Category Archives: Plus Size

Are you wondering what to wear for a Winter Photo Shoot?

If you have a photo shoot coming up soon, you might be looking for some ideas for how to dress. I’ve put together some ideas here for what to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland (or anywhere). These ideas can give you inspiration for a family, boudoir, beauty, glamour, headshot, couples, maternity, or senior portrait session.

Something to consider is what kind of feel you are going for. Winter is a particularly good time to go more formal or even to go ultra casual. Either way will make for fun winter photos. Especially if you are going for a Christmas look.

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland, Oregon. This image shows a family photo shoot with a mother and her two daughters.

Pajamas

If you want a casual look, you really can’t go any more casual than this. But Christmas pajamas are so much fun. So you can’t go wrong with this cozy and comfy look for your winter photo shoot. If you are doing family portraits, matching family pajamas are all the rage right now. Why not mark this trend with a professional photo shoot?

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland. This is an image of a woman wearing red plaid pajamas. She's lying on her tummy on the bed with milk and cookies. Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Sweaters

Sweaters are my most favorite outfit to photograph. I just love the softness and warmth they give to a photo. Plus, they look good on everyone. I recommend a lightweight sweater because a chunky or bulky sweater can make you look larger than you really are. A wide neck or v neck sweater that can sit off the shoulder looks sexy while still being modest.

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland. This is a boudoir image of a woman lying on her tummy, wearing an off the shoulder sweater. Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

A Formal Gown

If you like sparkle and shine, Christmas is a great time of year for a formal dress for your winter photo shoot. Most of us don’t get a lot of opportunities to dress up. It’s such a treat to see the glamorous side of ourselves.

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland. This is an image of an Indian woman lying on her back on a chase. She is wearing a green formal gown. Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Red, Gold, Green & White

Red is, of course, a go-to color for the Christmas and winter season.

Gold, white, and green are also great winter colors.

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland. This is a backlit image of a young girl dressed as an angel for a Christmas photo shoot. Photography by Rayleigh. byRayleigh.com

Fur

My studio has a lot of faux fur. Blankets, pillows, and rugs galore. The softness is so feminine. I can’t seem to get enough of it! I use it all year long, but in the winter, it works even better. If we can add more fur with wardrobe, I’m a happy camper.

Santa inspired wardrobe is a way to incorporate fur and the color red for an obvious Christmassy feel.

Hats and Scarves

Winter is a great time to add layering and accessories. Hats and scarves can really add interest to an otherwise boring outfit.

What To Wear For A Winter Photo Shoot

I hope these ideas help give you some inspiration for what to wear for a Winter or Christmas beauty, glamour, senior, maternity, boudoir, headshot, or family photo shoot in Portland. If you want more ideas, Pinterest is always a wealth of inspiration! Please let me know if you want to discuss wardrobe or anything else regarding your portrait session!

You may also be interested in these topics

What to wear for a winter photo shoot in Portland. byRayleigh.com

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Christmas Mother-Daughter Family Session

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Outdoor Senior Pictures near Portland, OR

October 10, 2014

Rayleigh

Beauty/Glamour High School Seniors Plus Size No Comments

Tessa contacted me about her outdoor senior pictures. Although she was quite nervous, she was also so excited to do them. She wanted an urban look for her session. I found a cute area in Tigard, OR that I thought would be great.

Professional hair and makeup services

First, she came to my studio for her professional hair and makeup. For someone who is nervous, the hair and makeup styling can really boost confidence levels. That’s always a great way to start the shoot.

Outdoor senior pictures near Portland, OR

Then we roamed around downtown Tigard, OR a little bit for her portrait session. Tessa was so easy to work with and she is absolutely beautiful. We both had a lot of fun during the shoot.

Outdoor senior pictures. This is a black and white image of a plus size teen girl sitting on the stairs and leaning against a brick wall. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com — www.byrayleigh.com

What Tessa’s Mom had to say about the experience

“Rayleigh captured my daughter’s inner and outer beauty perfectly! My daughter is a senior this year, and although she wanted Senior pictures, she was also very nervous about the idea of being photographed. She can be very self-conscious. However, Rayleigh made her feel so comfortable, so beautiful, so confident — and these emotions shined in every picture. My daughter walked on air for hours after the shoot.

