brisbane boudoir photography

Frequently Asked Questions of Fitness, Health & Boudoir Photoshoots: Brisbane Health, Fitness & Boudoir Photography

The Team at Life Portraits are the fitness, health & boudoir specialists and we love creating unique and personalised imagery for each individual.

Whether your photoshoot is a weight transformation photoshoot, bodybuilding photoshoot, a portrait session with your family documenting your results, boudoir or more professional images for your social branding, we can help you.

After working in the health and fitness industries heavily over the past few years, we have learnt from our clients that getting a photoshoot can sometimes be one of the most daunting things you’ll do. but at the same time get you out of your comfort zone and make you feel incredibly positive about your self-esteem and body image.

That’s why we have created a comprehensive frequently asked questions e-book to help all our potential clients that explains the process of booking, payment, FAQ's, example styles of imagery and outfits, delivery of your images and planning. Feel free to download the full booklet HERE or read below to find out more. We've also created this great blog post on the 7 tips to nailing your first photoshoot which features behind the scenes vlogs and lots of tips and tricks, you can see our blog HERE.

You can see our work at www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness or all our current work on our instagram at @lifeportraits_fitnessWe will go through all of this in more detail below. Together, the LP team will make you feel comfortable, at ease and most importantly you will be so proud of the end result. 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Whether this is your first photoshoot or you’ve done this before, we like to guide our clients through the Life Portraits planning and ideas process in order to create something unique with the LP WOW factor. Prepare for a run experience with the passionate LP Team.

As part of our pre-photoshoot planning approach, we will help you through the following steps:

  1. Locations - we supply a full location gallery of suburbs of Brisbane to assist in your planning

  2. Outfits - how to coordinate this with your location and we provide Pinterest boards to help you

  3. Style of imagery - we help guide your style - boudoir, fitness, glamour, fashion which is now all detailed in our e-book with example imagery

We pride ourselves on a seamless experience, creating the most striking, beautiful and high quality imagery that matches your vision and style.

OUR PROCESS

Preparing for a photoshoot can be daunting so Life Portraits want to ensure that you are aware of the process from pre-photoshoot planning, to your photoshoot day to post photoshoot with the delivery of your images. Our priority is to ensure you enjoy the experience, have fun, with no stress involved.

  • INITIAL CONTACT: At the initial stages of all enquiries we provide our packages & pricing, planning information & possible dates for your photoshoot. From here, if you wish to book with us, we will email you a detailed email & a booking proposal.

  • BOOKING PROPOSAL - A booking proposal is emailed to you detailing the services that LP will be providing, your package options, a questionnaire to assist planning, an online legal portrait contract & payment portal for the selected package. Once this booking proposal is signed by you, the final stage of the proposal is to pay a 50% non-refundable booking fee* to secure the session, with the remainder 50% being paid the week of your photoshoot. After the booking proposal is signed & payment has been made, you will be sent an email with login details to access your own Life Portraits portal. This features your details, contracts, galleries & invoices. The proposal is signed by both parties electronically via our online database and becomes a legal binding document. *Booking fee can be transferred to another photoshoot if cancelled.

  • PAYMENT OPTIONS - Payment can be made via the booking proposal portal by Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. We also offer Interest free payment plans and this information is sent at the initial stages of booking. We require $150 upfront then regular payments leading up to your photoshoot. If you have any issues with the payment terms, we can discuss this in the initial stages of booking to create a payment option that works for you.

  • HAIR, MAKEUP, TAN & STYLING - For all our sessions we recommend you get professional hair, makeup & tan done so you look & feel your best. We have teamed up with the best in the industry to provide these services, we recommend using Shique Beauty shiquebeauty.com.au
    And if you’re wanting to have your photoshoot styled with clothing to look your best, Clique Styling are your ladies!

  • PREPARING FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT - The LP team will keep in regular contact with you leading up to your session, in particular the week before your photoshoot. To be prepared for the session, we suggest ensuring the following things are done:

    • Hair/make-up/tan booked

    • Outfits organised

    • Aware of locations & timings

    • Have your photographers details

  • AFTER YOUR PHOTOSHOOT - Within 2 weeks of your photoshoot, Life Portraits will send you a full online proof gallery with basic editing on your images to give you an idea of the style and colour tones of the end result. From this gallery there is a favouriting system where you choose your final images as part of your package to be edited. Once you have submitted your final images, LP will professionally edit these images and have them delivered to you within 2 weeks. An online gallery will be sent via email with a logo & non logo version of all your images. If you wish to purchase additional images to your package, you have the option to purchase in bundles after your shoot. We also have artwork available such as albums, wall art & coffee table art that would make beautiful pieces in your home. We will provide a full pricebook of artwork with your gallery.

