, get good grades, sneak under the radar, don’t be too big, too messy, too aggressive and the whole time remember to be pretty. Smile so people don’t think you are cold, but don’t smile too big because they may assume something. Fit into the pretty box that society built for you, but for goodness sakes don’t customize that box. Our wings were clipped the day we were born and it has hindered our ability to trust those wings when it comes time to actually fly. It has kept us below that shroud of what society expects and has created a toxic stink that says women will never be good enough just the way they are. I’m here to say fuck that noise. Your wings may be clipped sis, but they aren’t broken. We have wings the size of that dragon on Game of Thrones (nope I don’t watch the show, but those wings looked enormous). Which means we have been told a lie our entire lives. Not only can you jump, but babe we can FLY! Our wings may be clipped but do you really think a dragon that goes around burning cities to the ground is going to notice a little chip in her wing? Nope, she sure as shit isn’t, so channel that inner dragon and spread them wings. It’s time.

Why does this matter to me right now? Here is why. In the last two years I have jumped several times with no regard for the hard landing. I spread my clipped wings on hope and faith that they were going to catch me and guess what…..they did. I have learned to pursue my passion in such a big way that I will absolutely move heaven and earth to help women stretch their big giant dragon wings out and fly. If that means turning away from traditional photography to pursue body positive boudoir, then so be it. If that means presenting women with authentic images in a world that is fake and photoshopped, then so be it. If that means moving to Denver and then back in less than a 6 month period, then so be it. I continue to spread my wings and jump, learning on the way down that I can do anything. Someone has to show the women of our generation just how powerful their wings are so I will make this choice 10 times out of 10 with zero regret. If I can jump and make it work, then so can you…I promise.

If this thought is scary to you, then good. Jumping from anything without the promise of a safety net will make anyones butt clench, but what is your alternative? Stay in a life that is not meant for you? Hide your body so people can’t judge you? Cover up to protect people’s emotions? Keep quiet so no one can judge your opinion? What does that leave you with? Nothing but a sad reality, covered in the slim that society continues to throw our way to keep our wings wet. You are a dragon sis and it’s time for you to start exploring all the tall buildings and mountains and obstacles that you can throw your beautiful self off of just to watch your wings catch you. I jumped into the scary crock infested waters and didn’t get eaten because my wings were there to support me, clipped and all. Whatever your scary canyon is, jump. If that’s sitting for a boudoir session for the first time, asking for a promotion, speaking up rather than staying quite or pursuing another huge dream, just do it!! I am here to soar right along with you and we both know how scary a pissed off woman with wet wings and a chip on her shoulder is. Hang up those fairy wings and strap on your big nasty dragon wings. It’s our time ladies, so let’s spread our wings and conquer the world.

Embrace all bodies, especially the one you are in.

Love

Katelyn


Embrace All Bodies | Myrtle Beach Body Positive Boudoir - Selena

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Selena

Body Positive Boudoir

Dear world, meet the one and only Selena. Certified boss babe, business owner, kick ass and take names kinda gal and the DEFINITION of body positive. Not only is she a fierce and loyal friend, she is also a huge supporter in this Katelyn Scott journey. She is the owner of Revel6 Hair Bar and let me tell you…..this woman just has it.

When I had this wild dream to start a branch of my company that focused on nothing but boudoir, she was my first stop. When I sat down with her in the back room of her salon and told her all my big, scary, huge and wild dreams, she didn’t bat an eye. Her response was, how can I help. Since that day she has been down in the arena helping me fight to change the way women see themselves. We all know a good blowout will make any doll feel more like herself, but she is so much more than that. She is a woman on a mission and it oozes from her very being. Helping women channel their inner badass is her super power.

Our styled shoot together started as a little dream to take amazing photos in a field….that was it. We had no idea what we were in for when we threw caution to the wind and loaded up a trailer (that neither one of us knew how to drive and/or backup) with a clawfoot tub, vanity, couch, blanket and high backed chair. We were on a mission to create magic and ultimately we did, but we had to get there first.

