Quality work takes time

I believe that if I want something quick I probably need to lower my expectations on quality.
When you buy your wedding dress you order it months in advance because you know that most dresses are made to order and if you want a perfect looking gown that will hug you all over it will take time for the dress maker to create it for you.

I know it's often a very last minute decision on booking a boudoir shoot as a wedding gift or anniversary gift but remember; if you'd like to present it in a beautiful album you will need to calculate with a little more time. After all, you are buying something very special, something you can't just buy off eBay or get in a shopping mall.
You also want to give yourself time to prepare yourself, get the right outfits and feel you're 100% ready when the shoot day comes. :)

Below is the full rundown of the process from start to finish (in general):

• You email several photography studios
• You clarify all your questions with selected photographer
• You lock in a date with your photographer (giving yourself enough time to prepare, find lingerie, etc)
• Your photography session
• Your online/in-person viewing session - approx. 3-7 days after the session
• Post production of selected photographs - approx. 7 days
• Final high res and low res files delivered to you
• Album design and order - same time as final image delivery
• Album delivered to you approx. 2-3 weeks after album order sent to supplier

As you can see there's a tonne that goes into getting you that gorgeous album. It's generally about 2-6 months for most girls and while it sounds like a lot I can assure you it's certainly a good time frame to plan with.

And don't worry, I'm here to help all along the way, there's a lot of communication before the day of your session because my first and foremost priority if for you to feel like a superstar. ;)

Stay Beautiful,

Agi

 

Waiting for the "Right Time"

I was talking to a friend yesterday who's moving to LA soon - something she's been thinking about for a long time. She grew up in a city which she never felt she truly belongs to. We chatted about the "right time", the "right age", the "right whatever"...

It made me think how many times we set out a goal and delay it further and further just because we are waiting for the "right time" to do it. Is there really ever a "right time"?
I don't think so.

You set out to do something you've never done before.
It excites and terrifies you at the same time.
But how do you know when that "right time" is if you've never done it before, therefore you're unaware of all the things that can happen along the way - good and bad, the nice and ugly?
You don't.

My advice: stop waiting. There's never a "right time".
You will always upset someone with your decision.
You will always end up facing unexpected surprises you weren't prepared for.
You know what's the only sure thing that will happen?
You'll learn from it.
It'll shape you to a better YOU.

Stop waiting!

"Those who don't jump will never fly!"

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

Reasons to Shine

What's the most commonly asked question when I talk about my passion for boudoir photography?

"Why would women book such a photo shoot?"

My response is usually something like this: 

"The images/album is a gift for their partner on the wedding day, anniversary or birthday mostly."

However over the years of photographing women I've realised that the reasons are more like excuses, something that will validate the decision in the eyes of society. The pressure to fit in has never been so huge and we need something that justifies the decision when doing something for ourselves. Is it selfish? I argue that; it's looking after ourselves.

Women want to feel beautiful, sexy and confident - in their own skin. 

That's far from selfish - it's called "healthy" and how it should be.

Without anyone's but one's own validation.

I have the perfect example; a beautiful girl, Miss D who I met the first time in April 2014. 

She was shy and quirky and was getting married in a month time. 

Her main reason for booking a boudoir shoot was to give the ultimate wedding gift to her fiancé on their wedding day: a leather album with her beautiful photos in it.

What she's gained was much more and it may surprise you. Keep reading!

This girl not only rocked her session and came out of her shell but also pushed me to be a better photographer. (Thank you for that Miss D! I'm forever grateful for meeting such a beautiful soul.)

She gained an enormous amount of confidence and somehow it was not just about her wedding gift anymore.

[Makeup by Olimpia]

She got married to live happily ever after... For a short time.

Fairy tales aren't real and things don't always work out. 

Sometimes broken wings can't be fixed and you just have to give yourself the chance to be happy again. 

So she went on to create her new happiness.

When she got in touch with me to book another boudoir session at the end of last year I had no idea about how her life turned around but I was excited for her feeling ready to rock another shoot, this time for herself, no one else. (Go Girl!!)

So when people ask me for what reason would a woman want to stand front of my camera in lingerie; you should know, it's never as simple as just creating pretty photographs. There's so much more than what meets the eye.

Being a little bit selfish sometimes and wanting to do something for yourself, to feel powerful, confident and sexy - not to give a damn about what other people think is the feeling every single women deserves! It's healthy and important to love yourself! 

