This past week, I was a bundle of nerves. My job is good, my relationship is good... everything was…read moregood. So why the nerves? I pride myself in being a strong, independent woman however as a larger woman I've always had body issues and this week I had decided to step out of my comfort zone and get some pictures taken to show myself that I still have some sex appeal. I live in St. Louis, so after only a 20-minute drive, I found myself sitting outside of Bellisimo Photography Studio with 3 outfits, my personal foundation, and a desire to embrace a little body confidence. You first walk into an office with beautiful pictures of women of all sizes and colors. These photos are inspirational, and I'm starting to get a little excited to pose like some of those photos. Jay is amazing! A master promoter of women, she put me at ease right away. She did my makeup, threw some curls in my hair, and then I was off to the dressing room. I will say that I brought no jewelry to this because I didn't want to detract, but I kind of wish I had brought a couple of pieces and asked Jay what she thought. Because I only had moisturizer on my face and Jay didn't know how I usually wear my makeup, I was looking forward to her view. The makeup was perfect for an evening out (or a photo shot obviously) and I got so many compliments on my hair afterward that I may start putting a few curls in it. (Those curls actually made me feel a little more (dare I say it) sexy.) The studio itself is gorgeous. The building looks very commercial, but when you walk into this studio, you "see" part of the "glorious" Opera House this building once was. There are 3 photo nooks in the room. Two contain couches and one a huge beautiful bed with satin sheets. They move things around every so often (so I was told), so you could technically go back every once in a while to get more pictures done. I showed her my outfits, and we were ready to go. The dressing room has a ton of robes that can be used. There was one that had a lot of ruffles that I really wanted to wear over a black gown that I brought, and I did. The session was easy. Jay walked you through every pose and sultry look. As the session continued, I realized that I was truly enjoying myself, was less self-concious and beautiful, and felt like I was so powerfully woman. It's hard to explain, but I felt unstoppable. After it was over, I'll admit I was sad. I was feeling so amazing. I suppose I enjoyed the pampering and assurance that I was killing it. I got dressed and went out to talk to the art director, Ashley. She was excited to see my photos and to discuss all my options and put them in my own collection book. I've since been back to order my photos. I walked in thinking...I bet we can only find one photo I approve. But while I didn't embrace all 60 photos that were taken of me. After some time, we were able to narrow it down to one of the packages they offer. They sent the prices of their packages before I went in to order (which I liked because they were very transparent (much like one of the outfits I wore. Hahaha), and while I told myself to get one specific collection, I settled on one with a few more pictures. Now let me rant a little... we all have cameras that we carry around with us. Sometimes, we manage to take a photo that is epic. Sometimes. Very seldom. Photo taking isn't easy. Especially in this field where pictures never lie. You see it all in these photos, but only a pro can create a work of art out of you, even with so many flaws screaming to be seen through the lens. Jay is that kind of pro. I will be posting some pictures of their studio nope...not of me... but when you see me next, you'll see me standing taller with an air of sensuality and power. Thanks Bellisimo!!

Today, I had the most wonderful experience of a Boudoir Photo Session! I had attended an event 2…read moremonths ago and the ladies of Bellissimo had a vendor presence to which I signed up out of curiosity. I came up with an outfit that was sexy chic, at least to me, and arrived at 4p. The ladies were ready for me upon arrival and super friendly and welcoming. This being my first time with this type of photography, they put me at ease. The studio area had about 8 or 9 stations, but tons of props and design throughout. The session included photos at all the stations which was fantastic. I try to follow directions very well and the photographer was pleasant and patient. She took alot of angles. At the end, scheduled follow-up appointment to view the results and make orders. Can't wait to see them!

If I could, I would give 100 stars! Lukas has done several family photo shoots for us now. He has…read moredone our first daughters' birthday shoot, as well as family photos, and my favorite so far-our most recent maternity shoot! He is always willing to go along with whatever vision I have as well as come up with ways to enhance my ideas to make them even better! I have also witnessed his work involving other media-related skill sets with friends/family, which again are amazing! Not only is the skill set top tier, he has always been more than reasonable as far a cost vs. quality goes. If anything the quality outweighs the cost, every time! He has never disappointed thus far, highly highly recommend him for any of your media needs!!!

Selecting a photographer to capture the joy and beauty of your event is no easy feat. I saw many…read moregreat photographers online through IG. Thumbtack. Yelp and the internet. Most had prices that rivaled a house down payment. Being a member of Yelp Elite, I was immediately impressed by Emily's Five Star Yelp reviews. Every single one was (is) rated five stars. That speaks volumes because we Yelpers don't hand out five stars like Tic-Tacs. I reached out to Emily and we had an initial call to discuss my event, vision, location and most importantly, my expectations. Emily asked me questions I hadn't considered as a consumer. She brought ideas and explained her process. I immediately felt comfortable and knew she'd deliver with Excellence, Enthusiasm Effortlessly, all while surpassing our Expectations. When we received our photos, my husband said "those are the best photos I've ever seen". Thank you Emily!