  • SOCIAL MEDIA - We ask that when posting images to social media, that you use the logo versions of your images and tag Life Portraits. When posting on instagram please tag @lifeportraits_fitness LP will use your imagery in social media and the website unless you have stated otherwise in your questionnaire.

FREQUENCY ASKED QUESTIONS - FITNESS, HEALTH & BOUDOIR PHOTOSHOOTS BRISBANE

PREPARING FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

Do I worry about getting professional hair, makeup & tan done or can I do it myself?

  • INVEST IN THE PROFESSIONALS! If there’s any advice we can give our clients, invest in getting our hair & makeup done professionally as it looks a million dollars in your final photos. We also suggest a home or professional tan which is great for making the skin look more seamless in photos. Go darker than you normally would as this comes up great in the images & we can play with the colour of the tan/darkness in post production.

    Don’t’ forget the little details, nails & toes. You can get them done professionally or just buy some & put them on. As per our process page, we suggest Shique Beauty in Brisbane for all our photoshoots. They are the dream team!

I’m unsure about what style of photoshoot I should do?

  • The first step to planning a photoshoot is to determine the style of imagery you want. Once you have secured this style we can then guide you in choosing your location, outfits and types of posing. We provide a pinterest gallery of examples to help you decide what you’d like to do. These styles include:

    • Boudoir - lingerie, bedroom, topless, sexy

    • Fitness gym - fitness wear in the gym, workout style images

    • Fitness fashion - fashion clothing showing off your fit body with some fitness style poses, urban street settings, coloured walls

    • Beach - bikini or fashion on the beach, tree areas, boardwalk

    • Lifestyle - Business imagery, portraits, ‘candid’ imagery,

We will show examples of this in the following pages from our own client photoshoots.

Have you got any examples of behind the scenes on photoshoots?

Yes we do! These Vlogs feature how to prepare, tips on posing, outfits and behind the scenes fun. This will give you a good idea of how we work.

How do I choose a location?

You’re in luck! At Life Portraits we provide our clients with a full suburb breakdown of locations around Brisbane as well as houses, studios & gyms. Once you have the style of imagery that you want, we can then match a location to this style. Common locations include; gym, beach, graffiti walls, coloured walls, street style, lifestyle greenery open spaces, apartments/houses for boudoir. You can see lots of great examples on our instagram page.


Have you got any ideas for where I can get outfits for my photoshoot?

The style of your photoshoot will dictate the outfits you will wear. We outline some ideas below, however there are numerous places you can go online and instore to purchase:

  • Local designers

  • Online: Zaful, Shein, Peddal & Pup, Pretty Little Thing, Runway the Label, Fashion Nova, Beginning Boutique

  • Kmart/Target/Big W/Best & Less - You would be surprised the finds!

  • Ryderwear, Muscle Nation, Echt, Gymshark, Lorna Jane, Lululemon

  • OR get Clique Styling to style your outfits for you - they come to the photoshoot with your outfits and help you on the day

Common ideas include bikinis, one pieces leotards or bodysuits, booty pants, fashion wear, fishnets, lingerie, sports wear, leather jackets & boots, body crystals etc. Narrow down your outfits depending if it’s a silver or old package, Have them all ready in a bag for your photoshoot day, dressed in outfit 1 to start the session.

THE DAY OF THE PHOTOSHOOT

How do I prepare for the photoshoot day? What do I need to know?

You’ve done all the hard work to get to this point, now you want to look a million dollars for your photos!

1. Make sure you have a bag packed the night before so you’re not rushed for the photoshoot, you’re calm & ready for the day. The bag should have your outfits, shoes, a towel to wipe off oil if we spray you for sheen, a sheet for getting changed on location, pump up bands, snacks, water & MUSIC! We usually bring a speaker, so have your favourite spotify list ready to go to help you get into the groove in your shoot.

2. We always suggest that you get your hair, makeup & tan done professionally so that you are looking 10/10 for your photoshoot. Having this done reflects in your photos, looks a million dollars & boosts your confidence. Have this done a few hours before your photoshoot so you can come straight from the appointment to your photoshoot. Allow 2-3 hours for hair/makeup & travel.

3. Text your photographer when you leave hair/makeup & give them an update on how you’re going. We suggest you arrive 10 mins or so early to your photoshoot location so you can relax & pump up if necessary.

I don’t know how to pose, help!?

Don’t worry at all about posing, we always hop in & show you some poses first, give you some ideas & then let you run with it. We put on music to get you in the groove to help you with motion & feeling relaxed.

AFTER YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

What happens after the photoshoot? How do I get the photos? Do I choose or do you choose the finals?