[Hair&Makeup by Sylwia Lukosz]

Miss D is the perfect example of everything I believe in and stand by - a boudoir shoot can help you see not only how beautiful you are on the outside but also helps you bring out the confidence that is in you and should be celebrated.

Before I published this story, I sent the piece to Miss D to read to make sure I'm not sharing too much or put her in any way in an uncomfortable situation. The following was her response:

“You have no idea how nice it is to see yourself looking nice when you don’t feel it, it really is the best confidence boost there is! It’s strange how seeing the photos, even though I had done it before, was still both surprising because you can’t believe you look half as good but empowering because it is you and you look good hahaha :-) ”

Some clients really make me want to shed some happy tears!

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

#girlcrush

Happy Hump Day!

You know that feeling when you find a girl who's values, beliefs, views resonate with you so much that you feel like you really should be BFFs?

The other day I got home and there was a book on my desk with a little note from my boyfriend, encouraging me to never give up on my dreams. (Yes, I had a weak moment that day and was a bit down)
The title of the book was #GIRLBOSS - needless to say it was love at first sight even before I turned the pages.

After reading only the first chapter, I have to admit: I got a major girl crush on the writer Sophia Amoruso! She is not only the founder of the online clothing store giant; Nasty Gal but also the woman who we all want to be BFFs with! 

She created a World where it's encouraged to be yourself, to wear what makes you feel bad ass hot without necessarily following all the latest trends from the fashion magazines and I love it! I've been chanting about the importance of confidence and how my boudoir photography experience is a kick butt to your confidence - without being one of the stereotypes, without being a supermodel, without being anything but you - so I was glued to this book till I finished it. I lovelovelove that there's someone who has built a whole community of women around the same idea.

If you need a good weekend read, go and get a copy of #GIRLBOSS as it could be the first step towards taking your self esteem to Wonder Woman confidence level!

Enjoy and never ever change who you truly are!

The World needs more honesty and less pretentious BS!

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

The Thing About Motivational Quotes

We all know those very meaningful, light bulb moment kind of motivational quotes, right? They are great and I'm a big fan of them too, but...

About that. 

I really love them. I have my favourites printed and stuck on my pin board in my office - the rest are safely stored on my equally important Pinterest page.

Let me tell you a little secret about these powerful little notes: the fact that just having these posted everywhere will not make you any more productive, successful or goal oriented unless you actually do something about your said goals.

I gave up my day job and moved states in a matter of 2 months (while I was already living in a different country to where I'm from) and it's been a true eye opener.

I truly believe in what I do, I am 110% passionate about making women feel more confident and strong however let's be honest: just being passionate about something will not get your business rolling! You need to take action!

Make sure that if you find what you love; you really, truly give all of you for that one thing. Wake up, kick ass - even when you feel no movement, no progress, none of the shiny outcomes that all those motivational quotes are promising you on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Still weak up. And kick that ass. And repeat!

Making your dreams come true will be hard work. So put your big girl pants on and get dirty because while there is a shiny prize waiting for you at the end; it will not be yours without putting in all that it takes to get it.

Pep talk over.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Stay Beautiful!

AgiM

My Boudoir Albums // 6x6 or 8x8?

  A long overdue post but I'm glad that I finally get to clear the confusion about albums included in my boudoir collections.

Here are the fabulous babies side by side, showing you all detailed differences and even a video that I made in 10mins - which of course resulted in me being out of focus, way too overexposed and my voice is echoing.. Oops! I should stick to photography! :)

And as promised, some close up images:

In case I forgot to talk about anything regarding the albums and you have more questions; please feel free to get in touch or have a look at my website.

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

Behind The Scenes Of A Boudoir Shoot // Miss Gy

Let me guess: if you are reading this blog post you are probably one of those girls who's been toying with the idea of booking your boudoir shoot but just can't for the life of you imagine actually doing it. Or at least not until you lose a few kilos, get back into your pre-baby body or get to the gym for at least 5 times a week for a year... Am I right?

Maybe I'm not - which I'm hoping for -, but maybe you just need to see how it works behind the scenes of those pretty pictures.

Well, I have it all for you :) The girl who you see in these pictures was like you. Doubtful of how she would portray on a boudoir shoot, what to wear, how to pose... Then voila! She pulled it off like a pro!

