Mary and I have been talking about doing this shoot for a few months. She wanted something different and a bit on a naughty side. As one of the suggestions I mentioned using Marie Antionette as an inspiration and we both liked where it was going right away.

 

Mary started shopping for the outfit and most importantly, the wig. It was one of the main items of the shoot and it took some looking around to find the right one. We didn’t want it to be too big (as was a custom at the time), but still wanted to represent the character. After doing some research Mary found the perfect one at buycostumes.com and for a great price!

Then it was off to find the rest of the outfit. Of course our local Lover’s Package Store came to the rescue yet again. I loved the corset Mary picked out! It is beautifully constructed and has boning for extra shape and support.

 

On the day of the shoot Ashley from Make Up Your Mind was here to apply makeup and help with the wig, and then later change things up for sexy lingerie look Mary picked out. Ashley not only does hair and makeup, but also acts as a style consultant and a huge help in the studio. What would I do without her?

During the shoot I had a bit of a challenge photographing the wig. While Mary was perfect in posing and facial expressions, the wig would just come out as a big white shining spot. It seemed like the thing was taunting me and it took me a bit to get it under control.

Note to self: wigs are a lot different than real hair… duh!

One of the other fun parts of the shoot for me was playing with natural light that was coming in from the two large windows we have in the studio. Living in Washington we don’t get a lot of sunshine, so most of the time I work with studio light. Taking advantage of the great weather I took a couple of great soft shots of Mary on the old antique couch. What a great contrast to a velvet heavy previous set!

Mary has a weakness for beautiful high heel shoes, and those are amazing! I loved them so much I had to bring them into focus. If they were my size I would accept them as payment for the shoot =) … just joking!

 

“My girlfriend had pictures done with Victoria and loved it, so I decided to explore the ONI Studios website and Facebook page. I loved Victoria’s work and decided to get with her on doing some for my husband’s upcoming deployment. Victoria came up with the idea of a Marie Antoinette spin and being a bit of a history buff, I loved the idea. I went to buycostumes.com and ordered a wig, lovers had a corset I liked and then threw odds and ends from my drawers in a bag. I will be honest in saying that as a woman in the military with two children and my own little insecurities I was a bit nervous of how things would go when I got there.
My experience was Amazing to say the least! Victoria put together these looks so well from just whatever I had and Ashley was great at tying everything up with her ideas. You girls are a talented, winning team! Everything felt glamorous and Victoria is great at making it all very comfortable! Leaving her studio I have a new sense of self-confidence and my own sexuality. I can’t wait to surprise my husband with this gift for his upcoming deployment and can’t wait to do another shoot at ONI! Maybe we can do 18th Century next time. Thank you Victoria and Ashley.

Much love,
Mary”