After your photoshoot, please allow up to a week or so for us to create & email your online proof gallery. This gallery is all your images from the shoot (minus blinks & the BTS mess up shots haha) with our colour tones on them with no final post production done. Then the fun part comes, choosing your final images based on your package! We have a simple gallery favouriting system, for the images you want, click the love heart below the images.

Once you’ve picked all your final images, go to the top right hand corner & ‘submit to photographer’. It’s always nice to follow us up with an email to say you’ve submitted & let us know what you thought of the photoshoot. If you want more images than what your package includes, as mentioned previously, we allow single image purchases, 10 image upgrades or the full package (50 images). This is all detailed with pricing and options in your proof gallery email. Once you’ve picked your finals and submitted to us, we then get to work on those finals. Please allow up to 2-3 weeks for the final images to be edited and delivered back to you as an online gallery ready for download.

Can I purchase artwork on top of my digital package? What do you have on offer?

Yes we do! We have a range of wall art, albums, prints and coffee table art on offer. We send this information through with a pricebook on delivery of your final images.

OTHER QUESTIONS

Can I do some fitness imagery, some boudoir and maybe a couple of more professional ones for my business or LinkedIn?

In your session, we allow you to do any look you like. Even if you want to get a couple of photographs with your partner, we are happy to accommodate this also. We just remind clients of timing and if you’re wanting to get a bit more variety with different looks, we suggest the 2 hour Gold Package.

Can I brings someone along to the photoshoot for support?

YES OF COURSE!

What if I want to book a session, but can’t pay the 50% up-front straight away? Have you got other options?

Yes we do. We have a payment plan option which is detailed in your email, or we can setup a weekly/fortnightly payment system in our database to help you pay the photoshoot off over time. We are very open to helping our clients as this is an investment you will cherish for a lifetime.

What if I have a preference for a female/male photographer?

Life Portraits has both male and female photographers, so just let us know your preference.

If I want to do my photoshoot in the studio, how does that work?

We offer studio photography as one of our options in our locations gallery, however they are an additional cost to your photoshoot package as we hire the studio for your session. If you’re interested in doing the studio session, let us know when booking and we can add the additional cost to your total package.

Can I get black and white images in my package?

We sometimes do a black and white version of your images if it looks great. Let us know if you love black and white images and we can do this.


Brisbane Health & Fitness Photography | Brisbane Boudoir Photography | Brisbane Commercial Photography

Ladies, Feel Empowered, Beautiful and Sexy with a Boudoir Photography Session: Brisbane Boudoir & Glamour Photography

Celebrate your body and the beauty of the female figure with a Boudoir Photography Session.

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY IS AN INTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE THAT CELEBRATES YOU, THE FEMALE BODY AND IS A BEAUTIFUL ART FORM. AT LIFE PORTRAITS WE LOVE TO CAPTURE THESE SENSUAL MOMENTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO FEEL BEAUTIFUL, SEXY AND CONFIDENT.

The Life Portraits team are passionate about inspiring women to love their bodies and see themselves in a new light, through our eyes. We will guide you with posing, making you feel comfortable and at ease and most of all confident and sexy. A boudoir photoshoot is a great way to reconnect with your inner self and makes for a beautiful gift for yourself or your partner.

We recently had a boudoir photography location day at Brisbane’s Smoked Garage, creating some breathtaking imagery in this old warehouse that has been transformed into a wedding venue. With it’s high ceilings, vintage windows, drop curtains, open rooftop, Harley Davidson bikes…. It was the perfect location to create some beautiful boudoir imagery. We had such an incredible day with all the ladies that attended.

Are you looking to get out of your comfort zone and wanting to celebrate your body with a boudoir photoshoot? Do you want to feel confident, sexy and beautiful, be guided with posing to create striking imagery of yourself to cherish for a lifetime or as a gift for your partner? See more about our boudoir photography sessions on our website HERE.

See some of the breathtaking results of our boudoir photography day at Smoked Garage below! Congrats to Jodi, Kelli, Carly and Mandy for trusting us to capture these moments and make you feel incredible!

Empowering woman to love their bodies! BTS Vlog on tips & tricks for your first fitness photoshoot...

I am so lucky in my job that I get to work with unbelievable women that are inspirational, driven and have undergone emotional journeys to reach their goals. I get to be a big part of this journey, helping them plan their photoshoot, creating a vision to capture this moment in their life, documenting it for a lifetime, bringing their ideas to reality while also becoming a friend!  

One of the most common things I hear is "Is that me?". So many women have no idea how beautiful they are and how unbelievable they look in the skin their in. Yes I photograph males and females at the peak of their conditioning for competitions, but I also photography body transformations, weight loss journeys and boudoir photography, embracing the body in its everyday state. Everyone is on their own journey.... and we pride ourselves on creating a fun and personalised experience, offering very specific styling, posing and planning guidance easing the nerves and stresses of planning a photoshoot. 