She was pampered before she had to get front of my camera, she was coached by me how to pose and the whole team made sure she was comfortable and had fun the whole time she was with us.

Miss Gy is the perfect example of breaking down barriers in your head and go for what you might have thought doesn't fit your personality. Getting out of your comfort zone can bring you big surprises - and in this case; some gorgeous photos that will forever remind this girl that she is beautiful, JUST THE WAY SHE IS. :)

Big thank you to Janine Speake Photography for the behind the scenes shots, Gabriella Szabo for the fabulous hair, Stefania Csorba for the stunning makeup and the Brody House for the cool location of this shoot in Budapest, Hungary!

Stay Beautiful xx

AgiM

Why does size NOT matter // AT ALL!

Before I start this blog post I'd like to point out that I am the same as all you ladies who are reading this; a girl who's keeping a close eye on the scale so I totally understand the head space of a girl who's worried about their dress size!

Now, what made me write this little not: Last year I've lost a fair bit of weight due to a rough start and was overly happy to see my dress size shrinking with the kilos that were coming off me. After pulling myself back together and feeling great again I wanted to make sure the kilos stay off so I've been keeping my training routine (sort of), been watching my calorie intake however I make sure that while my diet is controlled I'm not starving myself or ordering salad when all my friends are eating pizza at the Italian! Life is good and we shall enjoy it, right?

The best part of my weight loss was seeing the dress size on the labels.. :) While this may be most of our main measure of what slim or chubby is; it is also the most ridicilous out of all! I'm not saying that I was crying when I bought my first size 8 dress last year (or that skirt that is extra small!) but I should have been a bit suspicious because my size was - for years - size 10 or 12.

Let me get this straight: I'm 178cm (5'11") tall and 65kg. That is anything but skinny or extra small. If I would all of a sudden need to buy extra small clothes that would sure make me cry! There would be a problem.

The bubble burst a couple of weeks ago when I've got some pants from the UK and while all of them were size 10 (UK) only 1 of them fit me. Go figure. I ordered a dress online in size UK 10 (which I have always assumed the same as AU 10) and I had to send it back because it was too small.

When I've received 2 items ordered from the same website and cut the labels out it all came clear to me: while brand 1 is showing that UK 10 is EU 36 the other says it's EU 38... Oh, and when I ordered a medium size dress from the US and it had to be taken in almost 2 sizes? That was my best skinny moment! Again: go figure. And how could I forget shopping in Asian countries where everything is designed for the shorter, smaller ladies?

Different brands seem to have different sizing measures and we should all be aware of this - instead of worrining about the number on the label!

My conclusion from this is that SIZE DOES NOT MATTER! Clearly; no one can tell you what size you are exactly!

Ladies, enjoy who you are, embrace it, show off what you are proud of and forget those stupid labels in the back of your dresses! At the end of the day; what makes the dress fabulous is not the dress but who's wearing it! Hold your pretty head up high and smile at the World because you are gorgeous just the way you are!

Stay Beautiful!

AgiM

Boyfriend of the year // Boudoir Shoot with Miss S

I know a gazillion of girls who look at boudoir photos and their heart says: "I want to do a shoot like this!"And I also know that a lot of them never believe that they could actually look as beautiful as those other girls in the photographs. It makes me sad because I've seen many-many ladies who braved up and just did it anyway, only to then take their own breath away with the photos they saw of themselves.

The reasons of booking your shoot are endless but sometimes you may not even know that someone else who thinks you are the most beautiful girl in the World; already reserved your spot to shine your most beautiful ;)

Just before Christmas last year, I've received an email from a guy who wanted to purchase a shoot for his girlfriend as a Christmas gift. I was thrilled and excited (maybe more than him) and declared him "Boyfriend Of The Year" straight away. (C'mon! He totally is! What a gift!) Of course, as nice as it is for us girls to be pampered and transformed into a goddess, let's be honest here: the result of a boudoir shoot is just as enjoyable for our significant other too!

While it gives YOU an enormous amount of confidence, it will also make your partner fall in love with you all over again... :)

Thank you Miss S to let me share these beautiful shots of you with the World, I still think that your partner rocks for getting you such an amazing present! :)

Hair by Ze Flamant Rose Makeup by Leyla Kassim

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

Boudoir Shoot // Miss D

Since I've started shooting boudoir I've learnt that what I produce is much more than just pretty pictures of women.  They may all have very different reasons to book a boudoir session, but what boudoir really is about; to gain that extra bit of confidence you may be lacking. It's not only about feeling like a million $ but more so to lift that pretty head up a little higher and worry less about what people think, because what really matters in life is how YOU feel about yourself not what you think others do.

