Provocateur Images has been located in Toronto near Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue for the past 9 years. This 1800 square foot photo studio has a beautiful collection of vintage, ornate furniture and glamorous collectables for clients to use during their personal boudoir session. This studio is known to be inclusive, everybody and every body type is welcome. It is a sex positive and body positive space.
Known for his portrait work, Trevor the owner and photographer, had a client who asked to do a boudoir session after leaving an unhappy relationship and wanted to feel sexy again. Once the session was completed, she felt so beautiful, felt more confident and walked taller while leaving the studio. This made Trevor see that all women should feel this way. He saw boudoir as a kind of therapy for those who need a little boost in confidence.
Provocateur Images has many different sets at his studio to give clients unique options, all designed by Trevor himself. There are currently 5 permanent sets that can be interchangeable with the many different furniture available, along with many accessories, such as lamps, travel trunks, throws and antique cameras.
Many clients have come to Trevor at Provocateur Images for a new outlook for themselves. They have either been coming out of a relationship, change their lifestyle or just want to do something great for themselves. There are many testimonials on the website that have positive statements about boosting confidence, feeling sexy again or disbelief that this is really them.
“I can’t believe that’s really me!” is the most common phrase uttered in his studio
When clients are inquiring about a personal boudoir shoot at Provocateur Images, they will start with a conversation with Naudia, Trevor’s assistant, to discuss the process and book a session. The clientele is mostly women, however boudoir can be different for all. There are couples who come in, clients who want to capture a maternity session and others like to show off their kink. Once they have chosen a date, Trevor will then contact them to discuss wardrobe.
This is a very important step. You might think, I just need to purchase lingerie, yes and no. Not all lingerie is made for all body types. There are some that do not photograph well and Trevor wants all his clients to look their best for their body type. Some might not feel comfortable in lingerie so they like to incorporate their kinks or perhaps even everyday clothes. Some suggestions are, the dress shirt, a comfy sweater or perhaps that leather jacket.
Others like to give this as a gift for their significant other and would like to incorporate a favorite sport. Jersey’s have been brought in as well as sporting equipment. Once the consultation is over, he is able to decide which sets he would like to use to compliment the clients wardrobe as well as hair and make up notes for his team.
He notes that the 15-20 minute wardrobe consult call goes a long way in personalizing the experience and making the photo shoot flow much smoother.
Upon arriving at the studio, the client will be greeted by Trevor and then introduced to one of three hair and make up artists. Once in the makeup chair, a complimentary glass of champagne is offered and the magic begins. Women who might not take the time to get pampered are able to sit back and relax in the hands of their artist. This also helps with some of the nerves that come with this type of photo shoot.
During the shoot, Trevor is great at giving direction. Not sure how to pose? That’s just fine, he is a pose coach. He might even act them out for you. There are a lot of laughs and high fives as encouragement. Roughly two weeks later, there is a zoom meeting where the images are revealed.
This is where the clients get to be in awe of themselves. They get to see the beauty they have alway had but not unleashed it. Many times he says there is a look on the client’s face of “confused elation” where one part of the client’s brain says, “That woman is gorgeous” while the other part of their brain says, “That’s you” and it takes a few minutes for them to reconcile their thoughts after which they are on a visible high with a smile that shows a new found, or perhaps rediscovered confidence.
Once the first lockdown started, Provocateur Images was closed from April until August. Many clients were forced to reschedule their personal boudoir session. This gave Trevor the time to have those mini projects he had always said would get done if he had the time. Projects like redesigning the website, added new blog posts, completely overhauled the online marketing strategy and educated himself about specific online marketing. Now that there is another lockdown, Trevor is now looking at his social media strategies and how to make better use of these to target his clientele.
This is one of those styles of photography that some can not see it for what it truly is. It’s not all about having pictures of you in your underwear or less, it’s about giving people a boost of confidence and helping them appreciate who they are in the now, especially since there is a societal stigma that you must be a size 2. Embrace your body. It tells its own story, why not show it off.
For more information about Provocateur Images:
Website: www.provocateurimages.ca
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/provocateurimages
Instagram: provocateur_images
Author: Audrey Gill, Toronto, Canada. If you have stories to share kindly email: – audreygill29@gmail.com
