Have you ever gotten something extra for free? Or checked your mailbox to find a completely unexpected present from a friend? That’s how I felt when I opened up the first shipment of Adipose Issue zines from Miles Lyons. I’ve seen paper zines before, of course, but these are spectacular. Paper dolls! Special paper envelopes…
Authors who write long-form works like novellas and books seem to get the short end of the stick with the Internet, I sometimes think. Unlike us photographers, who regularly produce pretty visuals to post on social media, authors work just as hard at their art but have less to show for it in the short…
Back in December, it was my absolute pleasure to photograph fat athlete and activist Ragen Chastain in Portland, Oregon. She’s written a lovely blog post about her experience — check it out!
Today, I’m talking with one of the owner of Laughing Goddess Apothecary, Eve Enzweiler. Here’s how Eve describes herself: “I’m queer fabulous out and proud fat positive bellydancing witchy rootwoman living my best life in the mountains of New Mexico with my beautiful butch wife of 17 years. I have been on a journey of…
“The truth is, the other person in your bed is just so happy that you want to have SEX with them that they aren’t focused on your imperfections. They are INTO you, and into the fact that you are into them sexually. Live out loud and let go of your insecurities, and that is when…
“Storytelling is the essence of who we are. And so stories themselves are capsules of who we are—they represent our hopes, our dreams, our fears, and our goals.” – Kate Sullivan Representation in fiction can be a transformative experience. We infuse the stories we find of people like us with lots of additional meaning because…
This plus-size beauty queen and Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon = magic. It was 95 degrees at sunset, but luckily Ms. D is used to the heat and I had plenty of water with me, so we took lots of breaks and it worked out fine. Better than fine, in fact. She’d chosen a sparkling sequin…
Today I’m demonstrating how one of the products for February’s Body Love Box gets from my supplier to your box. Take a sneak peek at the item, a My Stretch Marks are Sexy enamel pin from Golden Tooth Club, and see me prepare an individual pin for inclusion in the box. The transcript of the…
There’s probably a photo of eight-year-old Lindley in a dictionary somewhere next to the word “competitive.” Or possibly “overachiever.” Other than athletics, in which I had little interest, if it was a competition I was going to enter it. And win it. And the more competitions, the busier I was, the more intensely I could…
You deserve to have a holiday season that’s happy, not a punishment for being you. For those of us who struggle at the holidays, here are some of the best resources on how to set boundaries, take care of ourselves, and know when to draw the line.
Let it be entered into the permanent record that I’m actually managing to take it relatively easy this week. I’m slowing down a bit, relaxing a bit. Petting the cats more and using my hands a bit less. This was a good week to upgrade my computer, since I’m feeling a bit less pressure…
It’s always a delight to talk with one of the Fat Faces, Eron, and this time we did it on the record! (Amanda is also a delight, but was absent that day, alas.) We dig deep into my entrepreneurial journey, why I chose to work with fat folks, and your official permission to take care…
Katie Breen interviews Lindley Ashline, founder of stock photography website Representation Matters (now Body Liberation Stock). Lindley explains why it’s so important that we see representations of diverse bodies in the media, and how she uses her platform to create stock imagery featuring people in all types of bodies – large bodies, brown and black…
[parallax-scroll id=”3048″] Love my photography, but a session isn’t right for you right now? Share that love with your friends with the Body Liberation Photography Refer-a-Friend program. It’s the world’s simplest referral program. There’s nothing to sign up for and no codes to keep track of. Just share any Sweet Amaranth website page or social…
In a nutshell: sexy, easy to use and great in one specific area Y’all, I’m reviewing a sex toy. Whoa. One of the most powerful aspects of boudoir photography is the journey I’ve been privileged to experience in my own relationship with my body. As you know, I’m a firm advocate for body acceptance and…
Ms. A brought her A game (pun intended) to her session, along with The Magic Hat. Seriously, this hat was the best. She loves it and is comfortable with it, which was reflected in her ease and comfort in the photos. AND, it was the perfect prop for some implied nude images. “Implied nudes”…