Miss D was one of my favourite clients so far because of the amazing transition from her shy, tomboy-self to the confident gorgeousness that the below images reflect. I loved to see the smile on her face after i showed her the first few shots, and seeing her feeling more and more confident front of my camera!

From the moment we greet our client we do everything to make her feel comfortable and beautiful. I believe with Miss D we definitely achieved all and more than that.

Thank you gorgeous for letting me show off a selection of your images here.

Stay Beautiful x 

Boudoir Shoot with Miss C

You know those photographers who call themselves "International XYZ Photographer", right?They earned this title by photographing on locations outside of their country of residence, they travel a lot, they have to carry around a LOT of equipment usually, live in hotel rooms and by flight schedules. (All this which I love too by the way) But if you live in a country which is pretty much far far away land from most other countries; you may end up becoming (sort of) and international photographer just by the look of the nationality of your clients.

Living in Sydney means that I come across all sorts of nationalities and blessed to be able to shoot beauties from all around the World without having to pack my passport. I absolutely love this aspect of my life as a photographer because I see the biggest variety of looks and shapes. It definitely makes a boudoir photographer's work much more exciting!

A few weeks ago a young German lady got in touch with me to book her shoot. As per usual I recommended her to book it a few weeks in advance - giving herself enough time to prepare. She wanted to book a date in as soon as possible because she felt her absolute best and fittest. Well, you don't mess with the German! If they want something you better give it to them! :)

She was right and a dream to work with and she looked drop dead gorgeous! Thank you Miss C for letting me share your beautiful images!

Stay Beautiful!

xxx

 

Branding Video Launch

Wow! Was this a lot of work to put together.. Was it amazing to do it and see a fantastic outcome I've never even dreamt of..

If you remember, a few months ago I wrote about my excitement of creating something I wanted in a long time. A few of my favourite talents and I got together to film my very first branding video! :)

I really don't know what more to say than THANK YOU all who's been part of my journey to become a photographer, I am grateful for all of those who's been cheering me along and believed in my - even when I didn't believe in myself at times. I would not be here today showing you this video without the people who supported me, friends who helped me in any way and the talented pros who I get to work with on projects like this.

I hope you will enjoy this great little snippet of what we do for women here in Sydney, Australia.

Filming and editing: Imre Somogyi

Makeup: Olimpia Zajac Hair: Nicola Bradley Model: Nada Sefian

http://vimeo.com/imofilm/agim-boudoir

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

Letter to my Dad

2 November 1994, Budapest

Hi Dad,

I just wanted to say goodbye because I don't think I'll still be awake when you leave. I thought I'll write you this letter and let you know that I love you very very much!

I also wanted to say sorry if I upset you.. but you know me…I didn't mean it. Please forgive me.

I hope all will go well on your trip. I will be sitting here, studying and trying to get all the knowledge in my head while will be thinking of you.

Again; I'm sorry! I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!

Love, Agi

 

In memory of the greatest man I've ever known; my hero, my inspiration, the person who I'm blessed to call my DAD.

Sun, Beach, California // Boudoir Retreat 2014

If you are following my Facebook page you have seen that it's been inundated with pictures, updates and messages about my recent trip to San Diego, California to the Boudoir Divas Retreat.This trip was one of those that you are dreaming of forever but can't see yourself ever make it happen. How could anyone's dream be travelling all up 24 hours on 3 different flights just to stay for 4 nights, turn back and do the same travelling home?

Well...

Yes, I'm the kind of person who: 1. LOOOOOVE to travel (but hate packing) 2. Love to do things that make no sense to most people (just to prove that we should all fight for our dreams because no one else can make them come true) 3. Try everything in my power to make things happen if I really, really want them (even it takes years of waiting - which in this case was about 5)

It was not as crazy at it seems by the way. If you travel often you would just look at it as another airport, another check-in desk, another flight, another serve of plastic food (which I actually like!), another delay (because there will be at least a couple if not more if you take 5 flights return), another smiley flight attendant.

