I really wanted to share a recap blog of my experience teaching at the Boudoir Summit with The Boudoir Album, at WPPI (which, btw is one of the world’s largest photography conventions). So, no pressure or anything.

I wanted to share this recap – but I want to keep it real with ya’ll.

This was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my 30 years on this planet.

I didn’t sleep a full night for over a month.

And no, I am not exaggerating (I wish I was, I love sleep).

I was a total mess leading up to this event. I wasn’t sleeping so I wasn’t super present at home, my mind was so fixated on “oh god, Vegas is coming up”, and my anxiety was cranked up past max.

It was scary to me – but it was only scary because it was a totally new and out-of-my-comfort-zone experience.

I knew, logically and deep down (like… really deep down) that everything was going to be amazing.

“If you weren’t ready for it, the opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself” (or whatever people say).

And it’s an annoying cliche – but it’s fucking true!

I was totally ready for it, and with my wonderful assistant and associate Anne Marie with me, we had the best time. I wished I could have jumped back in time to let past-me know that we were going to ROCK IT so I could get that whole month of sleep back.

Vegas was an absolute whirlwind of emotions. From our shooting bay at the summit, to our individual workshop, and shooting with delightful clients in our AirBNB… it was all a dream come true.

My Vegas Highlights

1. We need to do scary shit once in a while. We need to step outside of our comfort zone and do something that really, genuinely, makes us want to shit our pants a little bit. Because this is where GROWTH comes in. I feel like I have such a newfound faith and belief in myself that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t say “YES” when this opportunity came around. So do something that scares you a little bit – because who knows what version of you is waiting on the other side?

(in picture: Sabrina at the Boudoir Summit with the Boudoir Album)

---

2. Get outside your bubble more often. This was probably the biggest shift for me. Before I went to Vegas, I felt very isolated in my business. Running a business is LONELY, isolating, hard work. Hiring Anne Marie was a true gift, but I still felt very alone and in my own bubble on Vancouver Island, Canada – a far cry away from larger cities where many more boudoir photographers around. I never felt like a part of the community – despite being tagged in things on Facebook, and being connected on Youtube. I still felt really removed from the larger community. Oh, man. And then… Vegas. I feel like I cracked wide open and all the amazing love, support, and beautiful energy this community holds just came pouring in. There is such power in community – I wish I had left my bubble years ago. So if you are feeling a little isolated and lonely in your own business, I highly recommend going to more community gatherings/workshops/whatever you can afford. Or host one in your own community! Community is a gift. It’s our super power. We have so much more to offer when we come together as a collective.

---

(in picture: Ruby Roxx)

---

3. Boudoir is magical af. Look, ok, I know this already, obviously. But I felt it on another level while in Vegas. When I started boudoir way back when (gosh how has it already been almost 8 years!?) things looked very different. There weren’t education opportunities like this, we were all figuring shit out on our own. “The Boot Strap Kids” as Andi says. The fact there are chances for us to get together and share knowledge, connect, and resonate and raise our vibration together as a community is SO long over due. Being around all these other amazing artists really made me FEEL how magical this community is. On another level. This art form is powerful, we offer life-changing transformations with our craft. It was incredible to feel that excitement and see this next wave of the industry growing.

4. Meeting other boudoir photographers is so MUCH FUN! Look, I’m an introverted to the max. But it was such a blast meeting so many amazing humans I’ve followed on IG, or have followed me on IG or Youtube. Coming together in the real world and celebrating our art together was pure joy. If you ever see me around at an event in the future, please come say hi! I love meeting ya’ll!

---

Thank you for being here, for reading this, for supporting our art, and for just being you.

Can’t wait to see ya’ll next year!

With love,

M xx

There is no denying that there's a power in the safe container the studio provides for people to dive deeper into self and really melt into the process...

But.

There's an equally unique and potent power in embracing the inner wildness and incorporating the earth as your playground and collaborative partner.

There's a simultaneous deep peace yet exhilarating rush at documenting yourself as part of the nature from which you came from.

There’s a magic in embracing your inner wild nature, in allowing yourself to embrace the nature from which you came.

The outdoor boudoir experience is totally unique, and incredibly powerful.. and fun as F*CK

Nothing beats the feeling of laying in the sand, the wind kissing your skin, while you breathe deep – enjoying THIS moment. Being totally present of the moment, of the sensations on your skin, of how it feels to simply exist and be. And to have that whole experience documented for you to revisit and remind yourself of the sheer joy of allowing yourself to indulge in the present moment; indulge in the simplicity yet grandness of nature.

We take all our clients to some of our favourite hiking spots – out in the depths of the forest and away from as many people as we possibly can be. These locations are west coast, wild, and as unique and beautiful as YOU.

So, is an outdoor boudoir session right for you?