Outdoor senior pictures. This is an image of a plus size teen girl leaning against a brick wall and wearing a scarf. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

“When I saw the first picture, I actually teared up! Rayleigh worked hard to make sure my daughter’s assets were showcased and also made sure that the areas that made her self-conscious were NOT showcased — resulting in very natural pictures that complement her best features. Also, Rayleigh was very accommodating and helpful. She went above and beyond to make sure the pictures were done to the yearbook’s specifications and on their deadline. And, we were THRILLED to get the pictures back so quickly. I couldn’t wait to see them, and they exceeded my expectations.”
-Tessa’s Mom

Outdoor senior pictures. This is a black and white image of a teen girl lying on a bridge on her back. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

Want to see more outdoor senior pictures?

If you’d like to see more of my outdoor senior pictures or studio senior pictures, please click to see my seniors galleries.

You might also be interested in more of my articles about these topics:
My beautiful plus size clients
Seniors

Bridal Boudoir Shoot

January 27, 2014

Rayleigh

Boudoir Bridal Plus Size No Comments

I loved working with Miss K for her bridal boudoir shoot and I was so happy that she gave me permission to share her images online. Miss K is a strong military woman who cleans up so nicely! She’s absolutely gorgeous.

Bridal boudoir shoot. This is a boudoir pose of a woman in her wedding veil, lying on her tummy on the bed. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

Miss K’s bridal boudoir shoot experience

This is what Miss K wrote on Yelp about her experience.

Why she chose Photography by Rayleigh in Portland

“I have to say that when I first started thinking about doing a boudoir shoot (after I saw Rayleigh’s booth at the Oregon bridal show) for my husband as his wedding gift, I felt a little weird about it. What was it going to be like? Is it going to be awkward and uncomfortable? Would taking someone with me make it more comfortable? How much am a going to be willing to show in front of a stranger?

I looked into a few different places, as you always should. But there was just something about all of her information, reviews, and obviously the photos that really put me at ease. She doesn’t just use the ‘best’ photos she has taken, because all of them are AMAZING!

I live in Washington, but our wedding was in Oregon. So scheduling was going to be really hard, I thought, since I wasn’t going to be there more then a week before the wedding and needed to hide the whole thing from my fiancé. She made it all work.”

What she wore for her boudoir shoot

“I took a bunch of stuff with me, more then I needed really. But some of the things I took were, an NFL jersey, a shirt of his, my wedding boots, an NFL sweater, heels, a few pieces of lingerie, some really cute bras and matching undies. I’m not very good at pairing outfits of this nature together, but she has some stuff too. She helped me decided what looked good together and pretty much told me what to wear, after I told her I had no idea what I was doing, lol.”

What she said about her bridal boudoir shoot day

“The shoot itself was really fun. The makeup artist was awesome as well. The shoot was relaxed and very comfortable. She asks you if you are comfortable with poses before asking you to ever do them. The hardest part about the whole thing is, what do I do with my hands, lol, hands are awkward, but she knows what she is doing. “

Bridal boudoir shoot. This is a close up boudoir image. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

What she said about the portrait products

“After it was all said and done, I choose the 5×7 image box, and ended up buying two additional photos because I just could NOT narrow down to 10. They were just so awesome!

I’ve seen a few people complain on here about the price. I am a firm believer in ‘you get what you pay for’, and I definitely got my money’s worth with this. So if you don’t want to pay the price and get something that you will LOVE forever, than go somewhere cheap and get some trashy pictures.”

Enjoying her portraits after her bridal boudoir shoot

“One of the many great things about my pictures is that they are not trashy. They are very tasteful and beautiful. I showed a bunch of people and had no shame because they are that good. My Step Mom was even looking at them while I was out of the room, my dad walked in and said “Oh MY GOD! is that my daughter?!” haha, so she picked out a couple that were appropriate to show him.

I really CAN NOT say enough good things about Rayleigh and what she does. She is AMAZING! She was WONDERFUL about getting me in and processing all the pictures in time for my wedding! I HIGHLY recommend her business to anyone! Thank you so much Rayleigh 🙂 Hope I can make it back for another shoot sometime with my husband. “

Want to see more?