Emily was the best to work with. She helped my fiancé and I immensely when figuring out what we…read morewanted photo wise for the wedding. You can tell that she is professional and knows what she is doing because I came to her having no idea what photos I wanted or a timeline for the day of. She helped so much in that area and was able to direct us day of and made a timeline that worked perfectly for us. The photos we received back are AMAZING, she could not have done a better job. Even though our wedding was during a busier season we still got the photos back pretty quickly I would say. She really helped make our wedding day perfect and I am so grateful for that.

Excellent work would definitely recommend for photography…read morework did my family photos we were extremely pleased

If you need a photographer in St. Louis, look no further…read more I've hired Jenn for both my professional headshots and a family session in the park and she was fantastic for both! I HATE having my photo taken, but she actually made the process fun and worked with me to produce really flattering headshots. I've gotten multiple compliments from friends and colleagues on my new headshots, and I would recommend her to any professional without hesitation. For our family photos, I was blown away by how patient she was with my 3 year old son, who was not in the mood to have photos taken the day of our shoot. She cheered him up in impressively short order, and ultimately she took gorgeous photos that captured our family's personality perfectly. And when I thought it couldn't get any better, she turned around the proofs and edits for both sessions very quickly! She was professional and communicative throughout, and I can't overstate just how much I've enjoyed working with her.

We were tasked to find a photographer to do head shots at our HPE Software booth, for a large…read moreconference we regularly attend. With a simple google search, we found Jenn's website and quickly received a response. Working with Jenn was a breeze from start to finish. She was extremely professional, accommodating, and listened to everything we needed/wanted while even suggesting ideas we didn't think of! She was easy-going and by far a pleasure to work with. She provided amazing equipment that was simple to setup, and the end products were amazing. Her personality even helped drive people to our booth! Jenn is extremely passionate about her work and it definitely shows in her work ethic. We loved working with Jenn and would gladly work with her again!

Great!! I did my senior pictures with Amelia. She was an…read moreabsolute pleasure to work with. She gave me individual attention, she even found a venue close to where I live! I highly recommend her, she has reasonable prices and the pictures come out amazing.

Having not had professional portraits taken in years I spent quite a bit of time searching for a…read morephotographer I felt I would be comfortable with and whose work I admired. I am so glad I went with Amelia Hearne Photography. Before the session Amelia was sure to thoroughly explain the process so that we would know exactly what to expect. She also asked questions about our desires for the shoot and worked to tailor everything to our wants and needs. During the session, Amelia put me and my significant other at ease and made sure we were comfortable and received the posing direction we needed throughout the session. The final images turned out wonderfully and we are already planning our next session!

My husband needed headshots for his residency application. We reached out to several photographers…read more Some were booked and some were unresponsive. Henry was quick, responsive, and able to come to us in the Central West End. We also had specific compressing needed for the end results but Henry let us know that he would also provide us the high res images. The entire experience was phenomenal. We were booked for 10AM, He tu showed up at 9:45 to set up in our apartment. He made the shoot super fun and light, helping my husband feel at ease. We will be calling on Henry again as we are expecting at the end of the year and we also love his work with families and couples. 11/10 would recommend to anyone looking for high quality personal branding headshots. His work and his ability to connect with his clients speak for themselves.

Henry is absolutely amazing. My friend recommended him to me and I was so excited to shoot with…read morehim. His pictures have depth and meaning, and he truly cares about the specific details and the moments instead of just looking for "a pretty picture". We went to a location that he was familiar with and wasted no time in getting multiple different shots in a short amount of time which I loved. Many photographers spend a good amount of time trying to find a change of location/scenery during the shoot and it can definitely drag, but not Henry! He knows his spots! :) He makes you feel very comfortable and makes the shoot FUN!! I can't wait to shoot with Henry again and 100% recommend :)

Hire Sarah for all of your photography needs!…read more Sarah shot a bunch of events for me in the past and does such a wonderful job. She's completely reliable, and you don't really have to give her any direction in order for her to get great shots. I love that she "blends in" to whatever event she's shooting... sometimes photographers can get in the way and be really distracting to guests, but that is never an issue. The best part is I always had the photo disc in hand about a week or so after the event, which is pretty darn fast. I plan to use her for a few different things in the future. Great photos, great lady!

Sarah is wonderful, very professional, and an artist. She shot a series of impromptu, unposed…read morephotographs of me and my husband. Showed me myself as I am rather than what I look like when looking in the mirror or when posing. Captured my husband in all the fullness of his being as well. Great portraiture! We love it.