Lights, Camera, CHOCOLATE!

Photoshoot with Stone Photography = donezo!

Photoshoot with Stone Photography = so much fun!

Photoshoot with stone Photography = huge accomplishment! (so I'm telling myself).

And then it was done. After weeks of stressing, eating clean, cheating not so green, drinking beer here and there .. then having nerves reaching the middle of next week .. and it's done. And I'm sad. And I feel like I want something new to work towards yet at the same time, I know that I physically and mentally need a break. A break to do me. A break to be lazy and now have such a racing mind.

Yesterday was the day that I had been excited/dreading for quite some time and now that it has come and gone, I'm full of mixed emotions.

My day went as follows:

Itday started with a 6:45-am wake-up and weigh-in/quick 'what does my belly look like on the camera'.

After a 173.8 lb viewing, I wasn't feeling too too bad so I rechecked a few outfits! I wish I had of put more time into picking out what I had wanted to wear.

I really liked the grey and green shorts pictured above but didn't end up wearing them when I got to the studio.

My Metallica shirt holds a great significance of my teenage years, and seeing how I'm still a huge fan and youtube the band weekly, I decided to sport it! After a few try-ons, I was off to the gym for a last minute workout.

I had really bad nerves and just couldn't get into the workout so I bailed after 35-minutes and headed to the mall for some more Christmas shopping before heading to the studio.

After some visa swiping and beating around town, I was off to the Stone studio in Paradise to meet Judi Douglas-Stone.

So, what can I say about Judi? Well, she's absolutely fantastic! She is so good at what she does and the comfort zone she had provided in her studio was incredible! 

I walked into the studio with a bag of nerves. I thought I was too fat for the shoot (I know, I know .. but it's just how I felt. I have insecurities, too). I was thinking I would have some snobby photographer who would tell me my outfits were far too unflattering for my body. Judi Stone? The complete opposite!! She shared a very similar style and lifestyle as myself and seemed really excited and enthused when we chatted and realized we shared interests!! 

Judi sat on the carpet of the make-up studio and made me empty my bag of clothes and we started mixing and matching outfits. I had booked a 2-hour shoot and was told I had 3 looks to work with. The following articles of clothing were selected and I got photos with 6 different looks ... you do the math and get creative ;) 

I have pretty short legs (I know, right? What 5'9 gal has short legs?) but I do .. I have a very long torso so I wanted to wear high shoes to give that long-legged illusion. Before the shoot I headed to Spring and picked up these bad boys.

These bad boys will be going right back from where they came from (which sucks cause I got them on a Black Friday sale for $29.99) but I actually couldn't stand up straight in them. I was 'legit' like a bold-legged duck!! I can't believe that some people can sport these downtown. Not so much a time.

Judi told me to change into something I could stand in so I went with my red Spring baby heels.

After we selected the outfits, it was hair and make-up time from 12-1.

The hair, I love love loved!! I tole Jessica that I always wear my hair wavy so straightening it wasn't really in the game plan. I also told her it was her call as I trusted that she would know what worked best. Judi wanted to shoot me with a heavy rocker look cause of my tattoos and choice of clothing.  She   requested wavy and BIG! I liked this idea.

Ok, I wear mascara and my new fav MAC eyebrow pencil (sometimes) and that's pretty much it. So having this much make-up was like whoa! Jessica told me I was going to be in shock when I saw myself, but that I needed this sort of makeup to work with the abundance of lights that I would be photographed under. She said it wouldn't look so dominant in the photos.

Absolutely loved the make-up but would never wear it as intense if I hadn't of been under the camera. All the same, it's kinda fun to get all glammed up for something that felt so professional.

So intense eye makeup, hey? 

The shoot was supposed to last for 2-hours but I ended up being there for 3.5-hours (not including the hour for hair and make-up). It was so much fun and I wish I had some previews to show but I haven't even seen them myself. 

After I left the studio, I was extremely dehydrated and starved to death! I promised myself a big fat treat after the shoot and that is exactly what I did!

I brought a cliff bar and a pear with me (craving pears, BAD lately) and munched on both as I drove to the Starbucks office.

Upon arrival, I treated myself with a cranberry oat cookie and a nanimo square (you know they're my absolute favourite)

Yup, I got not one, but two treats at Starbucks! (and now is the moment where you stop judging haha).

Not gonna lie, I got pretty anxious after the <1-minute consumption of both treats but I tried to justify it by saying that I'd hit the gym hard on Saturday! (which I didn't end up doing). I actually got super sick seeing how I had eaten a days worth of calories in under an hour. Not ok, Victoria. Not ok.

I hadn't had my daily coffee so I also settled with a venti blonde roast!

The end of my night ended with a friendly sushi date, two more black coffees at Starbucks, some blogging, an episode of Dexter (w. trail mix and dark chocolate chips that I definitely did not need), and a hot shower to remove some caked on eye makeup.

Judi and her husband are currently in the middle of sorting all of the photos from this years NLABBA, aswell as the Halifax competition so she said my photos would be ready in 2-3-weeks. Pumped is not even close!! Can't wait to share the photos with you guys .. I just hope they turn out as nice as I picture them in my head. 

Thank you to all of my readers who kept me motivated enough to prep for this shoot! It was the ultimate experience and it has definitely given me ideas for the future! Happy Saturday, friends!!

*happy dance, happy dance*!


Questions

1. Would you ever do a photoshoot?
2. Are you nervous when in front of of the camera?