You don’t have to smile to be sexy. Or be sultry. No, seriously. Your natural expressions are what’s sexy. Some people are serious. Some people are giggly. Some people are both, or neither. And whichever comes naturally to you, without feeling like you’re “performing” sexiness, will be the perfect expression for you. At her…
One of the wonderful things about outdoor portrait sessions in the Pacific Northwest is that you can adapt and use any weather you find. This client (who is also my lovely sister!) was only in town for a short time, so we headed to a local arboretum and used the weather we were given that…
The boudoir party I hosted in coordination with Fierce Love Yoga was such a great experience! As far as I know, no one else has done an explicitly body and fat positive boudoir shoot like this before, so we’re breaking barriers, y’all. <3 Here’s the way I described the event, to refresh your memory:…
Headshot sessions are short, but they deserve a blog feature too. We pack a lot of energy and fun into the 15-30 minutes it takes to get great headshots! I always give clients the choice of several backdrops, plus an outdoor setting if it’s not raining, so that they get some nice variety to…
One of the most wonderful things about a Sweet Amaranth adventure session is that since we have a full day, we get a chance to take photos in really amazing locations around the Pacific Northwest. For Ms. G’s adventure session, we headed out to Lake Cushman, a gorgeous lake in the Olympic Mountains that…
I was delighted to have Hannah Schnabel join me for a portrait session for Representation Matters.me, my body positive and diverse stock photo site. Hannah is the mind behind plus-size clothing line Belle Ampleur. Hannah Schnabel has over a decade of experience designing clothing for stage and film. She’s designed and built everything from corsets, to a…
Ms. C came in before Christmas and did a body positive boudoir session as a surprise for her hubby. And when I say surprise, I mean complete surprise: All he knew was that his Christmas present this year was going to be really special. From the planning to the session to scheduling the reveal, we…
Here’s an ever-evolving list of boudoir and portrait session ideas to spark your inspiration. Some are serious, some are silly. Use them as a launching point for your imagination! See an idea you love that seems more appropriate for portraits (that you wish you could do for boudoir) or for boudoir (that you wish you…
A woman in one of the plus-size groups on Facebook made a really good point the other day: We rarely see women with double chins represented in images. Many, many women have double chins. It’s a completely normal thing. But we hide them in photos. We stretch out our necks, raise our chins, tilt our…
I am so pleased to present images of my first transgender Siren, Ms. S! I’m honored to offer a safe, fun, accepting space where folks whose bodies are outside the mainstream can stretch their wings and showcase their beauty. We started outside to take advantage of some beautiful spring weather: We dubbed this “the Elrond…
It’s garden season again! Finally! By which I mean, the highs are still in the low 50s, but it’s not raining *all* day every day. Since we’re up on a ridge, we’re a little behind the lowlands. The roses are just starting to leaf out, and I saw the first cherry blossoms just beginning to…
Recently, I talked a little bit about the risks of movement in a larger body. In Ms. H’s hula dance portraits, you can see that the reward for her taking that risk is a beautiful, skilled, graceful performance. Through her Instagram, Danielle Bex also demonstrates daily how joyful movement can be.
We’ve only lived in the Pacific Northwest for a couple of years, so there’s still a LOT that’s new and shiny. I like to just go out and wander whenever I can, even in the winter, because there’s always something amazing to find. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten back from a day trip and…
As people who inhabit larger bodies, when we move those bodies, we take risks. We risk being stared at, made fun of or catcalled. Since often, no one has ever taught us to appreciate those bodies and the way they move, we risk trying to move them in ways that are unwise or not a good…
Ms. L and I met earlier year, and in our two sessions together — four or five months apart — she’s just blossomed in the most amazing way. One of the best things about plus-size boudoir photography is that blossoming. Almost everyone is nervous when they come in, especially women on the larger end of plus…
Not long ago I had the pleasure of showing my mom and her significant other, T, around Seattle on their four-day visit from North Carolina. Neither of them had been to the Pacific Northwest before, so I got to play tour guide and show them all the beautiful places we’ve discovered in the last year….