A photoshoot is not always about looking lean and 'shredded', it's about capturing your beauty and creating an end result that you're proud of! 

I recently got to work with the stunning Sophie, guiding her through the process of how to plan and prepare for a photoshoot including supplying location galleries, Pinterest boards for styling, outfit planning and creating a visual of what her end result would be. 

This was Sophie's first photoshoot and to capture this experience, we created a behind the scenes vlog of what is involved in a fitness/boudoir photoshoot. We give you an insight into a 'day in the life of Life Portraits' showcasing our gold package (1-2 hour portrait package) with Sophie and what happens on a fitness photoshoot. 

See some of our favourite images from the shoot below as well as the vlog. Sophie is such a beautiful woman who priorities a healthy lifestyle (not competing) and embraces her everyday gorgeous body! 

Em x

Brisbane Fitness & Fashion Photography
www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness
info@lifeportraits.photography

7 tips to Nailing your First Fitness Photoshoot - Brisbane Health, Fitness & Boudoir Photography

So you’ve achieved a weight loss goal, you’ve just competed or you’ve reached a health milestone and you want to capture your efforts and physiques with a photoshoot…… GREAT DECISION!

A fitness, boudoir or fashion photoshoot captures this time in your life and documents your hard work, sacrifices, motivation and time through imagery. We take a moment in time and freeze how you felt and how strong you are as a person to reach your goals. We all need to remember to celebrate our successes and reflect on our journey and investing in a photoshoot is a wonderful way to do so.

Having competed in figure bodybuilding in the past, reaching this high point in my physique and then not capturing this moment was the biggest regret I ever had! So if you’re daunted by the cost, how to be prepared, what to wear, where to shoot….. we can help you! We’ve gone into 7 tips to nail your first photoshoot below:

1. Prepare for the investment of a photoshoot it’s worth it! Budget this into your competition costs or weekly budget or opt for interest free payment plan

We find with a lot of clients that price is off-putting and people do not see the value in spending the money on capturing this moment in time. After all the hard work you’ve put in, time, sacrifices, hard hours in the gym… what are you doing to document you reaching this goal? Yes you can tick it off the list of things you’ve done and write about it on social media, but nothing outweighs the captured image and freezing this successful moment in your life. In order to prepare for the cost of a photoshoot, budget this into your costs for competing, or when you start a weight loss journey, start putting money away each week for this. At Life Portraits, we allow our clients to pay $150 upfront and then fortnightly/monthly payments, leading up to your shoot. The cost is worth the value and joy it will bring to your life looking back at these moments for years to come, and for generations to come!
Download our pricing and see our work on our fitness page HERE!

2. Watch our BTS Vlogs on tips to prepare for your fitness photoshoot
These Vlog features how to prepare, tips on posing, outfits and behind the scenes fun. This will give you a good idea of how we work at Life Portraits.
Watch them both BELOW:

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOo6bh9XuIA
2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp0IEBlyquY&t=3s

3. Narrow down the style of imagery you want - Boudoir, fitness gym, fitness fashion, beach, lifestyle
The first step to planning a photoshoot is to determine the style of imagery you want. Once you have secured this style we can then guide you in choosing your location, outfits and types of posing. We provide a pinterest gallery of examples to help you decide what you’d like to do.

4. Find a location that suits your style and your personality
At Life Portraits we provide our clients with a full suburb breakdown of locations around Brisbane for options for their photoshoots. Sometimes, choosing a location is the hardest part of the photoshoot process as their are so many themes you can channel. Once you have the style of imagery that you want, we can then match a location to this style. Common locations include; gym, beach, graffiti walls, coloured walls, street style, lifestyle greenery open spaces, apartments/houses for boudoir. You can see lots of great examples on our instagram page

5. Narrow down your outfits to 2/3 options that matches the style of imagery you want and your location
Once you’ve nailed steps 2 & 3, we will guide you with pinterest boards and through email communication what outfits to use for your photoshoot. Common ideas include bikinis, one pieces leotards or body suits, booty pants, fashion wear, fishnets, lingerie, sports wear, leather jackets and boots, body crystals etc. We help you match your outfits to the colours of your location.

6. Preparing for the photoshoot day with hair, makeup & tan
You’ve done all the hard work to get to this point, now you want to look a million dollars for your photos! We always suggest to our clients that you get your hair, makeup and tan done professionally so that you are looking 10/10 for your photoshoot. Having this done reflects in your photos, looks a million dollars, boosts your confidence. We work with some great professionals in the industry, one of our most recommended is Shique Beauty in Brisbane - specialising in hair, makeup, tans, nails etc.