It may be for you if…

✦ You have a deep inner calling to be in nature – you love hiking, camping, connecting with the earth

✦ You are an adventurer at heart – you love exploring, and you aren’t afraid to get a little dirty

✦ You love the idea of being documented celebrating your natural beauty and want to see yourself reflected as the wonderful work of ART that the eaARTH is (cheeessssy but we mean it!)

✦ You want to laugh and be present in your bod while hearing the waves crashing, the wind rustling your hair, and the trees swaying in the distance

✦ You’ve done boudoir once before but you want to step outside your comfort zone and try something new

Get in touch and embrace your inner wild

Obviously, I love boudoir photography. I love working with someone 1:1 and creating an experience and images as unique as the wonderful human I am photographing. I could talk all day (and have tbh) about the incredibly transformative powers of a self love boudoir session.

But…. BUT!

I also f*cking love couples boudoir photography.

They are such wildly different experiences from one another – if you’re partnered up and already done a solo boudoir session, I highly recommend coming back with your partner (or partnerS for my poly babes) to capture images with the both (all) of you.

Here are my favourite reasons why you should consider coming back to do a couples boudoir session:

• It’s f*cking FUN! While a solo sesh is a great way to drop into yourself and connect with your body, a couples boudoir session is such a fun way to connect with your partner and share some giggles while creating steamy art.

• You have someone to share the nerves with – and to lean on. There’s no lying: boudoir sessions can be nerve wracking af (especially if you’ve never done them before). But coming in with your boo and having one another to hype each other up, gas up one another, and give lots of affirmations and validation to is a wonderful way to help combat those shoot-day-nerves.

• You get to spend the whole day being cute, cozy, handsy, and loving each other up. And then you’ll have steamy photos to remember this connection you share to hang on your walls and inspire other handsy, steamy times. When I tell you the amount of couples that RUN outta the studio after their session to… well… I’ll let you figure it out. But it’s an incredible connecting experience. So if you feel like you could use some more fire and steam in your life (or you just love any excuse to get handsy) it’s a one of a kind experience.

If you think you’re ready to take the plunge to book your own couples boudoir photography, click the button below.

Tips to ROCK Your Boudoir Session

& get the most out of your experience

You’ve booked your boudoir session, and you’re ready to do the damn thing! As a professional boudoir photographer who has shot over a thousand clients, as well as someone who JUST did their own boudoir session a couple of months ago - here are my tips on how to rock your own boudoir session so you can get the most out of your experience.

1. Don’t fight the nerves!

There’s a 99.9999% chance you’re gonna be nervous leading up to your session. This is NORMAL and part of the process! Don’t spend more energy guilting yourself over being nervous, or getting more nervous because you’re nervous (that is a negative feedback loop you don’t need in your life). Just let those nerves be! Let them tell you what they are there to tell you: that you are excited (nerves and excitement are physiologically almost identical), and that you are doing something outside of your comfort zone that is new and wonderful! Breathe, relax, and lean into the excitement you are feeling around your session.

2. Find ways to connect with your body leading up to your session

Boudoir sessions are a wonderful mind-body connector, but you can even deepen that experience on  your shoot day by doing some work before your session. Take yoga classes, book a massage, do a dance class, find ways to connect with your body that make you feel good doing them. A boudoir session should be all about celebrating yourself – and you can really elevate that experience by prioritizing ways to connect with your body that bring you joy!

3. Pick outfits that make you FEEL good

I have something controversial to tell you. I know this might come as a surprise, but what you wear to your boudoir session is ultimately not that important. THERE I SAID IT.

But it’s really not. So, you know when you’re nervous about something, and your brain picks ONE thing to obsess over and fixate on? For boudoir shoots, it tends to be your outfits. And I’ve seen a lot of people’s anxiety fixate on what they wear. But ultimately, if you picked a professional trustworthy photographer, it doesn’t matter what you wear. We want you to FEEL good in what you wear, because if you FEEL good in what you wear, you’re gonna look good. You can honestly wear anything to your session. Ratty old t-shirt? Yup. A robe? Yup. Bra and panty? Yup. Super expensive lingerie? Sure! Dusty ol lingerie that’s been sitting in the back of your dresser for 5-10 years that you never get to wear but hey you finally have an excuse to wear it? THAT WORKS TOO. Or the classic: if you don’t know what to wear… don’t wear anything at all!

Just focusing on finding things that make you feel good in them, that FIT right. It’s better to have outfits that are slightly too big than slightly too small. We a’int shoving ourselves into clothes that are too small anymore. It’s 2023. We aren’t meant to fit clothes, clothes are meant to fit us.

4. Moisturize, moisturize, and then moisturize some more

You want your skin to glow and catch the light and look luxuriously soft in camera? It’s time to whip out that body butter, baby. This is also a great opportunity to connect more with your bod and create a lil ritual around moisturizing your skin. Spend time indulging in this process, being intentional, and thinking lots of good grateful thoughts around your bod while you lather up that moisturizer.