Let’s be honest. There are few things in the world more fun than playing dress-up, and boudoir sessions are ALL ABOUT dressing up. And the best part of dressing up is rummaging through tulle and rhinestones and velvet to find the perfect accessories. Here are five more props and accessories available at the Sweet Amaranth studio…
When she knocked on my door, she was exhausted. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Ms. S is a beautiful woman, and would be beautiful no matter how tired she happened to be. But this bone-deep need for a rest and a reset is familiar to me. I remember how it felt in my own…
I need a pair of shoes. Two pairs, to be exact. Two pairs of comfortable, reasonably attractive dress flats that I can walk around the city in. Since I have narrow feet with sharp heels and high arches, this seems to be a tall order. While trying on yet another pair with sharp top edges that were…
(This post was originally published at Sweet Amaranth in 2015.) After the lavender festival, we were fairly wiped out. All we wanted was a cold drink, some good food and a breeze. Luckily, the pretty little town of Port Townsend wasn’t far away. Our route from the Lavender Festival in Sequim to dinner in Port Townsend,…
I’m a little ashamed to admit that I don’t know the first thing about Doctor Who. I only know that the TARDIS is a time machine/spacecraft/command center/vehicle of mystery because I looked it up. Siren L here has no such issues. In fact, she turned up for her Who-themed shoot in a corset of the…
Would you call your best friend ugly? Would you tell her she looks terrible in every outfit she owns? Would you feel guilty every time your friend took the day off, or chose to eat dessert, or got sick? Of course not. So why would you do that to your body, on which you depend…
Body-positive boudoir and portrait sessions are tons of fun. There’s the laughter, the silliness, the looking and feeling like the most gorgeous thing to hit this planet — it’s a pretty amazing experience. But what happens afterward? Yeah, everyone knows about digital photos — they’re great for sharing on Facebook and making physical prints from….
Something I’m a little ashamed to admit is that photography, as a skill and an art form, at times both highlights and reinforces the conventional standards of beauty that trap us within ourselves and keep us striving to look like the impossible beacons of perfection we see all around us in the media every day….
I don’t have a commercial studio space, actually. Most of my photography sessions are held at my home, Alcove House, in Renton, Washington. For many photographers, having a retail studio space is a major goal. For me, though, there are just so many advantages in using my home as my studio that I’ve never even…
If you’ve ever met me, it’s pretty easy to figure out that I’m seriously, seriously type A. I keep lists of my lists, and my calendar and Asana lists are a thing of beauty. I’m always the one who knows who-what-when-where-why and probably how. I’ve never scheduled a vacation down to the minute, but it’s…
Which of these situations sounds better? A. You rush into your boudoir session sweaty and stressed. That workout took longer than you expected, and then you need to return those library books before the fees started piling up. B. You stroll into your boudoir session happy and relaxed, a spring in your step and a…
Today it’s my pleasure to feature a guest post by Tiana Dodson, a coach and friend who writes about “being fat and winning at life by forgoing the old school belief that you have to be thin to live well and be well.” The images in this post are courtesy Sweet Amaranth. When was the last…
When you have some or all of your clothes off, it’s easy to feel a little vulnerable, and you might not expect to be touched by your boudoir photographer. What’s that about? Is it even necessary? Your boudoir photographer will need to touch you a little. It’s inevitable that a hair ends up out of…
Now that the long, wet winter is over, green is springing from the ground faster than I can keep up with it. A thousand baby maples decorate the back slope between the big maple and the redwood. The lilac bushes, big as trees, are in full flower. The rhododendrons and azaleas burst open in quick…
So you’ve reserved your plus-size boudoir session. The date is set. It’s happening. In a few weeks, you’re going to be in front of a camera. Now what? The easiest and best way to feel secure and ready for your session is…to prepare for it. No one likes homework, I know! But this is the…
Let’s be honest. There are few things in the world more fun than playing dress-up, and boudoir sessions are ALL ABOUT dressing up. And the best part of dressing up is rummaging through tulle and rhinestones and velvet to find the perfect accessories. Here are seven props and accessories available at the Sweet Amaranth studio…
Now that it’s colder, I’m looking for some nice fall and winter pieces. This is a new sweater from a brand called Curvy Lily. This is an unusual piece for me. I’m not a huge super-tight-sweater person and I’m not a ‘crop top/barely-comes-down-to-the-line-of-your-pants’ person, so I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It’s…
I get a lot of questions about retouching and skin, so today I thought I’d explain my philosophy on retouching — especially regarding skin — and how I arrived there. Modern portrait and boudoir photography incorporate a startling amount of body alteration. So much of what makes up the story of our bodies gets removed:…