7. Photoshoot day - Have a bag packed with outfits, snacks, water and MUSIC
It’s photoshoot day! Make sure you have a bag packed the night before so you’re not rushed for the photoshoot and you’re calm and ready for the day. We always suggest that you play music on your shoot to help you relax, get into the motion of posing and enjoy the experience. We will guide you with posing, positioning your body in the best way possible to make you look your best.


Now all you need to do is relax and enjoy the experience! If you’ve been thinking about a fitness photoshoot in the Brisbane or Gold Coast area, we’d love to hear from you. Life Portraits specialises in portraiture, weddings and commercial but has a sub brand LP Fitness where we work with fitness competitors, weight loss transformations and capture people in a state of celebration of their health and wellness.

We’d love to hear from you! Email us at info@lifeportraits.photography to book your shoot. Or contact us on our website.

The Inspiring Weight Loss Transformation Stories, from REAL Women! Brisbane Fitness, Boudoir & Lifestyle Photography

Be inspired by the weight loss transformations of these amazing women! At any age you can love your body, be confident in yourself & embrace your progress….

Documenting unforgettable moments in people’s lives is one of the main reasons why I LOVE being a photographer and absolutely love what I do. I am so grateful to have captured a number of weight loss transformation photoshoots and shared these moments with women on an unreal journey in their life; making a choice to live a healthier life and prioritise their futures with their families.

Below I want to share with you some of those stories by REAL LIFE WOMEN! Women with kids, women with high level jobs, women that don’t have many hours left to spare of their days, women who lose 40kg+, women who we should look to as REAL inspiration for what’s achievable when you set your mind to a goal; be inspired, never give up on your goals and remember that your health is everything!

These stories fill me with so much emotion, I hope you can take away some great lessons from these women and be inspired to never give up on your own journey.

PRISCILLA'S STORY...

After a health scare, Priscilla embarked on this weight loss journey with the mindset of doing it for her and her family!

“I started my weight loss journey just over 12 months ago, I was severely overweight and I just became depressed and started to withdraw from weekend activities with friends.

I embarked on this journey with the mindset of I’m doing this for me and my family!

I was using this as a preventative before I became medically unwell. I was lucky enough that my blood pressure, diabetes etc were not being affected. So I saw it as a sign that it was now or never to take control of my life.  Over the last 12 months I have had to battle a lot of mental issues around the stigma of being obese and what life hurdles I had In front of me to tackle. The first 10kg was amazing! I felt so good I knew I had made the best decision in my life. After the initial drop things became really hard and I truly had to work every day to change my mindset and life style. I joined a gym and had a personal trainer and started to really meal prep and take control of what is being put in my body. It is still a daily struggle for me. Exercise has become easy, but the nutrition side is still a weakness of mine. My goal over the next 12 months of my journey is to take some time aside to reflect on nutrition and really learn what my body needs to fuel its self. I love my body. I am proud of all of my stretch marks and body parts as they genuinely tell a story of my life. I was able to naturally bring a child into this world and loose a tremendous amount of weight and still stand tall at the end of each day knowing I did this! To this date I have lost 36Kg. I would love to lose another 20 

To celebrate my 12 month anniversary of my journey I approached Em from Life Portraits about an in-between fitness, boudoir photo shoot to commemorate my journey thus far. I was a little hesitant to make the commitment but I was eager to understand how the process worked! I can’t tell you how many times they re assured me it was going to be fine and it will be such an amazing experience and they were 100% on board to help me celebrate!

From choosing the location to helping create the vision em was there with me every step of the way! On the actual day of the shoot I got there way earlier then expected and em was quick to rearrange her plans and meet me there which was so awesome to feel like I was the most important person that day.

 I was super nervous to get these photos taken as I wanted an element of raw/ but also really wanted to celebrate how far I had come and look at them and feel good. I loved what we created together and I walked away feeling really empowered! I am just your average girl sharing her average story to people. But in fact, I am sharing a story that SO many of us walk and I want everyone to know that they are not alone in the battle of obesity! Its time for us all to break the stigma and embrace our bodies!!  I am beyond excited to see what the next 12 months bring! And I hope with working on my nutrition my body shape will change!”

Priscilla Farry

AILSA’S STORY

At 40, with 3 kids and determination that smashed her goals, Ailsa won the Maxines Transformation Challenge Grand Champion in 2018!

“The phrase "stuck in a rut" is appropriate way to describe how I felt prior to undertaking the January Maxines transformation challenge. I WAS exercising but was not seeing or feeling the benefits of my endeavours. Life was busy with 3 children, days just clicked by and I could feel my physical health declining not to mention my mental well being as well.

My 4Oth Birthday was fast approaching (Eek!) it was time to take control of things for myself and I committed to jumping on board for 12 weeks of hard training and getting comfortable with feeling "uncomfortable". This was teamed with more consistent nutrition, encompassed more food and better choices than I had made previously fuelling the demanding training sessions that I did.