I would also like to add that I find the time spent in the air priceless because this is the only time where my productivity level raise to the max. Where else can you get hours without mobile phone reception, wireless internet and phone calls?! Not many spots left for that in this World guys! Try to embrace the time you get to yourself on planes.

Moving on to the reason of my trip (that I meant to write about before I got totally off topic); I went to San Diego to spend 5 days with the Boudoir Divas and 6 other like minded, passionate boudoir photographers to talk about all things boudoir, shoot styled models and basically learn from who I consider the best in the industry: THE BOUDOIR DIVAS!

The retreat exceeded my wildest expectations; not only the beach house we were staying was amazing, not only I saw the biggest fridge in my life (fully stocked I may add), not only we shot all up 9 gorgeous girls in all shapes and sizes, oh and not only we've been catered with the healthiest and yummiest food but I also made friends with some fantastic girls who I will stay in touch forever for sure! I made a new best friend before I even got to San Diego - what better start I could have asked for!

What I found absolutely priceless that even tho we are all doing the same thing in theory; our photography studios couldn't be run any more differently! It was so good to see the different business models, brainstorm ideas, collaborate and dream together. It just showed me how much more this industry could be if photographers would not be afraid of sharing their knowledge. No one can be good at everything so why not show off what you are best at and hope it will help at least one person? How could anyone "steal" your ideas or "copy" your business when your business represents YOU? You, who is a unique individual therefore no other photographer will be able to do what you do!

I came back to Australia with a huge amount of inspiration, a much clearer head about all aspects boudoir and making new friends.

Tell me how it would have not worth every cent or every hour on the plane?

But because I'm a photographer and not a writer, I may be better off sharing some images that shows what a bunch of amazing women I spent those unforgettable days with and no doubt; a once in a lifetime experience.

Spending an entire day in the Boudoir Divas' studio and see Marissa&Kimberlee in their element was definitely one of the highlight to me!

The below image shows you how much fun we had while shooting the models in the La Jolla beach house. Krystyn from Flash Photography and Miss Reese from Urban Jungle Photography

This is what it looks like when you let a few boudoir photographers onto the beach to shoot a beach set. :)

This is Denise from Modern Love Photography and Natasha creating their magic.

This big smile belongs to the sweetest girl I've ever met. Krystyn and I shared a room in the La Jolla beach house and became good friends pretty much straight away. She is a bubbly, inspirational and hardworking girl who owns Flash Photography and I'm blessed to call a friend.

Aren't you just envious of Maggi's husband (Maggi Woo Photography) who was getting a sneak peek of the process of model shooting. Lucky man for sure!

I met Peggy in Las Vegas last year when I booked my shoot with the Divas and Peggy transformed me into something beautiful! I was thrilled to have her with us at the beach shoot. She is a sweetheart and makes me laugh every time I think about the stories she was telling me in Vegas :) Definitely one of my very favourite hair&makeup artists.

I just adore Jennie form Pink Photography firstly because she reminds me of another dear photographer friend but also because I got to spend a little bit of time with her at the end of my trip which was really nice! Check her work out! She built some amazing sets in her new studio since the workshop!

This lady is Natasha and she is not just an amazing photographer but also introduced me to the craziest 20 minute workout I've ever done; Insanity. What better way to start the day than an exhausting workout!?

We've also done a bit of shooting together which was great because I've never shot boudoir with another photographer. It was nice to be able to collaborate and create together.

That moment when all we wanted was a photo of the 2 of us and it ended with Krystyn from Flash Photography getting pushed over by a wave. (Eventho she believes it was me who pushed her! :))

And this is how a pro sets up for a group shot which she wants to be included in :) Amazing sprint, Marissa! :)

And if it was not enough goodness already the Divas surprised us with one last gift pack at the end of the retreat! I can't tell you how much I loved every bit of the time I spent in San Diego! It definitely worth the 5 years wait :)

Big thank you to the whole team at the Boudoir Divas' studio for pulling off such a big project! You guys rock!

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

Maternity photoshoot, friends & magic

A few days ago I photographed my friend who's having a baby in a month time. Now, this would not be a big deal if this gorgeous girl wasn't my friend and not to mention a photographer herself. Shooting other photographers always make me more nervous, because I really want to impress them and bring my work up to their expectations.

I could not be happier with the final images - which I have to say was one of my favourite photoshoots to date.

