Photographer since 2001

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Candyass - Velma, that is...

I had the pleasure of photographing Montreal's Velma Candyass; burlesque performer, dance instructor and super-woman. Velma came out swinging (along with many others in the burlesque community) last year when the city tried to shut down St-Laurent's (in)famous Café Cléopatre to replace it with some pretentious, capitalist, over-priced artistic hub. Velma quickly became the face of the crusade against the project & recently celebrated Café Cléopatre's victory over the city's expropriation of the land & it's colourful haven for all walks of kinksters. In this set chameleon Velma shows off her famous side - the bottom.

Sublime? Maybe...



Presenting L'Oréal's "Sublime Mousse"
Where to find it: Any Pharmacy
Use: Hair Dye
Ease of use: Moderate
Smell: Strong yet Sweet
Packaging: Steril but Attractive
Price: Around 10$

I have dark brown/black hair with crazy natural red and light brown streaks & in the summer it's worse - So I choose to regularly dye my hair black. I usually use L'Oreal Préférence in Black but I thought I'd try out something new & I figured the mousse would probably give me better application since I always seem to run out of the gel/goo/liquid that Préférence provides. The application was strange, the mousse comes out in varying shades which makes you wonder if you shook the bottle enough - trust me, I shook the damn thing for a minute, it's just how the product is! Also the packaging gives the impression you'll be dealing with a pump - unfortunately it's still that squeeze bottle crap that gets dye everywhere when you put it down. I have to say though, the application was significantly smoother and gave way more coverage than I'm use to. I am very happy with the result & will probably try it again in the future.
*Dye on your forehead? Use a damp towel and some Sunlight dish soap to scrub it away.

Final word: Worth a try!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Online Store Coming Soon!

Here's a sneak peek at the new online store coming soon! I designed the site with a little inspiration from those awesome rockabilly online stores - but I stuck to our black & purple theme we seem to have going on over at Glamour Parties! We'll be selling a wide range of corsets, some cool rockabilly & pinup clothes, high quality funky wigs, some pretty amazing shoes as well as jewellery, purses, hair clips, pasties, etc, etc! You'll also be able to buy our amazing calendars, prints and gift certificates for our upcoming themed photo shoots! Stay tuned!

Monday, May 9, 2011

CORSETS! CORSETS! CORSETS!

Attention! Our new inventory is in! Prices range from 50-60$ in sizes Small to 6XL!
We have everything from casual shape wear to cirque inspired corsets! Make your appointment today!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Three's a Charm!

I had a great time earlier this week with models Yannie (from MTL Tattoo), Marie-Sophie & Claudia (Vintage Love Clothing) doing a photo set for the 2012 calendar. I came across this AMAZING antique shop, Old Times Antiques on Notre-Dame, here in Montreal and I begged him to let me do a boudoir shoot in his shop! He was extremely accommodating and with a little help we managed to put together and english hunting cabin in the upstairs of the antique shop! The original concept was something much more Marie-Antoinette inspired, however once at the shop the leather wingback chairs called to me, as well as the polar bear rug - which is of course very rare. The girls were great! It was the first time both Claudia & Yannie (centre and right) were photographed by me & it really went off without a hitch. I had come across Yannie on Facebook & immediately fell in love with her excellent tattoos and happy disposition, Claudia I met at the bike and tattoo show & fell in love with her hairstyles and psychobilly look. In the end, the girls were fantastic & lots of fun even though they were out of their element. Marie-Sophie however, lives in a style of her own filled with rhinestones, pearls, ruffles, retro and dinner gloves - Which she pulls off with absolute class and taste. This boudoir shoot was second nature for her & I was so happy to show off her gorgeous new lavender hair. Enjoy!

The final shot for the 2012 Calendar

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sugar Skull Project

At the studio we wanted to offer an original photo shoot package- something beautiful but non-conventional. Both Marie-Sophie (A talented makeup artist that works at the studio) and I LOVE the day of the dead, all the rich reds, golds and especially the significance. We decided to put together a package for all you Sugar Skull beauties! Here's a sneak peek at the image we'll be using in our 2012 calendar as well as some "behind the scenes" photos. The package includes full makeup, hair, 30 minute photo shoot, wardrobe and 2 final retouched images (all other images on disc) for 150$

The Final product, you can choose either full colour or antiqued


The beginning of the makeup process at the studio with fabulous makeup artist Marie-Sophie


The Halfway point of the makeup process


Between shots, adjusting wardrobe and rose head piece

This is the type of photo shoot you'll never regret doing - it's a unique type of portrait that speaks volumes about your taste and originality and will cause lots of stir on Facebook and especially on the mantle at home. Here's a little more information about the Day of the Dead:

Day of the Dead' (Spanish: Día de los Muertos). The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31st through November 3rd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day(November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. The Day of the Dead is a time of celebration when eating and parties are common.This holiday is similar to All Saints Day.


Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztecfestival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in manyAsian and African cultures.

See the rest of the article HERE

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Product Reviews: Hard Candy, Glitteratzi



Presenting Hard Candy's "Glitteratzi"
Where to find it: Walmart
Use: A glitter spray you apply to the body
Ease of use: Unpleasant
Smell: None
Packaging: Gorgeous
Price: Around 10$

I was looking for a product to apply on my burlesque models during photo shoots - something glittery that would would just add to the glitz of the photos. Believe it or not it's hard to find a good product! When I came across Hard Candy's Glitteratzi I thought my problems were solved! Urgh! This product is not what it seems, yes - the packaging is fun & there is no smell BUT the application is really disappointing. The label reads "Shimmer Body Spray" but much to my dismay the product actually comes out as an oily goop with little sparkle at all! You'd think by looking at the transparent packaging that you'd get much more than four sparkles per square inch and the oily texture that you have no choice but to rub in is fairly unpleasant. I would not recommend this product!

Final word: Don't buy it!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What People are Saying...









Check it out on Facebook!

WANT PINUPS AT YOUR EVENT?

Do you want fun retro pinups at your event? Everything is glamorous about our gorgeous troupe from the amazing hairstyles, the costumes right down to the shoes! Make your event a night to remember with Pinups and Burlesque models posing for photos with your guests!
Prices start at 100$ for a 4 hour slot per member. Services include ONLY modelling and promotion for your event, Glamour Parties reserves the right to be the sole professional photographer of the Pinups at your event as well as the right to host a vendor table for our photos and calendars. We also offer a photo-booth with complete styling for your customers at 5$ a photo with the model of their choice at no extra charge to you!
Call 514-473-3218 for more details!

Photo Credit: Sophie-Anne D

Photo Credit: Foxy Lady

Photo Credit: Glamour Parties

You Should Really Listen To This

I heard this song on the radio a few weeks ago - I was in the middle of a conversation while driving and the song really grabbed both of us to the point of stopping our conversation and staring at the little LED screen waiting in anticipation for the name of the band. The song is incredibly sexy and smooth with a touch of roughness in the voice - I'll be playing this in the studio for my boudoir photo shoots for sure. Last night I stopped by HMV and picked it up for 10$ - trust me it's worth the investment, the album is incredibly diverse with everything from the song below that begins with a beat reminiscent of "Cold as Ice" that quickly turns into something a million times more fascinating - to Trip-Hop! The album is called Megalithic Symphony, a very fitting title for the compilation.
AWOLNATION - Sail