Acts of Beauty Photography

I have received stern rebukes for how few photos were in yesterday's post, so here are a few more.

I can finally post photos from France! Get ready for the deluge. 😉

Last year was the tenth anniversary of the Fearless Destination Bo***ir Retreats, which started with a handful of brave women helping me bring to life a crazy scheme that every photographer I knew said was insane, and has grown into a beautiful tradition of adventure, friendship, and unforgettable art that has crisscrossed the globe.

When I first had the idea for the retreats I dreamed of someday renting a castle; I had no idea it was even possible to find something this beautiful. Up in the mountains of Ardèche, in southeast France, I lived and played in this incredible work of art for nearly a month with some of the most amazing women I've had the privilege of calling my friends. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

“In your own life it’s important to know how spectacular you are.”—Steve Maraboli

Isn't she utterly devastating? 🔥 Two years later I'm still impressed with myself for having taken this photo. 😂

There is something so incredibly sexy about a woman in glasses.

“The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are.” - Rumi

Love this girl like whoa.

¨Use your smile to change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.¨ — Unknown

"Where there's tea, there's hope." - Arthur Wing Pinero

Cross your fingers with me that we'll be able to do outdoor shoots this summer!

People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. —Salma Hayek

🔥 Entries for our spokesmodel search close tomorrow at midnight! If you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for?
https://bo***ir.actsofbeauty.ca/perfectly-imperfect-2024

I really feel like Marlee is ready for the cover of her romance novel here.

From the Fearless: Costa Rica Destination Bo***ir Retreat

(Psst, have you heard? Our annual Spokesmodel search is on and you can WIN your bo***ir shoot! Click here to find out more! https://bo***ir.actsofbeauty.ca/perfectly-imperfect-2024 )

Entries for our spokesmodel search close soon! If you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for?
https://bo***ir.actsofbeauty.ca/perfectly-imperfect-2024

Like the Mona Lisa, but hotter. 🔥 What does her expression say to you?

Thank you for the beautiful words, Crystal!

"What an experience! From the moment I walked into the studio Michelle and Star made me feel so comfortable. I was beyond nervous and they were so warm, welcoming and encouraging. It definitely helped to ease my worries. Michelle made me feel beautiful and glamorous. I tend to be quite awkward so I was worried about that, but Star is such a pro. She guided me step by step through the whole process and made it feel effortless. I would HIGHLY recommend this experience. Please do this for yourself. You absolutely deserve it." - Crystal

“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.”—Beyoncé

Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. —Louise L. Hay

Seriously. No one has ever shamed themselves into happiness. Quit that shi--.

It's amazing how serene Cathy looks in this photo, considering the climb we had to get there! 😆 Jungle photoshoots are amazing and gorgeous and also definitely require a true adventurous spirit. Getting off the beaten path is a lot of work!

From the Fearless: Costa Rica Destination Bo***ir Retreat

We're looking for our spokesmodel team! If body positivity, empowering other women and sexy photos are your jam, click here to enter: https://bo***ir.actsofbeauty.ca/perfectly-imperfect-2024

It's that time of year!

Bo***ir Spokesmodels Needed! 🔥 Win a bo***ir photoshoot, unlock your confidence, and empower other women!

High-waisted retro lingerie is back in style and bo***ir photographers everywhere are thrilled!

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I want to know what is in these gift bags sooooo badly! Other than the little envelope from the studio that I just tucked in, that is. ♥️

Get your cute butt to the grand opening of Bra Necessities in Leduc tomorrow to find out! The first 50 people get one of these babies. ✨🛍️✨

Your bo***ir shoot is about making you feel sexy in a way that works for you, not about trying to fit you in a box.

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I've been so busy having adventures in France that I haven't posted a thing, but here's the view from my studio today. ❤️ Castle pics incoming!

BTW, we provide free personal shopping options for all our clients.

What's the best lingerie for my bo***ir photoshoot? | Bo***ir Photography | Edmonton Acts of Beauty Photography provides bo***ir photography for Edmonton. Bo***ir photographer with a photo studio in Edmonton for beautiful bo***ir photo shoots.

Just sitting here tonight appreciating my life and the people in it. ❤️ Sometimes I take this amazing existence of mine for granted, or get bogged down in the hard parts (my life is not, contrary to the impression given by this Instagram account, entirely glamorous travel and gorgeous women flitting about in sexy underthings) and forget to be awestruck by the incredible art I get to create, the connections I make with beautiful souls I never would have met if it weren't for the studio.

Tonight I'm remembering.

I spent some time tonight going through photos I've taken and just letting myself be in love with the art and the moments and the people. Let me tell you about one of them:

The stunning woman in these photos is also perceptive, thoughtful, smart AF, graceful and talented, and has become a dear friend over the course of the photoshoots we've done together. In addition to making increasingly wonderful art with me, she has gifted me with some of the kindest, most thoughtful words I've had the honour of receiving. Some people have the gift of making others feel valued, and she is definitely one of those people. The fact that she is is coming to France with me to live in a castle for a week is one of the things I'm really looking forward to about this year's amazing retreat.

Also, she gave me crazy gorgeous zombie orchids that lasted, like, two full months. That's some black magic there.

Do me a favour, if you've read all this way down, and tell someone in your life how great they are. It matters.

(Thanks, Jane. ❤️)

I hear "We are our own worst critics" all the time, and yet the criticism that we're talking about is all imposed by the outside world. No baby or toddler looks down at their round, adorable tummy with hatred. We start out enjoying our bodies immensely, exploring them with delight.

So that criticism that you claim as your right is actually inherited from mean or unhappy people. It's created by industries with a vested interest in telling you that you are not good enough yet.

We are our own worst critics not because that is natural, not because we have to be, but because we have been taught to be.

And if it's not natural or necessary, that means it can be left behind. It can be unlearned. It means that we can leave criticism of ourselves to the mean people, and then look down on them with disdain from our place of self-love.

Next time you hear yourself saying "We are our own worst critics" as a way of justifying your choice to be mean to yourself, pause, and then add "but that ends here, with me."

I can still feel the breeze...

Don't mess with her, those boots are made for kicking your ass. 🔥

This is one of the kindest, bravest, most thoughtful people I know, and her commitment to personal growth and improvement are just staggering. When you see a photo like this - hot woman on a beach looking sexy AF - it's easy to miss all the steps that got her there.

The first few times I talked .michelle.model into getting in front of my camera it took some serious convincing, mostly because she didn't believe in herself. Since then she's walked the hard road to self-confidence with determination and s***k, taken charge of her fitness so that she could develop the strength to start surfing, found her voice and started using it, and fallen down and gotten up again a hundred times, both literally and figuratively.

This photo of her (in sexy duds from ) was taken after she spent a week at surf camp in Costa Rica, realizing a dream she'd spent at least five years working towards. Oh, and she's in case you were wondering if it's possible to become the person you want to be at that age.

She's an inspiration and I'm just hoping to follow in her footsteps. ❤️