It was a struggle at times to get through things, tears did get shed and a lot of self doubt hung in the air but those "transformation" changes that I thought only happened to "other people" started happening to me which was amazing!

In (almost!) no time the end of 12 weeks was closing in. My husband who had supported me throughout, surprised me with a fitness photo shoot with the lovely Emily at Life Portraits. When Emily called to spring the surprise I think I must of sounded very blunt... yes I was surprised but I was actually internally freaking out about being in front of the camera like a "model"! (what have I just said yes to ??!)

My fears were very much alleviated when we met in person. Emily was very professional and extremely personable, it did not take me too long to get comfortable with the photo shoot environment. Emily helped me to relax and gave wonderful guidance as to what I should do (as I had NO IDEA!)

I had AMAZING photos and with so many favourites that it was so hard to choose which ones I would submit for my entry into the Maxines transformation challenge. The images captured those changes I was after when I started my journey and a few days later, after submitting my entry (to my surprise) I was told that I had won!

Never did I EVER think that I would be able to call myself a Grand Champion. So not only now do I have an amazing opportunity being a ongoing challenge ambassador but I have beautiful and "OMG that's me" images to reflect back on thanks to Em and her photographic expertise.

My life has changed a LOT - I have since competed successfully on stage and fitness is now a permanent fixture which celebrates my strong body for what it can do not for what it can't.”

Ailsa Dicarlo

SABINE’S INSPIRING STORY...

At 47 years of age, Sabine is down 30kg, loving her new passion for Crossfit and living a healthier life!

“This is the photo that started it all...

This was the moment I realised I had let myself get truly unhealthy, overweight and suffering from so many allergies that a box of tissues for all the sneezing was a constant companion. The journey started with a change in lifestyle, first removing food groups to see what my body was being sensitive to, end result I'm now gluten, dairy and sugar free. Some of the unhealthy weight started dropping but I still didn't feel I had a balance of food an activity so next step was heading to the gym were I was introduced to an amazing coach who started one on one personal training Crossfit style.

I completely surprised myself by falling in love with Crossfit and more recently Power Lifting and now 4 years on, 30kgs lighter than this initial picture. I found myself wanting to mark this achievement somehow and what better way than to do a photo shoot to mark this moment where I am the healthiest, fittest and honestly the most sexy I have felt in decades. I'm 47 years old, I never thought I could reach this goal but I'm super happy that I chose to celebrate this version of me in pictures with Life Portraits.

Thank you Em you made me look as beautiful as I finally feel.”

Sabine Goeman

PEARLY’S STORY...

Pearly hasn’t let Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) get in her way of reaching her goals and letting her true self shine through!

“I’m an old hat when it comes to photo shoots. I’ve always loved getting in front of the camera - it comes very naturally to me. But I’m often told that it takes a certain kind of bravery to bare yourself in a shoot, to be totally vulnerable. I’m lucky to have this built-in bravery, but I do have a different kind of obstacle I battle against every day, which could prevent me from getting in front of that camera- but I’ll never let it- Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

I’ve had GAD since i was a child, and I’m still working today to create positive neural pathways to replace the ones that my brain has formulated growing up. Negative thoughts like ‘you’re a failure’ ‘you won’t achieve your fitness goals’ and ‘you’ll never look as good as you could’ are examples of what thoughts I may experience when prepping for a shoot. But the reason I do this, the reason I exercise is to foster endorphins and show myself that I can set a goal and reach it (even when my brain is telling me I can’t). I still get in front of that camera, in spite of the negative thoughts, in spite of the anorexia I was diagnosed with half my lifetime ago (induced by GAD)- I shine in my photographs because I am celebrating how far

I’ve come, and how much I’ve grown. It’s so important to have an established trust with my photographer- someone who knows my doubts and knows how to bring my inner shine out to banish those negative thoughts. This is why I shoot with Emily- she has an understanding of the female disposition, of the human disposition- and she has a creativity that can’t be quashed!”

Pearly Tasker

RENEE STORY...

“I was 96kg the day I gave birth, I lost 20kg then I let the 20kg creep back on again.” Renee decided to take charge of her weight and had a gastric sleeve procedure and then undertook the Maxine’s Challenge. “I am now 42kg down from the day of the gastric sleeve but now I am also fitter and stronger, mentally and physically.”

“In 2017 I decided to take charge of my weight and I had the gastric sleeve. For years I had battled my weight, yoyo with different fad diets.

Babies are what always saw me get to my highest weight. It was after the birth of our 3rd baby that I made the decision to have to procedure done.