5. Spend some time the day before your session grounding into your body and the experience

Stretch lots, dance in your session outfits, moisturize, breathe, meditate, and maybe even journal about your upcoming session. The more time you can spend letting those nerves out through intentional movement practices, the better set you will be the day of your session. Movement is SUCH a great way to work out those anxieties, and let yourself feel into that excitement leading up to shoot day.

6. EAT before your session!

Posing may look effortless, delicate, and natural. But it a’int. Posing takes work, there’s a lot more arching and holding mildly-uncomfortable positions than you think. And we want you to be prepared! Your body is a beautiful fire that deserves to burn bright, and food is the fuel that will help you do just that! We highly recommend having a nice high-protein breakfast the morning of your session. Like we said before, it’s 2023 and we are so past starving ourselves because we’re worried about bloating. NOPE. We are here to celebrate the best version of yourself – and that version requires some sustenance. If you aren’t much of an eater in the mornings, pack a high protein snack for later in the morning once you’re in the hair and makeup chair.

7. Last but not least - trust your photographer and listen to any prep guides they may have!

If you’ve booked with a professional and reputable photographer that you trust, now is the time to just lean into that trust and know that they have got you, boo. If they have prep guides, follow the advice they give. Let them lead you through this experience! We are here for YOU!

This blog post is a love letter to everyone who booked a session with us this year, or came to a retreat, workshop, group photoshoot, or just lurked on the internet and hearted our content, replied to our posts, or shared in our Facebook Group.

Thank you for allowing us to continue creating art, sharing art, and living our dream.

Thank you for allowing us to wiggle our ways into your heart and plant seeds of self love, celebration, and beautiful rebellious thoughts of self-love, body-love, and adoration for SELF.

We would not be able to do this work without all of you – so we are forever grateful.

The end of the year is one of my own personal faves, because I love reflecting on all that transpired over the last trip around the sun. Here are some of my fave memories for 2022 for you to relive with us.

Thank you for being here - we are in awe of you.

With all our love,

Your Moss Team – Misty/Molly & Anne Marie

BARE SOUL RETREATS.

In 2022 we were able to be around people again, laugh together, and make memories together. We drank up every moment in which we could do so. Starting with our first ever retreat collaboration as Bare Soul Retreats in Tofino. This photography self-love retreat was a labour of love with Rosie Bitts, and we were so grateful to be able to share it with the attendees.

MUSES GARDEN PARTY.

Back in September, on the autumn equinox, we said goodbye to summer with a garden party & group photoshoot. Our first official group photoshoot, this event felt like the self-love version of Bridgerton. It was such a beautiful way to come together as a community, and we can’t wait to host more in 2023 when the weather turns warm and beautiful.

THE WORKSHOPS.

In 2022 I had the honour of hosting not just one, but TWO dark and moody photography workshops at my studio to help other photographers and creatives learn the ropes of creating painterly boudoir photography. I’m so grateful to be able to help educate other creatives – this is definitely something I plan on leaning into next year, because it really lit me the f*ck up seeing everyone get nerdy with me about lighting. Can’t wait to share more inspo and knowledge this year!

Of course, 2022 wouldn’t have been complete without our wonderful associate, Anne MariE.

In 2022 we officially brought on Anne Marie as our associate photographer, who was previously just hiding in my instagram and emails corresponding with babes behind the scenes. It was time to bring on a second set of hands to help with the influx of clients we wanted to help capture + be a part of their transformational journey. I could write a whole ass paragraph about how special this woman is - and one day I probably will! But for now I just wanted to share some of the incredible art she made with some of her clients in the studio this last year!

and that brings us to… the sessions of 2022.

I am beside myself with gratitude for everyone who came in through our doors this last year. We made so much beautiful art, heard so many stories, were able to be a part of so many self-love journeys and journey’s of self celebration.

Thank ya’ll so so much – here’s to the next year creating art and capturing ya’ll as the magical works of art that you are!

This is my body. Naked and vulnerable.

As I explored and dove deeper into my research on masculinity I realized that many men are not happy with their bodies. Of course, we are told that we must look a certain way. That’s hegemonic masculinity. We must be big, strong, lean, aggressive. But why? How come we never teach men the parameters of self-care? And even when we do it comes across as feminine, as something that is inherently wrong. Something that is not masculine.

Remember, masculine and feminine are just social constructs anyways. Do whatever makes you glow.

My body doesn’t look like what it did a few years ago. But I’ve come to accept it. Maybe I should have done a photoshoot like this when I looked my “best” but mentally I knew I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t love my body the way I do now.

The ironic part that I found is that many people that are comfortable in the gym (regardless of gender) may not be comfortable being naked around their partners. I know this to be true because this was also something I went through. Many can perform for a crowd but it’s the intimate moments that make us feel vulnerable. Vulnerability isn’t easy. But it’s a skill we can hone.

Perhaps the naked body is a metaphor for the Self…completely unraveled, exposed. If you’re comfortable being naked, are you comfortable with your Self? Maybe…I’ll come back to that in my studies.