I invite you to check out more of my blogs about these topics:
Boudoir Photography
Bridal Boudoir Photography
My beautiful Plus size clients

For the privacy of my clients, I try to post only modest boudoir photos online. If you’d like to see my full boudoir gallery, please send me a message and I’d be happy to send you the private link. Let’s chat about your bridal boudoir shoot in Portland, OR!

7 tips for how to feel confident while being photographed

October 11, 2012

Rayleigh

Boudoir Plus Size Session Tips No Comments

7 tips for feeling confident while being photographed. This is a modest boudoir image in a photography studio of a beautiful plus size woman lying on her tummy on a couch in black babydoll lingerie. She's touching her hair to her mouth. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

My top 7 tips for how to feel confident and relaxed during your photo shoot in Portland, OR

If you are like most of my clients, you have no idea how to “look sexy” in your photos and you certainly don’t feel confident. In normal every day life, I totally feel like I’m not that girl, so I totally get it. I’m excited to share with you my top 7 tips for how to feel confident and relaxed during your boudoir or beauty photo shoot at my studio in Portland, OR.

Tip #1: Have Fun!

If your goal is to get great shots, you may feel more nervous or even overwhelmed. But it’s my job to get the great shots and all you need to do is relax, trust me, and focus on having fun! If your smile is fake, it will be noticeable in your images. But if you are genuinely having a great time, you’ll have an extra sparkle in your eye and you will love your images so much more. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman who was smiling a real smile, who wasn’t beautiful.

7 tips for feeling confident while being photographed. This is a modest boudoir image in a photography studio of a smiling Asian woman lying on her back on the bed, covered by white sheets. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

Tip #2: Visualize

Visualize your shoot ahead of time! Don’t focus on your nerves or feeling awkward. Instead, picture yourself having a good time, feeling relaxed, looking fantastic, seeing your images afterwards and absolutely loving them.

Visualize it from your point of view, in your own shoes. Do this several times before your shoot. Then when it’s time for your shoot, you will be excited and ready for a fantastic time.

Tip #3: Get inspired

What is confident beauty to you? Everyone has a different picture in their minds of what confident beauty is. It may be dramatic clothing and a serious gaze. Or it may be laughing and having a casual, giggly, fun time.

There are lots of places to look for inspiration such as magazines, photography websites, movies, and art. Communicate with your photographer what style you like and what mood you want to have for your portraits.

Tip #4: Show up with all you’ve got

If you want to feel confident during your boudoir shoot, you’ve got to really be in to the shoot and be open. Posing is my job. But posing is only half of it. Confidence will show up in your photos and you have to bring that. Even if you are just faking it!

Feeling self conscious about your body? Just pretend you aren’t. I know, it seems silly. But when you see your glowing face and your rockin’ curves, you aren’t going to care if your love handles are a bit more lovely than they used to be. Those things will mostly be hidden, anyway, by posing, lighting, and wardrobe.

Come on! Stretch outside your comfort zone and give it all you have.

7 tips for feeling confident while being photographed. This is a modest boudoir image in a photography studio of a woman standing in front of a white background and laughing. she's wearing a pink sweater. Photography by Rayleigh. For more info, please visit byRayleigh.com

Tip #5: Remember the context

The sheer fact that you are willing to be in front of the camera being photographed is awesome! It’s powerful and vulnerable at the same time. I love that my clients trust me with this experience.

Tip #6: Use all of your senses

Bring out your sensuality through the use of all 5 of your senses. While at my studio, enjoy some music, indulge in some Ghirardelli, sip on some wine, wear your favorite scent as well as an outfit that makes you feel smokin’ hot. Think on memories that make you blush and smile.

Tip #7: Be yourself

Honor who you are, in this moment. The time is now. You are lovely and beautiful just as you are.

Want to see more info?

I invite you to check out more of my blogs about these topics:
Boudoir Photography
Session Tips
My beautiful Plus size clients

Would you l like my free guide on How to Prepare For Your Shoot? I’d be happy to send it to you!