I’d had a 5 year gap between child 2 and 3, which meant I was a bit older, and to put on all of my weight again really affected me mentally.

I was 96kg the day I gave birth, lost 20kg then I let the 20kg creep back on again.

Being 96kg and only 160cm I was as round as I was tall and you could see the angst in my eyes.

Our 3rd was a surprise to say the least as my husband had a vasectomy after the first 2 (but didn’t go back for the check up!!), our marriage was on the rocks we were eating rubbish and drinking to deal with the situation.

When Charley was nearly one we decided we couldn’t carry on this way and  we knew we need to do something to save our family and I knew and I needed to do something for me. SO along with buying a caravan, I had the gastric sleeve.

This was the decision that changed my life forever.

The surgery wasn’t easy, recovery was long and tough and I had days that I’d regretted my decision but as the weight started to melt away my heart stared to lighten the chip on my shoulder was no longer there.

After loosing a considerable amount of weight I still felt there was more to my health, so I decided that my 2019 New Years resolution was to get a healthy body and healthy mind so I committed to doing the Maxine’s 12-week challenge

You can lose weight with the gastric sleeve without being healthy and whilst I wasn’t terrible I wanted to be better and a exercise and eating plan always helps me keep on track.

I have done 2 Maxine’s Challenges this year the first was to get in shape before our 10 yr wedding anniversary in Vegas and let me tell you what a celebration that was, celebrating that we made it and didn’t give up! Then when we got back from Vegas I decided to do it again but this time give it my all.

I was so happy with the challenge, which is why I decided to have a photo shoot with Em from Life Portraits. I had come such a long long way in 2 years and at the end of my challenge I was 42kg down from the day of the gastric sleeve but now I was also fitter and stronger, mentally and physically.

I feel like Em really captured this in my photos, I was smiling and felt like a woman I could be proud of. I was able to see my body in a way I never thought I could, I looked happy, strong and fierce.

I love being fit and healthy, my kids and husband love me being fit and healthy.

I’m never going back, I’m not committing to a 12 week challenge, I’m committing to the rest of my life!”

Renee Houston

MAZ’S STORY

“I decided that I wanted to be role model for my children so they can understand the power and benefits of a healthy lifestyle.” Maz smashed her goal showing her kids that Mummy can have a 6-pack!

“I started my journey towards the photo shoot by simply wanting to challenge myself and to set an example for my children. I see so much obesity and unhealthy ways and not enough time outdoors and to many excuses people need to get off there ass and do something about it. I decided that I wanted to be role model for my children so they can understand the power and benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Not only food but exercise by setting a goal and achieving it even though you might have so many things to juggle. Life can be so hectic between work, school, sporting commitments and finding the time to spend with family.

For me, it was to see how lean I could get and for my kids it was to see me have a 6 pack and achieve my goal. Believe me it wasn’t easy when I was in the gym at 4am and I was struggling I would simply focus on my children and how I tell them each and every day you set your goals and you push through it, nothings easy but it’s worth it, to show them if you put your mind to it you can simple do anything. I have a motto I live by and it’s so simple but so very true “there is no such thing as can’t it’s will or won’t”.

I choose Life Portraits to capture my hard work. I have never done anything like this and I was out of my comfort zone. Em & Andy were amazing!! My photoshoot was exactly how I wanted it to be captured. They both were so professional, accommodating and guided me through everything I had no idea how to pose Em made me so relaxed and it was an amazing experience and am looking forward to doing another one.”

Marilyn Goolagong

AAGYA’S STORY...

“I started my journey at 89.7kg and was able to lose 33kg to get me down to 56.3kg for the photoshoot” Aagya learnt how a team of a personal trainer and nutritionist can change your life, your food habits and your training.

"I started my journey on the 11th September 2017 when I approached personal trainer Ryan Short to help me with strength training. Since starting this fitness journey I was just able to lose 10kgs in a year, however there came the point where the progress stopped. Ryan asked me about my diet and at that point i was on a flexible diet and never wanted to give up on food. He suggested me to see his dietitian Adam to help me with my food regime and he worked his magic. I started my journey at 89.7kg and was able to lose 33kg to get me down to 56.3kg for the photoshoot!

Adam and Ryan together changed my life. Adam got me lean and Ryan got me stronger everyday. I have never in my life felt this healthy, strong and confident! Thanks to them and I will be forever grateful! I always wanted to look like a model and pose in front of the camera, particularly now that I was at my leanest I really wanted to capture all the hard work. I approached Em from Life Portraits to capture all the moments for me and my hubby. Thanks to Emily for making us feel so comfortable and myself, so beautiful for the day! It takes so much confidence to pose for a camera it was such an amazing experience ️and I will always keep myself fit and strong ️ Never give up, life is beautiful”

Aagya Manandhar

A Fitness Goal Can Change Your Life, No Matter What Age! Brisbane Fitness Photography

I have learnt first hand from personal experience competing myself and through the amazing people I get to photograph, that bodybuilding and fitness is more than just showing of your body….

