Rachelle Abellar is a graphic designer, fat activist, and body liberation advocate. She is the founder of PNW Fattitude, a group that hosts events for people of size in the Pacific Northwest. She also runs Archive Six, a small press and zine distro that carries work centering indie art, social justice, feminism, WOC, intersectionality, fat…
This is a guest post from Dawn Clark, who graciously allowed me to share her experience at the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, or NAAFA. – Lindley I have been fat most of my life, and if there were one word to describe my fat life thus far, it would be “uncomfortable.”…
“Oh, phew,” said the client I’d just finished photographing yesterday, as we stood in her office. “That makes so much more sense. I found you by googling for ‘body positive photography’ anyway — this is much more clear.” I’d just told her that I’m changing my website and brand, and she immediately picked up on…
Chrissy Brown is an artist who works primarily in 3D, and as a fat, disabled, queer, femme she wants to make sure she and others like her feel welcomed to take up space in the world. Her subject is fat liberation and body positivity, and she’s trying to strip away all ‘performance’ we, as fat…
Thekla Richter’s small business branding photography session was so much fun! The weather cooperated perfectly, which is rare for Seattle in November: a beautiful sunny day with air crisp enough to keep us from getting sweaty. Thekla (pronounced Tech-luh — I was dying to know, too) writes middle-grade fantasy books (ask her about the space…
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…
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…
Depending on your personality and life commitments, the turning of the year may be a time for deep peace and reflection or a wild whirl of parties and celebrations. But as New Year’s Day approaches, many of us are becoming more aware of the day’s ever-present accompaniment: Resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are by their very…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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:…
Image description: A maroon square with a circular photo of a plus-size woman in lingerie inside a chat bubble. Text reads, “What do I wear to a boudoir session?” Lindley’s logo is at the right. End image description. One of the most frequent questions I hear about boudoir photography, especially for plus-size women and femmes,…
Ms. O arrived for her plus-size boudoir session with confidence, beautiful outfits, and a smile — along with a stunning antique silk Japanese kimono.
“So I’ve been blessed to meet a wonderful gal and amazing photographer who took this collection of pix. Thank you Lindley!!” » Ms. C, Seattle With the holidays right around the corner, it’s wonderful to be able to slow down a little and both enjoy some self care and the anticipation of the season. Ms….