Let me tell you the sheer panic one experiences when your co-pilot, aka Selena, tells you to turn off the highway towing a trailer full of shit into SOMEONES DRIVEWAY!!! Yep, her directions were set to walking, not driving, and the result was us pulling into a random strangers yard. Remember the comment about not knowing how to back up this trailer….yep now we were stuck in this poor man’s driveway looking at having to back onto the busiest interstate in Murrells Inlet. Full. Blown. Panic….the kind that ensued huge belly laughs until we both peed our pants. The poor man that helped us didn’t even know what do with himself as he reached through my window to steer while I manned the peddles. If you know me at all, this is where you picture me snort laughing, peeing my pants and crying, all while trying to be helpful. Long story short this saint of a human got us straightened out and on our way.

When we finally reached our destination it was a dream of a location. We had room for all the different setups and so much amazing space to play. It was magical and everything we had hoped for. When I asked Selena why she wanted to shoot with me her response was “I wanted to see myself as beautiful as I see your other clients.” How huge is this…..most of my ladies come to me because they just want to be seen. For another woman to want to shoot because of how beautiful she sees them is the definition of what I want to accomplish.

Ultimately all the laughter, hard work and driving drama paid off. Selena left feeling like she could control her life again by just letting go. Her final words in her survey were “I wish I could bottle and sell the feeling I had while working with Katelyn. Best drug in the world is self confidence.” And that is what this whole movement is about. One woman, one body and one soul at a time learning to embrace who they are and channel their inner goddess.

Embrace All Bodies.


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Embrace All Bodies | Myrtle Beach Body Positive Boudoir - Autumn

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Autumn

Myrtle Beach’s #1 Mermaid

One Day She Woke Up and Decided to Be Happy

Ok world, meet my very own, real life mermaid Autumn. We met almost 3 years ago through a mutual job and just clicked. This sweet soul is the definition of what my brand stands for and has become a muse of sorts in the world of Katelyn Scott. As many of you know, I work with women of all types that are battling body confidence issues and there is no rules saying that you have to be a certain body type to battle these very issues. This amazing woman woke up one day and decided it was time to change.

She came to me initially because her and her sweet man were celebrating 5 years together. The session was booked as a gift because she was looking for something with a little shock and awe value. She walked into the studio beyond nervous but with the most magnetic energy. It was like she was frothing over with nervous excitement. Y’all can we just take a second and talk about that? People are always nervous but when you sprinkle a jolt of amazing body love into nervous energy you get the most amazing magic. Which is exactly what happened that day.

To get this blog going I sent my girls a survey and her words brought me to tears. I asked what her favorite part of the day was and this was the response I got (insert ugly cry face here from gratitude for this amazing human). “My favorite moment was when I realized the shoot was no longer for him. I needed that shoot for me. I needed to be reminded that this sexy, confident woman was hiding inside and Katelyn brought it out!! She would look at my photos and just look in awe! She looked at me in a way no one had in a while and it lit a fire inside me! Like I said, my session was "meant for someone else" but it really was for me! I needed to see that my stretch marks are sexy and my curves and perfect! I am a woman warrior in this fight for self love!”

Yep, if you’re not crying right now I’m positive we can’t be friends. Y’all in a days time she went from someone who hated her body to really seeing herself for the first time. She walked in a doubter and walked out this beautifully bloomed flower of confidence, swag, sexiness and light. We have shot together several times since then and she is pretty much the body love fairy godmother of Myrtle Beach, shouting from the rooftops so every woman can feel what she did. And guess what!! She has even entered for a shot at becoming Inked Magazine’s Cover Girl and so far she is rocking it (insert shameful plug to go vote for her!).

I will never be able to properly thank Autumn for the energy she has brought to my brand or show her how grateful my heart is to have a woman warrior in this fight with me. Embrace all bodies is exactly is what she is doing and she started with hers first. Dear, sweet, amazing, smart, talented, sexy friend….I love you to the stars and back. Keep fighting the good fight and know I will always have your back!