It’s about prioritising your health, staying accountable, motivating yourself, making sacrifices to reach a goal and much more. However, what a lot of people don’t understand about the industry, is that it gives you focus when you may be experiencing hard times, up and down emotions or lacking motivation in life. I have heard many stories from clients and friends of how their health journey has helped their lives, their confidence and get over traumatic experiences in life.

This brings me to my photoshoot with the amazing Mel. She is 43, she’s been through some life experiences and fitness has helped her focus, stay positive and show herself that she can reach her goals.

This was her first photoshoot and a very big thing for her. I was beyond grateful that I was able to capture these moments and be a part of her journey. Travelling all the way from Gladstone, we created some beautiful and strong imagery of Mel’s physique, a celebration of her body and how far she’s come in her life!

Congratulations again Mel, so proud of you for doing this.

“Your body can accept anything you put it through as long as your mind is limitless”

Em x

Brisbane Fitness Photography | Brisbane Glamour Photography | Brisbane Gym Photography

The Elegant & Graceful Bodybuilder: Brisbane Fitness Photographer

"What you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals"

I was lucky enough to shoot with Bec twice over her bodybuilding competition season and loved watching her grown as a person and her confidence shine.

In our 2 seperate 2 hour sessions we created an incredible set of imagery….

.....Fitness, Fashion, Boudoir, Beach & Poolside!

Bec is so beautiful, humble and a pleasure to work with, she blew me away. She's had a very successful season in figure and also getting back into competing in weight lifting and so glad we could work together on creating a variety of content for her social media as well as memories to keep for a lifetime.

Em x

Hair/Makeup: Shique Beauty

Brisbane Fitness Photographer, Brisbane Fitness Photography, Brisbane Swimwear Photographer, Brisbane Portrait Photographer, Brisbane Boudoir Photographer

A Very Successful Creative Collaboration: Brisbane Fitness, Glamour & Boudoir Photography

I am always looking for new ways to be inspired.... I get to work with some pretty motivational, inspirational and creative people and sometimes you get an opportunity to collaborate your talents on a photoshoot. 

I regularly work with the Hair & Make-up team Shique on my Brisbane and Gold Coast fitness, glamour and boudoir photoshoots. The Shique beauty ladies were all coming together to do each others makeup and create some content for their social media platforms and asked if I wanted to come on board. With a beautiful penthouse overlooking Brisbane city, 4 beautiful ladies and lots of creative vibes, I couldn't resist. 

We created a set of images that were boudoir, fashion with a touch of stylish woman. The results were amazing and can't wait to share them with you below. Check out some of my favourtie images!

Featuring Hannah from Shique
Stella from Estel Artist
Maddy from Illicit Artistry
Kelly from Kelly Lane MUA

See more on our Brisbane Fitness, Glamour and Boudoiur Photography Packages Here: www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness

Bodybuilder turned Harley Quinn - Epic Fitness Photography Photoshoot

This week I had the honours of photographing the stunning WFF Pro,Bree, after her pro debut at the WFF Commonwealth Classic, placing an amazing 4th. We had been planning our photoshoot together for over a month and I wanted to portray Bree as a strong fitness woman with style, in an edgy location with graffiti, really highlighting her muscles. She also had a Harley Quinn outfit which I got very excited about! 

For anyone that has photographed with me, I get excited when I'm photographing as the ideas in my head come to life. Let's just say there was a lot of WOWS in this photoshoot as both Bree's ideas and mine came together perfectly to create this AMAZING, strong and beautiful set of images. A big thanks to everyone involved below: 

Hair & Makeup: @shiquebeauty
Location: @5thwavemma
Graphics: @streetartconcepts 

Available for fitness photoshoot bookings in Brisbane and the Gold Coast now! Email us at info@lifeportraits.photography to book. 

Brisbane Fitness Photography
www.lifeportraits.photography/fitness

Beautifully Strong... Boudoir photography with a bodybuilder: Brisbane Fitness & Boudoir Photography

We recently had the honours of working with the beautiful Bodybuilding WBFF Fitness Pro Bec on a boudoir photoshoot at Noosa Trails Estate. We had a vision for these images, inspired by the the unbelievable colonial location we had to work and Bec's classy and elegant look and the result is breathtaking. 

Come behind the scenes on the photoshoot below with our Vlog as well as the end result through the stunning images achieved. 

It was a great collaboration between Andy & I as photographers, Bec as the model, Camilla on hair and makeup and the location Noosa Trails Estate. 

Em x

Let's create something beautiful!