When I was starting out this lady helped me a lot and I'm thrilled that the day has come when I was able to photograph her and create some magic in collaboration with her ideas.

I'm so lucky to be able to call this girl my friend. She truly is a beautiful soul inside and out - she even made me want to get pregnant; well, only if I will look as pretty at 8 months as she is! (Mum, that was just a joke!)

Stay Beautiful,

AgiM

The excitement of creation

I said it before and I will say it again (and no doubt you will hear/read it from me again and again for the rest of my life):I AM SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SUCH TALENTED PEOPLE!

A few months ago a videographer friend and I started filming something we both thought will be more something along the lines of "Who is Agi", but I think you will need to wait for the answer on that because somewhere along the way we also filmed something that could be called "What are these 3 crazy girls doing that they call boudoir photography shoot?". Well, I thought I'll show some behind the scenes images before the final clip is revealed :)

And the girls I'm talking about, they really are amazing at what they do! I love the dynamics of it all and I'm grateful for them because I know I'm not always easy to handle when I'm feeling under pressure :) (Thank you Nic&Olimpia to stick with me on this crazy ride!)

As we all find it quiet challenging to make women understand what we provide, we decided to film one of our crazy days of working on a boudoir session together.

It started with me talking about why I believe in boudoir and what it means to me when I see a client fall in love with their images.

While this man, behind the camera filmed it all and did an amazing job working around us, with the model and put up with me at the end of the day still; even tough we were both falling apart by then.

Nicola, the fabulous hairstylist from London is the coolest chick you would ever meet which is why I was so surprised when she was nervous about talking to the camera :) I think that watching Olimpia (which is the moment captured below) made her more comfortable because what I saw in the final clip is showing nothing but passion for her craft!

While Nic could not wait to be over and done with her part in the video, Olimpia did such a great job and I can't wait to show you what to expect from these 2 girls, because (I may be bias, but) I think they are IT. If someone can make you look the best version of gorgeous yourself than these are the 2 ladies I believe will do it! They are not only extremely good at their jobs but also know how to ease the nerves of those clients who walk in feeling nervous before their shoot.

Today, I saw the almost-final version of this film which I think all of us will be very proud of. I admit; I even got a little bit teary and it also made me realise how important it is to have a team to work with you on your dreams and goals, a team who truly understands each other and push you forward when you get stuck. Also a big shout out to the beautiful Nada who is starring in this film - I just love to work with you girl!

The film is going to be 100% finished very soon and I can't wait to share it with the World! :)

Till then…

Stay Beautiful!

xxx

Cheating on Canon... With Nikon.

I'm sure there has been a gazillion posts about the pros and cons of Canon vs. Nikon but when I started advertising my Canon gear on Gumtree and eBay I have got sooooooo many people asking me the question "WHY THE CHANGE?" that I thought it may be worthwhile to write a blog post about it. Here it is - why I made the switch.

*image courtesy: Amber Kelly

First and foremost: I am not as tech savvy as I make myself look sometimes. I'm good at things I'm interested in but there are bits of photography that I only know because I have to. (I train new photographers therefore I had to learn a lot more than I actually need to know as a photographer) If you are reading this for some tech specs I recommend you to stop here because I will touch only as much on that as need be.

Someone once told me that when you chose a brand (and lets say you are trying to choose between Nikon and Canon) you should look around and see what brand your friends prefer/use and know most about. When you need help with your settings, want to borrow a lens, want to swap stories about whatever brand related topics it may be you will need someone who's in the same 'fan club' as you.

That's exactly how I chose Canon about 6 years ago. A super-fun, night club photographer let me take my first shot with his fancy, pro camera and I fell in love. This same guy also helped me a lot when I bought my first camera (which was far from his 5D, yet the basic settings were the same). As I worked myself more into the photography industry I kept meeting more professionals who were Canon users rather than Nikon so it seemed like a good choice.

The first time I got curious in what Nikon has to offer was only just before I was upgrading my camera - but still: Canon won the battle. I was over the moon and back to have such an amazing camera and felt super-confident because it was brand new on the market and I thought this will be my big break through! Well, it's very true that unless you have the vision, the eye for creativity; no matter what fancy camera you hold in your hand, no matter how precise the lens on it; your photos will be just average. I'm saying this because I see many people buy expensive gear to expect that will make them a pro - but at the end of the day if they don't get the framing right, don't keep the main elements in focus, don't achieve the viewer to see what they meant to show; it was a very expensive toy they bought.

