Hello! I'm Stephanie, the photographer behind Brooklyn Boudoir. I realized that while I have shared some intimate details about myself with you, I haven't really officially introduced myself on this blog! Since a boudoir shoot is such a personal experience, I thought I’d give you a glimpse of who I am behind the camera.
My first career was in the film business, where I got to work alongside many high profile photographers, filmmakers, and actors, such as Albert Watson, Al Maysles, Fred Elmes, Alec Baldwin, oh and this guy here:
This is my all time favorite photo from the filmmaking days. I'm 2nd from the right, popping my booty for DeNiro.
I met my husband on a film set and at first, didn't like him at all! I found him COMPLETELY annoying...until I heard him speaking Spanish (he grew up in the Dominican Republic). That is when I realized he was *actually* very cute (I've always been a sucker for a guy with an accent).
Arle & I at a wedding in the south of france
Our daughter was born in 2016. The morning she was born, despite feeling *off* I sent my husband to work, because, AND I QUOTE: "it's not like I'm having the baby today." She was born 6 hours later. My husband had to borrow a car from a co-worker (sitcom-style!) to make it to the hospital in time, and if my mom wasn't around that day to take me to the hospital, I'm 99% sure I'd be the woman who had her baby in the back of a taxi.
I was a dancer as a young girl. At a certain point I decided that I didn't want to pursue dance professionally because the pressure of that world had begun taking the joy out of it for me. I also knew in my heart that I didn't quite have the drive or skill to really make it. But it is still one of my most beloved hobbies and had a big impact on my childhood. Ballet and jazz were mostly my thing, but I can also still tap dance (insert *jazz hands here*)
And speaking of jazz hands... I'm kind of a cheeseball. I have always loved performing on stage, and will never hide from a camera. During your Brooklyn Boudoir photoshoot, I will make cheesy jokes to inspire true laughter. (I'd like to think you're laughing with me but I'm sure there's a little bit of laughing AT me behind the scenes as well). I’ll demonstrate each pose and we will laugh together when it feels awkward AF because let’s be real, we don't often point our toes or dramatically arch our backs in real life.
my signature shooting pose
I have an awesomely strong group of girlfriends whom I love dearly. Seven of them I met in college (Shout out College of William & Mary!) and 2 of them I have known since preschool! We are quite literally spread all around the country - NYC, New Jersey, LA, Chicago, Florida, Boston & Virginia! I have photographed all of the college girls but the preschool friends are waiting until next year so they can do a "40 and fabulous" shoot. (Yep, I just outed my age, no shame here, age is just a number!)
photo credit Maggie Harkov
I love to travel and would chose a city over a beach any day. Not to say I don't like beaches or mountains, but me & nature... not really the best of friends. Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires, New York... these are the places I feel most at home. That said, I love a good adventure. My most memorable trip was an South American odyssey through Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
At the Atacama Desert in Chile
I come from a big Greek Family. If you are greek, you already know what this means. If you aren't greek but have seen *that* movie, you can pretty much get the idea. My family is not far off from that. For real. We went to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as an entire clan - 25 deep! - and the best part was how my Papou (grandfather) walked out saying, "why is this funny?"
My big greek family traveling in a pack in Crete. That's me in all white in the front row.
I love food! I am cooking more in my daily life now that I have a kid (and am actually starting to enjoy it) but I REALLY love dining out. My favorite is a tasting menu - with wine pairing of course! - so I can try a little of everything and get something I may not have ordered on my own. I also firmly believe "when in Rome..." You'll never catch me ordering pizza in Paris or chicken at a seafood restaurant!
I am obsessed with good eyebrows, black jumpsuits, collecting old cameras, have seen every Madonna concert that has come through New York since 1997, and am on an ongoing search for the perfect jean.
I’m not just some faceless brand. Brooklyn Boudoir is my first baby, conceived shortly before my daughter was. ;) If you check out my instagram, you'll see I walk the walk and post personal boudoir photos in addition to photos of my gorgeous clients. I want you to know me as much as I want to know you, because a portrait is as much about the relationship between photographer and subject as it is about the subject herself. So when you book a Brooklyn Boudoir shoot, I will take the time to get to know you. You'll start off as a client but after our pre-shoot consultations, our shoot, the reveal and the product drop off, you'll see that we'll become friends.
I pretty much always have a camera in my hands.
I LOVE shooting portraits of women, especially boudoir portraits. I love meeting women from all walks of life and helping them feel great about themselves though their photoshoot. I love helping women remember who they are as a woman - not just a mom/boss/girlfriend/doer of all things - by helping them reconnect with their sensuality. I love delveoping relationships with my clients so their portraits go beyond pretty pictures -- I want to capture your true self, so that you can look at your prints years from now and feel that same rush of pleasure, pride and badassness you felt after your shoot, over how incredible you look AND MORE IMPORTANTLY how incredible you ARE.
What are some things you want me to know about you? Comment below and let's chat!