Over the years and shooting a LOT taught me one thing: Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony... Whatever brand; it doesn't matter. Your eyes and passion is the most important element of your photography. Keep this in mind!

I was quiet happy with my Canon and wasn't going to buy a new body for a while but I randomly bumped into some people from Nikon Australia who really wanted me to try their equivalent of my 5DMIII, the Nikon D800. Just this itself would not make any photographer switch between brands of course and I'm no different - it's a lot of hassle to sell your existing set up and you probably lose a bit of money too, so why would you do it?!

The day Nikon Australia handed over the D800 and let me test it on my upcoming boudoir shoot, it truly made me feel like a pro. Nikon Australia loaned me a fabulous piece of equipment and I was able to test it on my upcoming shoot. What is that if not freaking amazing?!

Now, here comes a little bit on the technicality.. I was still not 100% convinced on this camera because of some well-know reasons, firstly; turning the exposure dial the opposite way as you'd do on a Canon. Turns out however that Nikon listened to the consumers and lets you change this in the menu now! It was also a little frustrating to find how to switch between user modes (manual, Av, etc), how to change between focus setting options, etc... However I have to admit that I just love that I don't have to fiddle between 2 buttons when I want to manually select the focus point (which I do all the time), and Nikon also makes it much easier to lock/protect the images - One press of a button easy to be exact.

When did I fall in love? When I saw the final image quality... Booom! That was definitely different from my Canon. Yes, I know; the file size is huge and depending on what you intend to use your images for it may be painful to process these images, but for me; it was mind blowing. Super-fast focusing, razor sharp outcome. I was hooked.

I was lucky because I managed to sell all my Canon gear within 2 weeks but it definitely worth the change. Nikon Australia also provided me with a loan camera while my new baby was on its way which is why I also tell everyone; my main reason for the switch is the brilliant customer service of this brand. They truly care about you and your photography! If you are even just a little bit inclined to check out what Nikon has to offer I would definitely see it with my own eyes if I were you.

This post got much longer than intended... However: if I helped at least one person to make a decision on their next purchase; I'm happy. :)

Stay beautiful!

AgiM

Something New - Bridal Boudoir

When I got a call from a client that she'd like to get a bridal boudoir shoot with me I got excited. Then nervous. I had moments when I had a crazy amount of ideas. Then moments when I felt empty. And when the day came and she was there, it was creative fireworks.

Yes; as much as I'm concerned that's the normal cycle of any portrait photographer. (Unless you do the same thing over and over again)

As the shoot was a surprise to her groom I couldn't get her permission to show the images (just yet), but I really wanted some shots as an experiment so I asked the beautiful Nada to come along and be part of the fun.

We ended up with more beauty than I can possibly show you but here's a handful of my favourites. 

The team (Olimpia and Nicola) and I are looking forward to another exciting year and more of these amazing shoots with gorgeous females who let us transform them into something they have never believed they can be.

Stay Beautiful!

AgiM

Hello from beautiful New Zealand - and why this blog has been soooooo quiet lately

I feel I spend half my time with booking flights, hotels and cars in different cities and I always think I will have all the time in the World to update this blog. After every single trip - without fail - I get home and get overwhelmed with how much more behind I've got with work BECAUSE of the travel - which means meetings.I must learn better time management I guess.

While I'm traveling around Australia due to other commitments; this blog has been a bit neglected. I wish there was a Siri update that takes notes of my thoughts so I don't have to wait till I can write them down..

Having lack of time and not being much of a writer either I recorded a little video update on my way home from my last trip (this time New Zealand). BIG THANK YOU to my awesome friend, Steph (who joined me for the weekend in Auckland) to be videographer of this snippet.

Note: It was about 6am in the morning (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early for looking fresh (me) or play pro videographer(Steph), we were both rather tired from the weekend and as neither of us is a master of film making: please excuse us if the quality is not top notch. :)

Stay Beautiful! xxx

What to expect from a boudoir shoot?

Well, I could tell you all about it but I think it's best if you hear it from a girl who experienced it :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdMpZEVfbf0

Do you want to know more? Check my website and let me know if I've forgotten anything you may have a question about :)

Stay Beautiful!